Noumea, New Caledonia

Kia Ora!

28 March 2010: Noumea, New Caledonia



In Noumea, New Caledonia we were greeted by a colorful couple in Kanak (Melanesian) traditional dress, post-missionary I assume from the well covered woman. Obviously tourism is a valued industry here.


Noumea is the capital of the island nation of New Caledonia (so named by Captain Cook), a territory of France. Like other colonial powers, the French used New Caledonia as a penal colony. The city resembles a laid-back French provincial town. French is commonly spoken and the currency is the colorful Central Pacific Franc.

 The tour options at this port seemed unengaging after my choice of the cultural tour was canceled, but as a solo traveler I was reluctant to strike out on my own. Many of the ship's passengers headed straight for the beaches or the shops. Some were happy just for the opportunity to hang out and practice their French. A "Tchou Tchou" train tour attracted a goodly number, and I opted for a benign guided bus tour of the city and aquarium.

This area of the world carries a strong sense of history for me. Two of my uncles served in the South Pacific Theatre during World War II, Paul Keller on Cebu, Philippine Republic and Ted Keller on Guadalcanal. I was interested in the experience of the citizens of these islands during this time. Here is the story from Noumea: The main industry and source of revenue on this island is a highly productive nickle mine. When France fell to Germany in 1942, the Allies knew that whoever controlled the nickle mine could control the war. Within hours, ANZAC (Australia New Zealand Army Corps) moved in and secured the mine and island for the Allies.







They were swiftly followed by the US military. Overnight this now serene harbour was completely filled with US warships and 17,000 American soldiers marched ashore. The mental image the guide created gave me goosebumps!

 The next port of call will be the island of Lifou, also part of New Caledonia with eight hours of ship travel between the two ports. Until then ...

Cheers,
Kiwi Traveler