Nouméa

Where metropolitan French will hear a bad French accent, wince and say that they speak English, the Francophones of New Caledonia are either less willing or less able to accommodate Anglophones. It is probably a matter of capability, since they are marvellously willing to persevere in determining what it is that a foreigner needs. Without tourist-level French, you may find yourself lost — but it's a lovely place to be lost! The French spoken by Caledonians is much harder to understand than the French of people in Paris: on a par with Quebec French (or think of the challenge offered by broad Scots or Yorkshire for a Londoner). But English rates in New Caledonia are becoming higher, with more of the younger generations learning English.

The Little Train (Le Petit Train) is a motorised tour on normal roads, that runs several times a day. It is an area tour, but you can also hop off one train, and catch the following service. Check the timetable, though, because it may be cancelled or only offer two services on a given day.

The city is also serviced by several bus routes that costs 210 F if you buy your ticket on board (as of June 2014), or 190 F if you buy them ahead of time. Others have recommended this only if you feel your French is up to scratch, as the bus drivers very rarely understand anything but French. However, it is sufficient to know that the bus goes to "Centre Ville", then hand over the money and state the number of tickets required (une personne, deux personnes, trois personnes, etc.). The big catch is working out where the buses start, as different lines leave from different places. The majority of buses go from near the ticket office in Place de la Marne, where Rue d'Austerlitz passes through the Place des Cocotiers. Other lines depart from a rough piece of ground near the corner of rue Clemenceau and rue de la Somme, within sight of the Municipal Markets and the cinema and a couple of blocks south of Place des Cocotiers. See the official map for more details.

You can buy a number of tickets in advance at the office on rue d'Austerlitz (it's more of a booth, actually) but you need to validate the appropriate number of tickets for the trip when you board the bus (that includes the ones you buy from the driver) by inserting them in a machine that will stamp them with a time and a date, but this is nowhere explained. There are rumours of ticket-selling machines in shops. There may be an all-day ticket. The city bus line is called Karuiabus.

The first trick is to recognise a bus stop when you see one. These are white-ish pillars, usually with a name on them, sometimes with a shelter from sun or rain, but usually with no indication of the lines that stop there.

Also available for tourists is a "Noumea Explorer" service that runs an hourly loop pass the major tourist sites (Museums, Parc Forestier and Zoo, Tjibaou and hotels) hourly. That for 1500 F a day (2010 price), is a great idea to be used to explore each of the sites for an hour before catching the bus onto the next location when it comes past again. The service takes a little over an hour, the stops are hard to locate at the start, and you need both a map that shows the stops, and also a leaflet from your hotel or a tourist office that gives the timetable.

Tanéo also run bus services and run within Greater Nouméa. More information on Tanéo can be found here.

Most of the tourist attractions in Noumea are closed on Mondays and open all other days, with the exception of Museum of New Caledonia, which is closed on Tuesdays. Each venue has its own entry costs, but in 2014 for 1700 F a "Pass' Nature and Culture" could still be purchased that provided admittance to the Tjibaou, New Caledonia, Noumea and Maritime History Museums, Zoo and Aquarium that could be used over 6 months.

Another good idea, is to grab the free English publication The New Caledonia Weekly and check in it for local events and ideas. The best map was the "New Caledonia Visitor map" found in many places. This is an A1 sheet that can be a challenge in high winds, but at least it shows you where the "Noumea Explorer" stops are.

• 🌍 Museum of New Caledonia (Musée de Nouvelle-Calédonie), 43, Avenue du Maréchal Foch, Quartier Latin, ☏ +687 272342, fax: +687 284143, smp@gouv.nc. W-M 09:00-11:30, 12:15-16:30. The former territorial museum displays a large variety of tribal art and cultural items, such as weapons, spears, traditional clothing, decorations and full-size boat and hut structures. The ground floor focusses on Kanak items from New Caledonia, while upstairs there is cultural heritage from across the region, including countries like Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Australia. Some English information available. 200 F adults, 50 F students/12-18 years/seniors, under-12s free. (updated Jul 2015)
• 🌍 City of Nouméa Museum (Musée de la Ville de Nouméa), 39, rue Jean Jaurès, Centre-Ville (Opposite Place des Cocotiers), ☏ +687 262805, fax: +687 276062, mairie.musee@ville-noumea.nc. M-F 09:00-17:00, Sa 09:00-13:00, 14:00-17:00. The museum is in the city's first bank, constructed in 1874, a few years later which would become the town hall for nearly a century following the bank's failure. Documents the history of the city and the surrounding region, including the convict era, municipal projects under Governor Feuillet, the nickel trade, the city's role in World War II and since then. A lot of the info is in English, and a free audio guide is available to explain most of the exhibits. 200 F adults, 100 F students/seniors, 50 F 12-18 years, under-12s free. (updated Jul 2015)

• 🌍 Tjibaou Cultural Centre (Centre Culturel Tjibaou), Rue des Accords de Matignon, ☏ +687 41 45 45. 09:00-17:00 (closed Mondays). the iconic large modern wooden round houses, that you see on most postcards of New Caledonia, are located a little way out of Noumea (but accessible by buses--Noumea Explorer or Ligne 40( 40 ) public bus) past the Magenta Domestic Airport. It houses a lot of contemporary Melanesian and other Oceanic cultures art work, as well as some traditional pieces. Also if you visit at the right time, there are regular performances of traditional dances and music here, as well as the resource libraries focusing on Oceanic cultures. There is a cafeteria manned by a character with severely limited skills of addition, so make sure you know what you should be paying. The shop has some exquisitely designed souvenirs which aren't cheap, but which are still worth it. Make sure you leave some time to walk around outside the building. The architect was Renzo Piano, and you need to look closely at the way he has captured the spirit of the Auracaria pines. The centre commemorates a leader of the Kanak independence movement, Jean-Marie Tjibaou, a former priest who significantly was a student in Paris in 1968. Tjibaou was murdered by another Kanak who regarded Tjibaou's signing of the Matignon Accords as a betrayal. 500 F. (updated Sep 2021)
• Maritime History Museum on the Baie de la Moselle water front (11 avenue James Cook), this little museum is packed with maritime artifacts, like a humongous rudder, light house lamp, and models of New Caledonian ships. It also regularly hosts temporary exhibits like one on the first convict ship to arrive in New Caledonia. 500 F per person (June 2014).
• 🌍 Parc Zoologique et Forestier (Zoological and Forest Park), Rue Teyssandier de Laubarède (Bus line  12  (Ligne Culturelle) operates on weekends with 4 daily departures, also Petit Train or Nouméa Explorer), ☏ +687 278951, fax: +687 278950, denv.parcforestier@province-sud.nc. Tu–Su 10:15–17:00 from May–Aug, 10:15-17:45 from Sep–Apr. A large botanical garden set on one of the peaks overlooking the city. Home to a number of native and foreign animal species, including mostly birds, monkeys, flying foxes and a small animal farm. There are also some interesting forest walks, with over 125 flora species having been recorded in the park. Adults 400 F; 12-17 years 200 F; under-12 free. (updated Jul 2015)
• Aquarium des Lagons between Anse Vata and Baie des Citrons (61 Promenade Roger Laroque), the Aquarium has a great collection of Nautilus, as well as lots of information about the local marine life of the island. 1000 F (as of June 2014). Tu-Su 10:00 to 17:00. Last admissions at 16:00.

New Caledonia is home of one of the largest lagoons in the world. So naturally water sports are very popular.

• Wind surfing Anse Vata during the afternoons is very popular with Kite and Wind Surfers. There are a few hire companies on the beach that are very friendly and have a wide range of equipment.
• Snorkeling it is highly suggested to snorkel while in Noumea. The water off Rocher a la Voile around and into Baie des Citrons has coral literally meters from the shore line, making it very easy to see the coral and fish that inhabit there.

Baie des Citrons is also very protected from wind, making it even more enjoyable for the novice. But also if you are prepared to pay for a water taxi ride, Ile aux Canards just off Anse Vata (maybe half a kilometer away) has a snorkeling track in a marine park that has even better coral to see. The visibility can be poor after rough weather, and the charges for almost everything are appallingly heavy (600 F for a chair, the same for an umbrella, and the service is surely the surliest found anywhere in Nouméa, aside from the Tjibaou cafeteria). You get there by water taxi from the lower level of the faré ("native hut") half-way along the Plage Loisirs or Anse Vata beach. The price in June 2014 was 1200 F for a return trip, which was good value.

Seeing sea snakes is not uncommon in Nouméan waters, but they are very unlikely to bite a snorkeler. Sharks are very rarely seen though. You can rent a mask, fins and snorkel for 600 F, so you may think it worthwhile taking your own.

• Island hopping/visiting there are also many tourist operators who will take you to an island to sunbathe, swim and explore — like the Light House tours available from most tourist operators on Anse Vata, or via the hotels.
• Scuba diving There are a few dive companies who offer dive courses, and day dives on the reef. Abyss Plongée have a couple of boats and are based in Marina Port du Sud, and offer a morning of 2 dives on the reef for around 10,000 F. A whole day including 2 dives, lunch, and transfer from/to Port Moselle is about 16,500 F.
• Walking The climb up Ouen Toro Park at the South of Noumea (the hill near most of the big hotels) is a great way to spend a few hours. There are many paths through the hill that are signed (though sometimes poorly due to vandalism) and many places to stop, rest and take in the views. At the top of the 128-m summit is a military base (that can not be visited) and an old battery that has BBQ facilities.

The quickest way up from the area near Anse Vata is to walk along rue g. Laroque, but if you reach the pharmacy and the Hippodrome, you have gone too far. Go past the first couple of cross streets, then look for rue Paul Baumier on your right: there is a Gascon restaurant on one corner, and the Val Plaisance Charcuterie on the other. Walk up the street warily (the drivers are a bit wild) then pick up the track at the top end of the street. This leads up to the road that comes from somewhere past the Meridien hotel. The track is a bit of a scrabble, with a number of 5 cm stumps. Once you are on the road, you can either go west to look out over the sea or just look for the walking tracks that start immediately opposite. There is a painted map-sign there, so take some notes, especially of the distances, because these are repeated on the track signage.

The main thing is to be aware that there are many other tracks than the ones shown, and the red tracks (on the signboard map) are indeed "difficult". In the late afternoon, there are other walkers and runners so the place is safe enough. Take some water, and watch where you put your feet, as twisted ankles are always possible on the loose stones and rocks. Keep an eye on where you are going so that you can retrace your steps, because the internal signs are poor. The views, however, are superb.

Most of Nouméa is also very close together, and safe to walk day and night between most of the suburbs (anyway avoid the surroundings of the "place des cocotiers" at night, were many drunken people are roaming. Neighbourhoods of Montravel, Vallee du tir, and Riviere Salee can be also be unsafe place at night). By day, the walk from Anse Vata along to and around the Baie des Citrons is pleasant. Assume that coffee and tea along the way will leave you little change from 500 F (each).

• Local markets just off rue Clemenceau, south of the CBD every morning of the week is local markets from approx 05:00 till 10:00, where cheap food, arts and crafts can be purchased. Expect to pay list price; bargaining is not common practice in New Caledonia.

Food is not cheap in New Caledonia, but you can do well shopping at the non-tourist shops. Learn to detect the boulangerie and patisserie for bread and pastries, the charcuterie for meat and pâté and so on, but don't pass by the slightly seedy-looking general stores, where you can probably get tinned pâté, packaged cheese (wedges of brie, for example) and more.

Plan your alcohol purchases carefully because many supermarkets will not sell you alcohol on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

• Waterfront Market, Rue Georges Clemenceau. Open every morning, providing a good option for budget breakfasts. Croissants and Pain au Chocolat (180 F) and multitude of fresh fruit are available from various merchants. La Buvette du Marché, located inside the building adjacent to the main fruit market, prepares a variety of food including Croque Monsieur (toasted ham and cheese sandwich) and coffee. 

At night, locals who eat out seem to wait until vingt heures (20:00) before they eat, though most places are open from 18:30.

• L'Entrecote Au 360 (360 Restaurant), ☏ +687 23 90 90. A revolving restaurant on top of one of the Ramada towers. At one point, you are looking straight into the apartments of the other tower, but the food is truly superb, and the lunch views are great. Try the sirloin steak in secret sauce. (updated Mar 2017)

The main local beer is 'Number One', it is not a complex beer, but pleasant and refreshing. The other local beer is called "Manta".

There are many French wines to be had, but the New Zealand and Australian wines might travel better. The local tap water is perfectly safe to drink, but bottled water is easy to find if you are fearful.

For Australians, the idea of 'flat white' coffee is familiar. A short black is 'espresso', cappuccino comes heaped high with cream (not froth), and tea is served without milk. The hot chocolate is up to Belgian standards. Fruit juices are pricey but excellent.

• Explore the Grand South and visit Le Mont-Dore