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 Facts at a Glance
Full country name: New Caledonia and Dependencies (Nouvelle Calédonie et Dépendances)
Area: 19,000 sq km (7410 sq mi)
Population: 196,870
Capital city: Noumea
People: Melanesian (44.1%), European(31.4%), Pacific Islanders and Indonesians
Language: French, Melanesian-Polynesian dialects
Religion: Roman Catholic (70%), Protestant (16%), indigenous beliefs, Muslims
Government: French Overseas Territory, governed by France
Head of State: Jacques Chirac
 Environment
New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre ('Big Land'), is an off-centre streak of dirt and nickel parked in a turquoise sea, like the arm of a clock stopped eternally at 10 am. Unlike its near neighbours, Vanuatu and the Solomons, which are composed of scores of islands, New Caledonia has comparatively few. What you see - Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, Île des Pins, the tiny Îles Belep and a few scattered reefs and volcanic islets - is what you get. The dry land in New Caledonia is slightly larger than Wales, a little smaller than the US state of New Jersey. Grande Terre is divided by a central mountain range, with foggy, dense, wet forests high up and a lush, wild east coast that's seen less European settlement than the west. The west lies in a rain shadow and is consequently much drier, and its windy coastal plains have suffered the worst depredations of the mining and grazing industries. Around 80% of New Caledonia has been cleared of its original forest cover to make way for mining and grazing, and a lot of subsistence agriculture is rolling over for larger scale export crops of avocados, rice, oranges and pineapples.
Like many islands, New Caledonia has a high rate of endemic flora (around 80%) and fauna (roughly 30%). The central mountain range on Grande Terre has created numerous microclimates and separated pockets of terrain in which plants and animals have specialised since Noah was in short trousers, or at least since the islands were part of prehistoric Gondwanaland. Three types of reserves exist - nature reserves, special botanical or fauna reserves and one territorial park, and the level of protection in each type of park varies. Currently, 52,000 hectares (130,910 acres) of marine area are protected.
The islands sit on the edge of the tropics, and the weather varies little, with mild, spring-like conditions for most of the year, tempered by the ocean. The biggest variation is from mid-November to mid-April, when it is warm and humid, as opposed to 'winter', from July to August, which is spring-like. Average maximum temperatures vary from 22°C to 28°C (71°F to 82°F). The cyclone season runs from December to March, but woolly weather can show up for a month on either side of that. Generally, though, the seasons alter little, and even the number of daylight hours is stable, from 6 am to 6 pm year-round.
 History
Little is known about the Oceanians, who came from South-East Asia around 50,000 years ago and settled in the western Pacific, but between 7000 and 5000 BC further waves of migrants from South-East Asia brought agriculture, canoe building and pottery to the region. They left burial mounds on Grande Terre and Île des Pins and petroglyphs on Grande Terre. The islands saw further migration from present day Polynesia and Samoa from the 11th to the 18th centuries. In the late 16th century, the Spanish began sniffing around the Pacific in search of the mythical Terra Australis, and with stories of the noble savage and Pacific paradises proliferating around Europe, the English and French weren't far behind them.
The English explorer Captain James Cook sighted Grand Terre in 1774 and named it New Caledonia, as he liked to think it reminded him of the Scottish highlands, which the Romans had called Caledonia. Fourteen years later Louis XVI sent an expedition under the Comte de La Pérouse, but the expedition was lost in a cyclone off Vanikolo in the Solomons. Admiral Bruny D'Entrecasteaux was sent to find them three years later, and the Admiral and some of his crew landed and took a month to cross the north of Grande Terre on foot. The first Europeans to stay any longer were British and American whalers, who set up an oil extraction station on Lifou in the Loyalty Islands in 1840. Sandalwood cutters followed, and tensions rose, as the whalers and lumberjacks were hardly the cream of European society. By 1853, Napoleon III was looking for a strategic military location and, concerned that the British might get there first, he annexed Grande Terre under the pretext of protecting France's missions. The French moved in and governed by military regime for the rest of the 19th century.
As the French missions became more powerful, traditional customs began to disintegrate and the islanders' way of life came under threat. 'Blackbirding', the twee euphemism for slavery that continued into the 20th century, and previously unknown diseases squeezed the population even more. The French saw the Pacific as a good place to dump their great unwashed masses, and they deported their first convicts in May 1864. Many were political prisoners from the Paris Commune, but others were the derelicts and petty thieves from the streets of the metropolis, who became known as 'wretches in paradise'. By the time deportation was banned in 1897, 21,000 convicts had been sent. The discovery of nickel and the arrival of free settlers from France exacerbated the race problem, as Europeans encroached on ever more tribal lands. In 1878 a seven month revolt against French rule resulted in 200 French and 1200 Kanak deaths. The repression that followed further weakened Kanak culture.
Kanaks were recruited in large numbers during both world wars, and during WWII 40,000 American servicemen were based in New Caledonia. Those Kanaks employed on the US bases observed relatively good relations between blacks and whites and were paid real wages for the first time. After the war, the colony's status was changed to French overseas territory.
Post-war, Kanaks began making political and social demands, and Chief Naisseline of Maré prepared a 'native bill', arguing that because Kanaks had fought and died under the French flag in both wars they were entitled to the rights of French citizens. Kanaks were granted citizenship in 1946; 1953 saw the first political party founded, the Union Calédonienne; and all Kanaks were given the right to vote in 1957. The nickel boom of the 1960s led to rapid growth in Noumea, and increased both Kanak agitation for land rights and the Caldoche's wish for greater independence from a far-flung administration. The first France-educated university students returned to New Caledonia in the late 60s, having witnessed the Paris student protests of 1968, and political consciousness - and agitation for independence - grew.
Independence and the restoration of Kanak lands was firmly on the election agenda of 1977, but by that stage, Kanaks had become a minority in their own land. The turning point for the independence movement was 1984, which ushered in two years of widespread chaos, known simply as Les Évènements ('The Events'). Disillusioned with the French Socialist Government's empty promises for reform, several independence parties formed the FLNKS (Front de Libération National Kanak et Socialiste), with Jean-Marie Tjibaou as its first leader. The FLNKS boycotted the 1984 territorial election, and violence started to shake the country. After one of the most radical of the FLNKS leaders was shot by paramilitaries near La Foa, riots exploded all over. The French flew in paratroopers and declared a six month state of emergency.
Election boycotts followed; then further assassinations and bombs ripping up central Noumea; then came further accords. The French fell out with Australia and the United Nations in 1986 as the UN put New Caledonia back on their decolonisation list, an important step for the independence movement. France interpreted the move as interference in its internal affairs, and expelled the Australian consul general from Noumea on the grounds that he had played a leading role in the process. Tjibaou was assassinated in 1989 by members of a splinter group of Kanaks who believed the FLNKS had sold out over the peace agreement of 1988. The violence died down during the 90s, and buzz words today in right wing and many pro-independence circles are 'consensus' and 'negotiated independence'. The Noumea Accords of early 1998 were a blow to the pro-independence movement, as they put off independence for the territory until 2013 at the earliest.
 Economic Profile
GDP: US$2 billion
GDP per head: US$10,000
Inflation: 1.7%
Major industries: Nickel mining, agriculture
Major trading partners: Australia, New Zealand
 Culture
Among the Kanaks, dance has developed into a high art form. The traditional pilou tells the stories of births, marriages, cyclones or preparations for battle, although colonial authorities banned pilous in in 1951 for the high energy and trance-like state they induced in the dancers (and for the occasional supping on human flesh). Music is a fundamental element of every traditional ceremony, and the range of instruments includes conch shells, rhythm instruments and bamboo flutes. The Caldoches, or white New Caledonians, are mostly descended from French convicts and have forged their own culture, more akin to that of rural Australians or rural Americans than the metropolitan French. Rodeos and country fairs are popular. Métros are the more recent immigrants from France, and you're more likely to see them dining in fine restaurants or shopping for the latest fashions than staring down the wrong end of a cow.
French is the official language, and you'll need some if you venture out of Noumea (where at least some of those working in the tourist industry speak some English). An estimated 27 Kanak languages coexist in New Caledonia, but after being actively discouraged - or at least ignored - by the French since they arrived, there is no single unifying language. The clan, not the individual, was the most important element of traditional Kanak culture, and la coûtume, a code encompassing rites, rituals and social interaction between the clans is the essential component of Kanak identity today. It also maintains a crucial link with the individual's ancestors. Kanaks are Melanesians, the black people of the Western Pacific with links to Papuans and Australian Aborigines, and call themselves Ti-Va-Ouere, or 'Brothers of the Earth'.
New Caledonia's traditional staples are fish, coconut, banana, taro, sweet potato and yam. Lobster, coconut crab, dugong and turtle are also traditional food sources, as are roussette, the local flying fox. Unfortunately, much traditional fare is being superseded by canned and processed goods, although you will still come across the bougna, a delicious combination of taro, yam, sweet potato, banana, and pieces of chicken, crab or lobster wrapped in banana leaves and cooked in a ground oven. Many restaurants serve standard French fare with all its eccentricities, although the Vietnamese, Chinese and Indonesian restaurants generally serve up better value. The French, of course, take both their coffee and their wine seriously, and both are excellent.
 Events
The most important Kanak festival, the Festival of the Yam is held in mid-March, although it is not generally open to tourists. Like the French everywhere, New Caledonians celebrate Bastille Day on 14 July. Families and children carrying lanterns gather at dusk on the night before and walk through the streets to Place des Cocotiers, then they let loose a display of fireworks. On the day they hold a military parade in the morning. Mid to late May is the busiest time for festivals, with the Avocado Festival at Nece, Maré to celebrate the harvest, La Regate des Touques in Noumea, when people race in decorative floats along Anse Vata, and Pacific Tempo, a three day music festival in Noumea with performers from all over the Pacific.
The Foire de Bourail is a huge country fair with a rodeo, cattle show, horse racing and a beauty pageant in late August or early September. New Caledonia Day on 24 September commemorates Admiral Auguste Febvrier Despointes' claim to New Caledonia for France in 1853, and the whites have a day off work while the Kanaks consider it a day of mourning. The Équinoxe is a biennial festival of contemporary theatre, dance and music in Noumea in October, and later that month or in early November a popular Sound and Light Show is staged at Fort Tremba, La Foa.
 Facts for the Traveller
Visas: Only citizens of the European Union, Switzerland, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the USA can enter without a visa, and they can stay for three months. Everyone else needs to apply for a visa at a French embassy or consulate before they arrive.
Health risks: Dengue fever, and the water on Ouvéa, one of the Loyalty Islands, is not safe to drink.
Time: GMT/UTC plus 11 hours
Electricity: 220V, 50Hz
Weights & measures: Metric (see conversion table)
 Money & Costs
Currency: Cour de Franc Pacifique (F or CFP)
Relative costs:
- Budget room: US$12
- Moderate hotel: US$40
- Top-end hotel: US$100 and upwards
- Budget meal: US$7-10
- Moderate restaurant meal: US$15-25
- Top-end restaurant meal: US$30 and upwards
New Caledonia is not for skinflints, and in the Pacific only French Polynesia costs more. Most food has to be imported and is consequently pricey, and even locally produced food is on a par with imports. You could scrape by on US$20 a day on Noumea if you stay in the HI Hostel, eat bread, cheese and fruit from the markets and do little more than hitch to the beach every day. But if you stay in a budget hotel, eat a few meals in snack bars and take in some sights the argent starts burning a hole in your poche and you'll easily be shelling out US$70 a day. And of course if you dine out every night, stay in the most pricey hotels and don't mind what you spend on tours, you'll quickly shell out US$200 or more.
All banks charge a US$5 commission on cash (except for French francs) or travellers cheque transactions. Only the American Express office in Noumea doesn't levy this fee. ATMs are located mostly in Noumea and they accept MasterCard, Visa, Eurocard and Carte Bleue, and the max you can withdraw in any week is US$350. The duty free shops, airline offices, hotels and restaurants in Noumea accept major credit cards, but you'll only be able to use them at major hotels outside the capital.
Tipping is refreshingly absent. According to Melanesian custom a tip is seen as a gift and imposes an obligation on the receiver to return the favour, although in the European-run restaurants if you round up the bill or leave the change it's unlikely that they'll throw the money back in your face. Neither will you have much scope for bargaining in the local markets: if a price is asked that's what the seller wants for it and it would be ill-mannered to bargain for anything lower.
 When to Go
Go whenever you can seize the chance. If you're nervous about cyclones or mosquitoes you might consider staying home between November and April, or you may want to plan your trip around one or two festivals, such as the Avocado Festival in mid to late May, the three-day Foire de Bourail from late August to early September, or the Équinoxe in October. If you're a diver, don't miss the riot of colour that accompanies the coral spawning in early summer.
 Attractions
Noumea
Since the bombs and riots of the 80s, Noumea has begun a swag of new developments unparalleled since the heady days of the nickel boom. Political rallies today are more likely to be protesting forced redundancies and cuts to services than demanding an end to French rule. From Anse Vata in the south, Noumea's most prestigious beach, to the northern suburbs of Koutiou and Yahoue, the town measures little more than 15km (9.3mi).The city centre spreads along Baie de la Moselle to the west, a fine harbour with good shelter for cruise liners, fishing boats and a fleet of private yachts. Further west lies Nouville, site of the colony's first penal settlement, and now connected to the mainland by fill from the nickel smelters. Immediately north of central Noumea the land is mainly industrial, with uninteresting residential and industrial suburbs beyond. On the eastern edge of the peninsula lie the well-to-do waterside suburbs of Ste Marie and Ouemo.
The Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre is Noumea's newest and most exciting development, about 10km (6mi) from downtown. Designed to reflect the Kanaks' integral ties to the land, it successfully blends contemporary architectural style and indigenous cultural beliefs, and displays items of Kanak heritage and the cultures of Oceania. The colonial style Bibliothèque Bernheim is Noumea's main library and a great place to browse. It's pleasant and quiet despite nearby traffic, but to really escape the cars, go to the Noumea Aquarium at Anse Vata. It contains rare and unusual marine life, from sponges and coral through to the big fish with sharp teeth.
Just east of the city centre is the Vallée des Colons, a lively suburb that is today home to many of the town's Kanaks and Polynesian immigrants. Nouville is worth a visit for its convict ruins and the secluded Kuendu Bay, an ideal spot for swimming and, around the headland, for snorkelling. If you want to walk the seamier side in Noumea, try the Quartier Latin, with a hint of its famous Parisian counterpart, near Port Moselle south of the city centre. And for the downright filthy you can't go past (and you can hardly miss) the Doniambo Nickel Smelter, the 'furnace of Doniambo', a multi-chimney eyesore north of the city centre.
Anse Vata offers the pick of the top end accommodation, although there are a few budget places in with the four and five star hotels. The HI Hostel in the city centre has the cheapest accommodation in town as well as great views of the Baie de la Moselle, but there is a wide range of accommodation (from the Spartan to the luxurious) around town and at Baie des Citrons. Check out the Quartier Latin and Baie des Citrons for cheap eateries, although the centre of town has plenty of snack bars (snacks) and even the opportunity for a Mcfeast.
Île des Pins
Often the only part of New Caledonia outside Grande Terre that many travellers experience, the Île des Pins' main claim to fame is its extraordinary beaches and bays. The people are mostly Kanaks, and the island was spared the worst violence of the 80s. Perhaps as a consequence the islanders are welcoming and friendly to travellers. The best of the island's beaches are at Kuto, which also attracts most of the tourists. Many of the places to stay and the restaurants are clustered around here, and at the Baie de Kuto local people come at dusk to fish. The penal colony governor's residence the gendarmerie, prison ruins and the Cimetière des Déportées are all worth exploring.
A steady 45 minute hike will take you to the 262m (859ft) summit of Pic N'Ga, and on a clear day the view from the top can take in the entire island. The abundance of caves on Île des Pins include the Grotte de Wèmwânyi, the island's most famous, and the Grotte d'Ouatchia, a narrow underground passage with impressive rock formations. The Baie d'Oro is a sheltered estuary covered with knee-deep water of the most exquisite turquoise colour, surrounded by the towering pines that give the island its name. Île des Pins is well served by air from Noumea, and a ferry and some cargo vessels also take passengers. It lies 50km (31mi) south-east of Grande Terre.
Hienghène
Hienghène has two main drawcards: it's the site of the massacre of 10 indépendantistes in 1984 and the Lindéralique Cliffs, dramatic, black limestone cliffs, rising in some places to 60m (197ft) above the sea. They are topped by razor sharp pinnacles, and the many caves among them are inhabited by swallows and flying foxes. A Club Med south of Hienghène offers luxury accommodation and a cutesy imitation Melanesian village. The Goa Ma Bwarhat Cultural Centre contains a small museum and a performance room where there are occasional theatrical, musical and legend-telling performances. You can hike the Chemin des Arabes across Grande Terre's central mountains to the west coast, a trip of three days with water en route. Hienghène is on the north-east coast of Grande Terre, via a paved road that crosses the mountains then hugs the coast through a spectacular coastal landscape. A bus from Noumea is the best way to get there.
Bourail
With a population of only 4350, Bourail is a lively colonial era settlement and New Caledonia's second largest town. It does get a little more lively than the Arab Cemetery and New Zealand Pacific War Cemetery. Huntin' and fishin' are the main pastimes among the local Caldoche community, and an unusual rock formation, La Roche Percée, is the most famous landmark in the area. Locals say it's shaped like a face (if you've had a few drinks or are blessed with a good imagination), and you can clamber all over it at low tide. Early risers can see the turtles nearby at Baie des Tortues. The best beach in the area is the Plage de Poé, with fine, white sand, colourful shells and good snorkelling. The RT1 is a good sealed road that skirts the mountains to Bourail, about 150km (93mi) north-west of Noumea, and you can get there by bus or car.
Parc Territorial de la Rivière Bleue
Although many Noumeans escape to the park during holidays and weekends, if you manage to get there during the week you could have it all to yourself. A great place for nature lovers and hikers, the park has virgin forests of araucaria and kauri pine (including the giant Grand Kaori, estimated to be around 1000 years old), swimming holes and abundant walking tracks. The park's rich bird life includes the red-crowned parakeet, the black honeyeater and the cagou, New Caledonia's national bird. Once threatened with extinction, the cagou is making something of a comeback in the park thanks to a captive breeding and reintroduction program. The Blue River Park is 43km (27mi) inland from Noumea along the paved RT2, and you reach it via the bus to Yaté, but there's no public transport inside park boundaries.
Off the Beaten Track
La Foa
The small town of La Foa is surrounded by lush cane fields and beautiful blackwood and araucaria pines. The town has seen its share of troubles, from its earliest days as a penal settlement through to the shooting of two FLNKS leaders in 1985. The historic Paserelle de Marguerite bridge was designed by two students of Gustave Eiffel, and although it's been superseded by a wider bridge it's still an impressive construction. Fort Teremba sits on the plain overlooking Baie de Teremba, was headquarters for the local colonial military and was besieged by Kanaks in 1878 during the great insurrection. It is now used to stage sound and light shows in November. Farino, 3km (1.8mi) from the main road turn-off, has great views over La Foa and out to sea, and sports a popular market, held on the second Sunday of the month. Buses make the 110km (68mi) journey from Noumea to La Foa Monday to Friday.
Poindimié
Although they're rocky, the beaches here are worth a swim or a snorkel. The islands and reefs just out of town are some of the best in New Caledonia for scuba diving. If you're into what is laboriously described as 'modern architectural integration art', check out the Municipal Pool Vasarely Mosaic at the southern end of town. Victor Vasarely was a well known artist in his day and his mosaic was designed to brighten grey, urbanised areas. The drab War Memorial sits on the hill in town to commemorate US involvement in the War of the Pacific, and a few minutes drive north of town along the RT3 is Tié Mission, with a church built in 1866. Poindimié is about 308km (191mi) from Noumea on the north east coast of Grande Terre, and the best way to get there is by bus along Highway RT3.
Poum
At the end of the RT1 on the northern tip of Grande Terre, Poum is a windswept community of 1300. If the weather's wild, Poum can be uninviting, and while there's not much to see in town, if you have time and your own transport it's worth making a trip to Boat-Pass, also known as Pointe Nahârian. This wild and desolate peninsula is exposed to the sea and bordered by palms, grasslands and araucaria pines. Along the Baie Banare you pass excellent but desolate beaches at Nennon and Kejaon. There are flights between Noumea and Koumac, from where you can catch a bus, a little over 50km (30mi) to the south-west. Poum is at the end of the RT1, 340km (210mi) north-west of Noumea, and if you are coming by bus you will have to change at Koumac.
Tiga
Few travellers reach this tiny raised coral atoll in the Loyalty group. On the island's protected side, underwater cliffs abound with coral and fish, making for great diving. Deserted beaches are ideal to kick back and relax, and although there's no formal accommodation you can camp at the airport or on most private property if you get the owner's permission. The 380 Tigans live in the north-west corner of the island, where the reef is most accessible and the island least exposed to the elements. Tiga's airstrip is just south of the village, and there are four inter-island flights a week from Maré and Lifou, or one a week from Noumea.
 Activities
With New Caledonia claiming the world's second biggest coral reef, the diving and snorkelling are spectacular. In summer the water may not be as clear with wet season run off from the land, but on calm, windless winter's days underwater visibility can reach 50m (165ft). Some of the best dive sites are on Île des Pins, Poindimié, Amédée Islet, Maré and southern Grande Terre. Swimming, of course, is an option in most places with so many fine beaches, and the best are on the east coast, Loyalty Islands and Île des Pins.
Trekking on foot and horse trekking are both popular, and you can arrange two or three day horse rides into the interior of Grande Terre. There are plenty of possibilities for caving on Grande Terre, Île des Pins and the Loyalty Islands. If John Denver's sticky end didn't deter you, you can also try ultra-light flying from Noumea or Lifou in the Loyalties, and to really loosen your bowels there's parapente, or in English, parasailing. You run down the edge of a hill or mountain dragging a rectangular parachute behind you till it opens (you hope) by the time you launch off into thin air. Being an outpost of France, the cycling is manic, and they even stage their own version of the Tour de France in September.
 Getting There & Away
The major airlines to serve New Caledonia regularly are Air France, Qantas, Air New Zealand, Air Vanuatu, AOM and the charter company Corsair. Aircalin, or Air Calédonie International, is the other major airline, but its focus is Pacific destinations. After the Japanese and the French, the majority of tourists come from Australia, so you can often get good deals out of Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne. From Europe your best bet is to fly from France, or from the UK to eastern Australia where you can get a reasonable fare to New Caledonia. The major North American west coast departure points are San Francisco, Los Angeles and Vancouver. All international airlines land at Tontouta International Airport, 45km (28mi) north-west of Noumea. An airport departure tax of US$11.60 was introduced in 1997 for adults and children.
New Caledonia has recently been dropped off the list as a port of call for many cruise ships, and even Club Med's luxurious Club Med 2 has moved to Tahiti. The cruise ships that do still arrive dock in Baie de la Moselle, Noumea's natural, deepwater harbour.
 Getting Around
Air Calédonie domestic services serve several towns on Grande Terre, each of the Loyalty Islands, Île des Pins and Waala on Îles Belep. You can also charter private planes and helicopters. The road network on Grande Terre is extensive and all the main roads are sealed, and nearly every major town or large village is connected by bus, leaving from Noumea's bus station (gare routière). All car rental companies are based in Noumea, but unfortunately their rates are high and none will rent to anyone under 21. Animals and pedestrians on secondary roads can make driving hazardous in some areas, particularly at night.
 Recommended Reading
- Jean-Marie Tjibao's Kanaké - the Melanesian Way uses colour photographs, poems, legends and imagery to explain Kanak culture and the impact of recent events on the people and culture.
- Your Flag is Blocking Our Sun by journalist Helen Fraser, covers the worst of Les Évènements from 1981 to 1989.
- Ingrid A Kirchner's The Kanaks of New Caledonia discusses the place's history as a colony and the growth of the independence movement.
- Cultures in Conflict by Urs Bitterli, looks at exactly that from each culture's perspective.
- Birds of New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands by Hannecart & Lennocart gives you the lowdown on New Caledonia's endemic and native feathered species.
 Lonely Planet Guides
 Travellers' Reports
 On-line Info
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