Paradise lost
02 May 2016
A mere hop, skip and a jump away from Australia, idyllic New Caledonia is the stuff of tropical daydreams.
When the hustle and bustle of city living gets too much for me and it’s time to go for a spontaneous getaway, I often consider going on a road trip up and down the coast, perhaps heading to the mountains or wine country. If I’m feeling adventurous, I’ll think about nipping over to Melbourne to hit the small bars and fabulous restaurants. Of course, they’re all attractive options.
Never before had I ever considered going to New Caledonia, less than three hours away from Sydney. In fact, the dazzling tropical island is in the same time zone as the eastern states of Australia.
So a mere few hours after leaving it all behind (‘it’ being a demanding family, a crazy social calendar and a struggling car at the mechanic), my travel companion and I were transported to what can only be described as heaven on earth.
One moment, pottering about my little inner-city apartment and worrying about the traffic on the way to the airport. A few hours later, I had landed in Noumea – a warm breeze was blowing through my hair, my toes were nestled into the bright white sand of Anse Vata beach and I was admiring the vibrant sunset over the sparkling waters.
I have to admit, I tend to avoid tropical beach holidays when it comes to overseas adventures. I prefer trips that are all about the go-go-go – big cities with lots of museums to get lost in, statues to take photos of and wondrous monuments to gawk at.
However, as I devoured my plate of big, fat juicy oysters over my seafood dinner and took a sip of my chilled wine that night, I thought, ‘I could really get used to this life’.
Here are just a few of the highlights of my little tropical getaway to New Caledonia – the first of many to come.
Ile des pins
Surrounded by clear blue waters and colourful coral reefs, this idyllic island is filled with wild vegetation and tall pine trees. It is simply breathtaking.
Once a penal colony in the 19th century, much of the Isle of Pines is still untouched. It’s also just a short 20-minute flight from Noumea.
When we arrived at the island, we had a highly entertaining tour with our friendly local guide, JeanKri Deret, an expat Frenchman who had a passion for heavy metal music and painting in his spare time.
In our few short hours together, JeanKri drove us around in his air-conditioned four wheel drive to the the island’s major landmarks, including Oro Bay, Vao Village, the natural grotto of Queen Hortense, Kuto Bay and an old convict prison.
JeanKri’s commentary covered everything from the history of the island to the politics, peppered with his own personal stories. We even swung by his own home at one stage, where he creates art and grows grapes on the side of the road.
Look JeanKri up if you visit the Isle of Pines. You won’t regret it: iledespinstours.simdif.com
To spoil yourself, stay at Le Meridien, a luxurious resort with a private beach that’s almost guaranteed to ruin future holidays for you.
Noumea
Surrounded by picturesque bays, the capital city of New Caledonia is easy going and laidback – there are delicious French restaurants to indulge in and sandy white beaches to relax upon. There’s also the fascinating Tjibaou Cultural Centre, Amedee Island and the markets to visit. A quick tip: if you want to see the markets at their liveliest, go on the weekend and make sure you grab a coffee and a hot crispy croque monsieur (cheese toastie) for all of five dollars.
Keep in mind that most of the action in Noumea is not in the city centre itself, but at Lemon Bay and popular beach Anse Vata, where there is no shortage of clubs, restaurants and bars. The sunsets are also spectacular over Anse Vata beach, which we enjoyed from our apartment balcony at the Hilton.
Perhaps the most highly anticipated part of the trip was our final night at the magical L’Escapade overwater bungalows, which are only accessed via boat. For weeks, I daydreamed about sunbaking on our private deck and wandering down the stairs and straight into the clear waters to go for a quick dip.
Although it did unfortunately rain during our time at L’Escapade, I still loved every minute of snorkelling, where I spotted several large turtles and schools of colourful fish gliding underneath our bungalow. To this day, I still think about the decadent seafood buffet from that night, bulging at the sides with fresh fish, huge prawns and fat mussels.
Ile Aux Canards
Just a five-minute boat ride from Anse Vata, this World Heritage site (also known as Duck Island) is perfect for snorkelling, then relaxing under an umbrella with a cocktail in hand.
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