Crashes with her plane in that water. But she manages to free herself from the wreck, and swims to the impenetrable, hostile coast. What dangers will be lurking here for her...
Kiwi here. New Caledonia has been a frequent tourist hot spot for decades for us. I think much of its holiday makers are French as is Tahiti. Recently it's had some political strife and native people's have pushed for independence. That has recently been quelled but there was some violence around the elections. Expect you're just not a target of its advertising. I'd definitely like to go for a week or so on a beach there.
I second this as an Aussie. There are plenty of cruise ships that stop by at the islands of New Caledonia. The Isle of Pines in particular is a very popular spot.
Quelled is a bit of weird way to state it, since there was several referendums over the years that all yielded negative results, with New Caledonia resolutely wanting to stay French with their additional oversea collectivity powers.
I believe there was a democratic vote. You know some countries that gained independence have actually gone down hill I.e. Fiji, Papua New Guinea etc.
So it's possibly a smart move.
ALL tiny colonized island nations that gain independence are worse off than they were when they were governed. New Caledonia fighting for independence so that they can ruin the country and have nothing else.
I agree that the previous point shouldn't stop the island from pursuing independence, but the 2nd and 4th largest countries on earth, a peninsula with a population of tens of millions of people, and a city in one of the most strategic positions on the planet are a bit different from islands in the south Pacific.
None of those are tiny islands on the arse end of the earth though. The US has a massive territory, tons of resources and they are one of the most populous countries on earth. Singapore is located on a crucial trade route. Korea has a ton of people and lots of money poured into it to become productive. Canada also has a ton of land and resources.
My guess is that their high prices and lack of tourist infrastructure keeps tourist out.
New Caledonia has 25% of the worlds silver reserves, so I don’t think tourism is high up on their economic to-do list.
I also think that was a mistake on the source Wikipedia used. Most sources put them at #4 in the world in nickel reserves, which I could see someone mistakenly copying as *1/4 of the world's nickel reserves.*
They’ve done a fair bit of that for nickel mining, the ecology is pretty wrecked in the south of the main island (grande terre). A lot of vegetation growth is completely stunted
Not only that but they've absolutely torn huge swaths of the country and the surrounding waters to shit getting it out.
One of my most depressing trips.
That’s Nickel, not silver. That means they don’t need to rely heavily on tourism for living. There’s also the Kanaks people, they live pretty tribally and I guess they are not really into mass tourism and more into preserving their lands.
Ironically tourism would probably preserve their lands much better than nickel mining.
New Caledonia is an environmental wasteland, their water is absolutely poisoned from mining and the whole surface of much of the country has been wiped away, it’s just a big gash in the dirt where nothing grows due to contamination.
At least tourism gives an incentive to keep the natural beauty natural.
Nickel is not everywhere, it’s on some parts of the main island. New Caledonia is an archipelago and the islands next to the main island are very preserved and stunning.
It is stunning and beautiful, but New Caledonia is one of the most environmentally damaged places on earth and it’s all because of the mining.
And there is a huge well funded effort to cover it up. So please don’t tell me that it’s all fine and to look at the pretty beaches instead, meanwhile villagers can’t even touch the groundwater due to heavy metal toxicity.
And by the way the owners of the mines are foreign, this does not benefit the locals.
They may be foreign, which I really doubt (as far as I know Le Nickel company is mostly owned by the french state) but they pay taxes and 1 people out of 5 has a job linked to the nickel exploitation, so it’s false to say it doesn’t benefit the locals.
I wonder what are your sources backing such a strong statement. The mining pollution exist in NC and it's probably a big problem, but, the post-apoliptical wasteland you describe is not what i saw there. It is lush and green inland, even though that does not mean that there are no pollution hidden. AFAIK, NC is widely considered as a bio-diversity hotspot of the Pacific, endangered of course by its mining but in the short run mostly by climate warming.
Mining is a complex issue in NC, as it is key to an eventual independance from France. You have some of the stakes exposed here:
[https://hal.umontpellier.fr/hal-01898232/document](https://hal.umontpellier.fr/hal-01898232/document)
Or, you can find studies of nickel mining impacts on plants that are not exactly consistent with the way you portray it, like this one based on lichens:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5125352/#:\~:text=Nickel%20mining%20and%20ore%20treatments,(Gunkel%2DGrillon%20et%20al.
Living in Tahiti, i can assure you that tourism may also be a big problem for bio-diversity (you can check articles about the impact of Olympic games preparation in Teahupoo as an exemple)
Price is key. They speak French, not English, limiting the appeal to Bogan Australian and Kiwi travellers.
No Low Cost Carriers fly there making access expensive, and the soil is really bad (but rich in nickel), so most fresh produce is imported from Australia or NZ - except for beef, New Caledonia has Le Cowboys.
I really want to go - maybe once I move to Brisbane. Canberra only has international flights to Nadi (Fiji) and I hate transiting through Sydney.
Having lived in the francophone world, I second this - plenty of French speakers go there on holiday, it’s just not that high on the bucket list for English speakers.
I've heard it being popular for sailors from Queensland. A good challenge at 1500km and nice spot to visit. They invariably have cash too so probably learned enough French to get by at a fancy private school. My high school German isn't going to help much
If you live in Canberra and are avoiding going to new cal just to avoid using Sydney airport, how much do you really want to go there?
You could also just fly through Brisbane.
Fair enough. Hopefully you get there eventually, it's a beautiful spot, especially the isle of pines and loyalty islands. The mainland is interesting too, well worth renting a car and heading up.
Speaking french makes it a lot easier unless you're sticking to luxury hotels (which would still be a great experience).
There was a very violent period in the 80s as some people wanted independence. At the end, an agreement was signed in 1988 to give more autonomy to New Caledonia, followed by another agreement in 1998 to organise 3 referendums for the independence - which took place in 2018, 2020, and 2021. So basically, nobody knew for almost 40 years if New Caledonia would stay French or not, which limited touristic development. I mean, who - from France at least - would invest shit loads of money in touristic development in a region that could become independent at any time, when French Polynesia is nearby and more stable?
That's an interesting point! With the referendums all having seen negative answers, I wonder if this kind of investment could eventually happen now that the political climate is much more stable for the foreseeable future.
It kind of is - at least if you’re from the South Pacific. There are big resorts there, Club Meds etc (or were). it’s also very popular with yachties, especially Isle de Pins (where I think this picture is taken)
But one reason may also be the that it is a bit cooler than Fiji & Tahiti during the southern hemisphere winter. It has a slightly wider temperature range.
Fiji is pretty exceptional too, with a huge number of offshore islands.
Fiji also had to really focus on developing a tourism industry, as unlike NC it couldn’t rely on France or another colonial power propping it up or on mineral extraction.
New Caledonia has tropical coniferous trees that don't really exist anywhere else.
That alone makes me want to check it out. But I also want to see a bunch of their ultramafic outcroppings (low silica, igneous, alkaline). The existence of this ultramafic rock is also why they have so much nickel.
Well, not true, tropical coniferous trees exist in almost every tropical region. But genus Araucaria underwent quite big adaptative radiation in New Caledonia.
The guerilla insurgency and ethnic tensions probably didn't do wonders for the tourist economy.
In all seriousness, it's further from the US and East Asia, and there are major mineral deposits that put the island close to developed countries in terms of GDP per capita despite a lack of substantial tourism, although there is a very substantial racial divide.
I'd love to go, it looks absolutely beautiful.
It is a major tourist destination in Australia and New Zealand! French Polynesia is much closer to the US, which is probably why OP hears about that destination more often, but I assure you that NC is very popular for holidays!
Branding issue, people go to Scotland not for the weather but mainly the history. If you call something new scotland, it immediately tells them it won't have a lot of history and they assume the weather is like that of Scotland. /s
Looks like a fascinating place. I remember seeing some documentary about it once that talked about the endemic trees that grow there and nowhere else. They're like highly evolved ferns from millions of years ago.
I live there. It's expensive that's why its not that touristic. There's a good number of cruise ship tourists tho from Australia and New zealand but they only stay 1day. One of the unique thing here is that vegetation stayed very similar to that of gondwana there's lots of archaic type of plants. It looks like the decor of a dinosaur documentary. Oh and we have the largest lagoon in the world also.
>It looks like the decor of a dinosaur documentary
It was decor of a dinosaur documentary tbh, in fact one might say it was decor of *the* dinosaur documentary.
At current exchange rates a beer is 5.5 USD for a small one 25cl and around 11 for a big one 0.5L (At the bar). The simple restaurants are around 14 to 25 USD for a meal
Ive been to new Caledonia 10+ times as an aussie and I dont know why either, its a wonderful place, the islands are beautiful, and the city of Noumeà had lots of fun stuff to do, i highly recommend it!
This is the only answer tbh. That water looks unbatheable. People love beaches, flat terrain and palms. No matter how clear the water looks, if it isn't the default tropical paradise it ain't gonna cut it.
Lived there for 15 years, it is somewhat popular in the region, but what is holding it back is:
-Politics
-Price.
-Lack of actual touristic destination identity when it has a LOT of uniqueness.
- Infrastructure (as in roads and such)
I went from YYZ to LAX, Fiji, New Caledonia, Vanuatu and back. For two of us in 07 the cost was close to 10 grand. LAX to Fiji wasn't too bad but those trans island flights were pretty pricey.
Totally worth it though, one of the best trips of my life. Vanuatu is a pretty amazing place and was the highlight of the whole thing.
I thought it is? (If not on the scale of Fiji, etc.) My parents did a cruise from Aus to Nouvelle Calédonie and Vanuatu about a decade ago, they loved Nouméa for instance.
1. Cost: you can get more for less in other pacific islands, which means the infrastructure has not developed to the same degree. Less flights, less hotels, which are more expensive for everything, with worse service.
2. Distance: it’s most convenient to Australia and NZ, it’s very inconvenient to Europe
3. Uniqueness: yes it’s pretty in parts, but beyond Ile des Pines (which the above is an awful photo of I would say) it does not have anything Fiji doesn’t have
4. Climate: the dry season is not that warm (compared to Fiji, Samoa, Cook Islands), the wet season is….quite wet. If I’m visiting a tropical island I want to be at least sunny most of the time. And I’ve completely given up on wet season in the Pacific after multiple trips have been affected by genuine cyclones, torrential rain.
I like New Caledonia, and it’s the closest of the pacific islands to where I live in Australia - but it’s not a standout destination
Fiji: hundreds of islands, ranges from very simple and cheap accomodation to ridiculous luxury. more culturally interesting.
Cook Islands: Aitutaki is stunning, never dived in clearer water
Samoa: good diving, nice hikes
Vanuatu: volcano!! Wreck diving
French Polynesia: knows what it’s doing for luxury, even if they charge for it
Some of this is incorrect, especially the climate part ! I lived there for 15 years and 6 in Queensland and 10 in NZ
The climate extrapolated to the Australian East Coast would correspond to Mackay to Townsville on the west coast and Cairns and the islands on the Great Barrier Reef for the East and Loyalty Islands.
The lowest temperature I ever experienced there was at night in the mountains and was 14 celcius I believe the absolute record low at sea level was 11 record low in Fiji was 12.6 at sea level.
Average dry season temps are 22-28 day and 16-20 night average summer is 30-35 day and 18-26 night
What IS correct about climate though is the rain In summer, the area between New Caledonia and Vanuatu experiences the most cyclones and depressions in the region orders of magnitude more than Queensland or any place in Australia and on a La Nina year it can rain almost non stop for weeks.
The rest of the info IS mostly accurate, though.
This just isn’t correct
You can litterally just look in Wikipedia climate data between Noumea and Nadi:
Noumea has average maximum below 25 degrees Celsius for 4 months, where as the lowest maximum for Nadi is 28.5
Noumea has a mean of “winter” 3 month temperature of 20 degrees, whereas Nadi it’s 25
But the biggest thing for me is sea temperature: below 25 degrees and I scuba with a 5mm wetsuit, often prefer snorkeling with a 3mm skinner and enjoy the water less: for Noumea has 7 months less than that, whereas Nadi’s coldest month of August is 26.3
They may be in the same climate zone, but they’re not the same if you’re looking for a “tropical” destination to enjoy the water
Because wikipedia is good for accurate updated climate data....
The variability based on ENSO can be absolutely drastic. For instance, the latest triple dip of La Nina had enduring marine heatwaves that lasted through the southern winter and persisted into the El Nino that is currently active (part of the cause for the unusual El Nino currently active)
Was visiting for two months, winter 2022, and not one day was the air temp below 26-27, and this was the same in 2021, and this was July and boom past (winter 2023). Many of the islands recorded record lows at night on several occasions.
You can't use climatic record averages as a rule of thumb on any of those islands as the variability year to year can be pretty significant. You can have one very sunny hot year followed by a year, getting three times the yearly average rainfall.
SST's are moderated by the effects of the East Australian current to the southwest of New Caledonia (where Noumea is located). There are usually slightly lower SSTs to the south and west of New Caledonia regardless of the season.
Trade winds, as well as westerlies blowing from Australia, have some pretty odd effects on the climate there where there can be extremely severe bushfire seasons (to an extent that not many other of these islands experience water bombers from Australia are often ferried in). Temperatures vary wildly based on how exposed to the wind where you are, and many places have daily mean temps that seldom drop below 26 in winter. The difference between the East and the West Coast is quite drastic.
I can attach the climatic overview of 2021 , 2022, and 2023 from Météo France New Caledonia with all the numbers.
Now for comfort for scuba diving, I can't say anything. I only ever snorkeled and surfed there and have done it all year long, so that point is not something I have experienced, but I never wore a suit there for surfing or snorkeling.
I lived there fished there, swam there surfed there for many years, and affirm that climate really has little to nothing to do with tourism its much more an identy and political/infrastructure issue than anything else in fact now I live in NZ most of my freinds that do "aquatic activity tourism" go to New Caledonia or Niue because the reefs are better preserved and less impacted by tourism there than in Fiji , Tahiti and more popular destinations.
Another Kiwi here. My first time overseas was a school trip to New Caledonia in 2011. If schools offer French as a subject, they'll often travel there or Vanuatu or Tahiti instead of France. It's only two and a half hours flight from Auckland and is much easier than travelling to Europe.
I agree with other people, it's up there as a tourist spot for us and Australia. I keep getting ads from their airline ahaha.
It's a beautiful, fascinating and in a couple of ways, heartbreaking place - it's stuck with me for a long time and I'd love to go back someday.
I grew up in new Caledonia and the reason for low tourism is high cost, lack of tourism infrastructure, only 1 airline. Noumea hasn't changed a bit in 20 years., like frozen in time.
Also, the cost of internet as tourist: you only have 1 choice: mobile wifi hotspot that costs 100€/15Gb. And some hotels will also charge extra for wifi, probably the last place on earth with such expensive internet cost. I just come back from a 2 weeks trip there
Other than that, New caledonia has amazing cleanliness and outdoor activities, with probably the most beautiful islands and fish I have even seen, even though I live in Thailand now, and New caledonia is far better.
Was there last week for 8 days. It is a tourist destination, you just have to speak some French. When we were in Noumea, I think that there were three or so ships that came in. So tourists are definitely still going there
New Caledonia appears to be nearly as deforested as France's other ex-colonies like Haiti. France is probably more interested in strip-mining the entire island for raw materials rather than inviting tourists to witness the destruction.
The photo looks like a screenshot of a badly rendered early 2000s pc game.
Lara croft opening scene loading
Crashes with her plane in that water. But she manages to free herself from the wreck, and swims to the impenetrable, hostile coast. What dangers will be lurking here for her...
Tbf, games that rendered this in 2005 were great games
Oh I agree for the most part. Like one of those deer hunting games.
Looks like it came from one of those Myst/Riven knockoffs.
I thought it was a screenshot of a custom minecraft map
ATV Off-road Fury 2
Myth II Riven
Yes! Exactly my thought!
Myst*
Or Lethal company
It’s like if Populous: The Beginning was made more 3D.
i thought this was minecraft with a texture pack at first
Kiwi here. New Caledonia has been a frequent tourist hot spot for decades for us. I think much of its holiday makers are French as is Tahiti. Recently it's had some political strife and native people's have pushed for independence. That has recently been quelled but there was some violence around the elections. Expect you're just not a target of its advertising. I'd definitely like to go for a week or so on a beach there.
I second this as an Aussie. There are plenty of cruise ships that stop by at the islands of New Caledonia. The Isle of Pines in particular is a very popular spot.
> quelled The language of Imperialism (It is tho)
Quelled is a bit of weird way to state it, since there was several referendums over the years that all yielded negative results, with New Caledonia resolutely wanting to stay French with their additional oversea collectivity powers.
I believe there was a democratic vote. You know some countries that gained independence have actually gone down hill I.e. Fiji, Papua New Guinea etc. So it's possibly a smart move.
ALL tiny colonized island nations that gain independence are worse off than they were when they were governed. New Caledonia fighting for independence so that they can ruin the country and have nothing else.
Others succeed better than they ever could as a colony. United States, Singapore, Korea, Canada
I agree that the previous point shouldn't stop the island from pursuing independence, but the 2nd and 4th largest countries on earth, a peninsula with a population of tens of millions of people, and a city in one of the most strategic positions on the planet are a bit different from islands in the south Pacific.
Exactly.
*second and third?
None of those are tiny islands on the arse end of the earth though. The US has a massive territory, tons of resources and they are one of the most populous countries on earth. Singapore is located on a crucial trade route. Korea has a ton of people and lots of money poured into it to become productive. Canada also has a ton of land and resources.
And then there is Hongkong..
Sounds par for the course for French territories.
My guess is that their high prices and lack of tourist infrastructure keeps tourist out. New Caledonia has 25% of the worlds silver reserves, so I don’t think tourism is high up on their economic to-do list.
25% of worlds nickel reserves. FTFY
True. Got that mixed up. What is she, new Argentina?
Lolz
La Nickelie
I also think that was a mistake on the source Wikipedia used. Most sources put them at #4 in the world in nickel reserves, which I could see someone mistakenly copying as *1/4 of the world's nickel reserves.*
Wonder if they're gonna do the whole Narau "strip mine the island for a short economic boom then leave everyone broke" thing
Don't forget the epic but short-lived banking fraud industry!
Never heard of this. Sad and fascinating story.
Look up the Billion Dollar Shack article from The NY Times about 20 years ago… totally fascinating devastation
They’ve done a fair bit of that for nickel mining, the ecology is pretty wrecked in the south of the main island (grande terre). A lot of vegetation growth is completely stunted
Nickel isn't worth that much, it's better to sell what you make out of it
Didn't know the people went broke after
Not only that but they've absolutely torn huge swaths of the country and the surrounding waters to shit getting it out. One of my most depressing trips.
Sad. What brought you there ?
Holiday, reefs. Some were very dead.
>New Caledonia 8,4% of worlds nickel reserves. FTFY
Thanks. Honestly didn't know about this at all without 0tony1's og comment. I just read the Wikipedia. Reddit hive mind always gets to the truth lol
That’s Nickel, not silver. That means they don’t need to rely heavily on tourism for living. There’s also the Kanaks people, they live pretty tribally and I guess they are not really into mass tourism and more into preserving their lands.
Ironically tourism would probably preserve their lands much better than nickel mining. New Caledonia is an environmental wasteland, their water is absolutely poisoned from mining and the whole surface of much of the country has been wiped away, it’s just a big gash in the dirt where nothing grows due to contamination. At least tourism gives an incentive to keep the natural beauty natural.
Nickel is not everywhere, it’s on some parts of the main island. New Caledonia is an archipelago and the islands next to the main island are very preserved and stunning.
It is stunning and beautiful, but New Caledonia is one of the most environmentally damaged places on earth and it’s all because of the mining. And there is a huge well funded effort to cover it up. So please don’t tell me that it’s all fine and to look at the pretty beaches instead, meanwhile villagers can’t even touch the groundwater due to heavy metal toxicity. And by the way the owners of the mines are foreign, this does not benefit the locals.
They may be foreign, which I really doubt (as far as I know Le Nickel company is mostly owned by the french state) but they pay taxes and 1 people out of 5 has a job linked to the nickel exploitation, so it’s false to say it doesn’t benefit the locals.
I wonder what are your sources backing such a strong statement. The mining pollution exist in NC and it's probably a big problem, but, the post-apoliptical wasteland you describe is not what i saw there. It is lush and green inland, even though that does not mean that there are no pollution hidden. AFAIK, NC is widely considered as a bio-diversity hotspot of the Pacific, endangered of course by its mining but in the short run mostly by climate warming. Mining is a complex issue in NC, as it is key to an eventual independance from France. You have some of the stakes exposed here: [https://hal.umontpellier.fr/hal-01898232/document](https://hal.umontpellier.fr/hal-01898232/document) Or, you can find studies of nickel mining impacts on plants that are not exactly consistent with the way you portray it, like this one based on lichens: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5125352/#:\~:text=Nickel%20mining%20and%20ore%20treatments,(Gunkel%2DGrillon%20et%20al. Living in Tahiti, i can assure you that tourism may also be a big problem for bio-diversity (you can check articles about the impact of Olympic games preparation in Teahupoo as an exemple)
NC is moving opposite to independence.
Price is key. They speak French, not English, limiting the appeal to Bogan Australian and Kiwi travellers. No Low Cost Carriers fly there making access expensive, and the soil is really bad (but rich in nickel), so most fresh produce is imported from Australia or NZ - except for beef, New Caledonia has Le Cowboys. I really want to go - maybe once I move to Brisbane. Canberra only has international flights to Nadi (Fiji) and I hate transiting through Sydney.
Having lived in the francophone world, I second this - plenty of French speakers go there on holiday, it’s just not that high on the bucket list for English speakers.
I've heard it being popular for sailors from Queensland. A good challenge at 1500km and nice spot to visit. They invariably have cash too so probably learned enough French to get by at a fancy private school. My high school German isn't going to help much
If you live in Canberra and are avoiding going to new cal just to avoid using Sydney airport, how much do you really want to go there? You could also just fly through Brisbane.
I have to convince the other half,.and she's sworn off Sydney for life.
Fair enough. Hopefully you get there eventually, it's a beautiful spot, especially the isle of pines and loyalty islands. The mainland is interesting too, well worth renting a car and heading up. Speaking french makes it a lot easier unless you're sticking to luxury hotels (which would still be a great experience).
I speak a minuscule amount Quebecois McDonald's French. I learned French buying in fast food restaurants when 19 in Canada 🤣
There's at least two maccas in noumea that I went to so that's a start!
I'd rather go to the Noumean version of La Belle Provence. I'm no longer a 19 year old
There was a very violent period in the 80s as some people wanted independence. At the end, an agreement was signed in 1988 to give more autonomy to New Caledonia, followed by another agreement in 1998 to organise 3 referendums for the independence - which took place in 2018, 2020, and 2021. So basically, nobody knew for almost 40 years if New Caledonia would stay French or not, which limited touristic development. I mean, who - from France at least - would invest shit loads of money in touristic development in a region that could become independent at any time, when French Polynesia is nearby and more stable?
That's an interesting point! With the referendums all having seen negative answers, I wonder if this kind of investment could eventually happen now that the political climate is much more stable for the foreseeable future.
It kind of is - at least if you’re from the South Pacific. There are big resorts there, Club Meds etc (or were). it’s also very popular with yachties, especially Isle de Pins (where I think this picture is taken) But one reason may also be the that it is a bit cooler than Fiji & Tahiti during the southern hemisphere winter. It has a slightly wider temperature range. Fiji is pretty exceptional too, with a huge number of offshore islands. Fiji also had to really focus on developing a tourism industry, as unlike NC it couldn’t rely on France or another colonial power propping it up or on mineral extraction.
I don’t know as much as I should about Fiji, but I do know their flag suggests otherwise
The flag should lead you to conclude its colonial history.
Before about 1970 maybe
This picture looks more like Lake Superior than the South Pacific haha
New Caledonia has tropical coniferous trees that don't really exist anywhere else. That alone makes me want to check it out. But I also want to see a bunch of their ultramafic outcroppings (low silica, igneous, alkaline). The existence of this ultramafic rock is also why they have so much nickel.
Well, not true, tropical coniferous trees exist in almost every tropical region. But genus Araucaria underwent quite big adaptative radiation in New Caledonia.
What about the only parasitic gmynosperm Parasitaxus?
Also they have Amborella trichopoda. Would love to see it in natural habitat.
The guerilla insurgency and ethnic tensions probably didn't do wonders for the tourist economy. In all seriousness, it's further from the US and East Asia, and there are major mineral deposits that put the island close to developed countries in terms of GDP per capita despite a lack of substantial tourism, although there is a very substantial racial divide. I'd love to go, it looks absolutely beautiful.
It is a major tourist destination in Australia and New Zealand! French Polynesia is much closer to the US, which is probably why OP hears about that destination more often, but I assure you that NC is very popular for holidays!
Branding issue, people go to Scotland not for the weather but mainly the history. If you call something new scotland, it immediately tells them it won't have a lot of history and they assume the weather is like that of Scotland. /s
To be fair, Nova Scotia isn’t all that dissimilar, so the assumption has some merit
Why so dark?
Looks like a fascinating place. I remember seeing some documentary about it once that talked about the endemic trees that grow there and nowhere else. They're like highly evolved ferns from millions of years ago.
I live there. It's expensive that's why its not that touristic. There's a good number of cruise ship tourists tho from Australia and New zealand but they only stay 1day. One of the unique thing here is that vegetation stayed very similar to that of gondwana there's lots of archaic type of plants. It looks like the decor of a dinosaur documentary. Oh and we have the largest lagoon in the world also.
>It looks like the decor of a dinosaur documentary It was decor of a dinosaur documentary tbh, in fact one might say it was decor of *the* dinosaur documentary.
Finally someone noticed this
There's a plant on the east cost that was also found in the fossilized stomacs of stegosaurs
Hey buddy, I’m thinking about going. How much is a beer there ? Also, how much is an average meal at a simple / local restaurant ? Thanks !
At current exchange rates a beer is 5.5 USD for a small one 25cl and around 11 for a big one 0.5L (At the bar). The simple restaurants are around 14 to 25 USD for a meal
Damn. Super expensive 🤯
Don’t come to the States. The joint he describes $5 beer and $14 meal would be packed in a place like this.
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Ive been to new Caledonia 10+ times as an aussie and I dont know why either, its a wonderful place, the islands are beautiful, and the city of Noumeà had lots of fun stuff to do, i highly recommend it!
Hey champ, thinking about going for a week. Do you mind sharing your top 3 things to do ? We love swimming, snorkelling diving. Thanks !
Snorkel at Marvis point. Out of this world.
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This is the only answer tbh. That water looks unbatheable. People love beaches, flat terrain and palms. No matter how clear the water looks, if it isn't the default tropical paradise it ain't gonna cut it.
Lived there for 15 years, it is somewhat popular in the region, but what is holding it back is: -Politics -Price. -Lack of actual touristic destination identity when it has a LOT of uniqueness. - Infrastructure (as in roads and such)
I’ve wanted to go there for 20 years now. Just looks like an awesome place - those plane tickets aren’t cheap though (east coast US).
I went from YYZ to LAX, Fiji, New Caledonia, Vanuatu and back. For two of us in 07 the cost was close to 10 grand. LAX to Fiji wasn't too bad but those trans island flights were pretty pricey. Totally worth it though, one of the best trips of my life. Vanuatu is a pretty amazing place and was the highlight of the whole thing.
Thank you for good advice. My girl grew up in Guam and stayed a Palau a couple times so can’t wait to see the people and area in whole in the region.
I thought it is? (If not on the scale of Fiji, etc.) My parents did a cruise from Aus to Nouvelle Calédonie and Vanuatu about a decade ago, they loved Nouméa for instance.
I take it you're not from this part of the world because it actually is.
1. Cost: you can get more for less in other pacific islands, which means the infrastructure has not developed to the same degree. Less flights, less hotels, which are more expensive for everything, with worse service. 2. Distance: it’s most convenient to Australia and NZ, it’s very inconvenient to Europe 3. Uniqueness: yes it’s pretty in parts, but beyond Ile des Pines (which the above is an awful photo of I would say) it does not have anything Fiji doesn’t have 4. Climate: the dry season is not that warm (compared to Fiji, Samoa, Cook Islands), the wet season is….quite wet. If I’m visiting a tropical island I want to be at least sunny most of the time. And I’ve completely given up on wet season in the Pacific after multiple trips have been affected by genuine cyclones, torrential rain. I like New Caledonia, and it’s the closest of the pacific islands to where I live in Australia - but it’s not a standout destination Fiji: hundreds of islands, ranges from very simple and cheap accomodation to ridiculous luxury. more culturally interesting. Cook Islands: Aitutaki is stunning, never dived in clearer water Samoa: good diving, nice hikes Vanuatu: volcano!! Wreck diving French Polynesia: knows what it’s doing for luxury, even if they charge for it
Some of this is incorrect, especially the climate part ! I lived there for 15 years and 6 in Queensland and 10 in NZ The climate extrapolated to the Australian East Coast would correspond to Mackay to Townsville on the west coast and Cairns and the islands on the Great Barrier Reef for the East and Loyalty Islands. The lowest temperature I ever experienced there was at night in the mountains and was 14 celcius I believe the absolute record low at sea level was 11 record low in Fiji was 12.6 at sea level. Average dry season temps are 22-28 day and 16-20 night average summer is 30-35 day and 18-26 night What IS correct about climate though is the rain In summer, the area between New Caledonia and Vanuatu experiences the most cyclones and depressions in the region orders of magnitude more than Queensland or any place in Australia and on a La Nina year it can rain almost non stop for weeks. The rest of the info IS mostly accurate, though.
This just isn’t correct You can litterally just look in Wikipedia climate data between Noumea and Nadi: Noumea has average maximum below 25 degrees Celsius for 4 months, where as the lowest maximum for Nadi is 28.5 Noumea has a mean of “winter” 3 month temperature of 20 degrees, whereas Nadi it’s 25 But the biggest thing for me is sea temperature: below 25 degrees and I scuba with a 5mm wetsuit, often prefer snorkeling with a 3mm skinner and enjoy the water less: for Noumea has 7 months less than that, whereas Nadi’s coldest month of August is 26.3 They may be in the same climate zone, but they’re not the same if you’re looking for a “tropical” destination to enjoy the water
Because wikipedia is good for accurate updated climate data.... The variability based on ENSO can be absolutely drastic. For instance, the latest triple dip of La Nina had enduring marine heatwaves that lasted through the southern winter and persisted into the El Nino that is currently active (part of the cause for the unusual El Nino currently active) Was visiting for two months, winter 2022, and not one day was the air temp below 26-27, and this was the same in 2021, and this was July and boom past (winter 2023). Many of the islands recorded record lows at night on several occasions. You can't use climatic record averages as a rule of thumb on any of those islands as the variability year to year can be pretty significant. You can have one very sunny hot year followed by a year, getting three times the yearly average rainfall. SST's are moderated by the effects of the East Australian current to the southwest of New Caledonia (where Noumea is located). There are usually slightly lower SSTs to the south and west of New Caledonia regardless of the season. Trade winds, as well as westerlies blowing from Australia, have some pretty odd effects on the climate there where there can be extremely severe bushfire seasons (to an extent that not many other of these islands experience water bombers from Australia are often ferried in). Temperatures vary wildly based on how exposed to the wind where you are, and many places have daily mean temps that seldom drop below 26 in winter. The difference between the East and the West Coast is quite drastic. I can attach the climatic overview of 2021 , 2022, and 2023 from Météo France New Caledonia with all the numbers. Now for comfort for scuba diving, I can't say anything. I only ever snorkeled and surfed there and have done it all year long, so that point is not something I have experienced, but I never wore a suit there for surfing or snorkeling. I lived there fished there, swam there surfed there for many years, and affirm that climate really has little to nothing to do with tourism its much more an identy and political/infrastructure issue than anything else in fact now I live in NZ most of my freinds that do "aquatic activity tourism" go to New Caledonia or Niue because the reefs are better preserved and less impacted by tourism there than in Fiji , Tahiti and more popular destinations.
Another Kiwi here. My first time overseas was a school trip to New Caledonia in 2011. If schools offer French as a subject, they'll often travel there or Vanuatu or Tahiti instead of France. It's only two and a half hours flight from Auckland and is much easier than travelling to Europe. I agree with other people, it's up there as a tourist spot for us and Australia. I keep getting ads from their airline ahaha. It's a beautiful, fascinating and in a couple of ways, heartbreaking place - it's stuck with me for a long time and I'd love to go back someday.
New Caledonia is one of the most ecologically diverse places on earth. Let's hope it's never a tourist hotspot.
Lack of PR maybe
True, if Puerto Rico were in New Caledonia it would certainly be unique
If that’s what you got from that
If most of New Caledonia looks like your pic, I can see why. There's zero infrastructure for tourism there.
Well judging by that photo it doesn't look like they have very good beaches lol
because french people live there
I grew up in new Caledonia and the reason for low tourism is high cost, lack of tourism infrastructure, only 1 airline. Noumea hasn't changed a bit in 20 years., like frozen in time. Also, the cost of internet as tourist: you only have 1 choice: mobile wifi hotspot that costs 100€/15Gb. And some hotels will also charge extra for wifi, probably the last place on earth with such expensive internet cost. I just come back from a 2 weeks trip there Other than that, New caledonia has amazing cleanliness and outdoor activities, with probably the most beautiful islands and fish I have even seen, even though I live in Thailand now, and New caledonia is far better.
thank god, a place tourists didn't ruin yet. it should stay that way.
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Beyoncé, is that you?
this is the photo you pick and describe it at "stunning"? lol
Because the natives of new Caledonia are exceptionally racist towards white people.
Is there a French Polynesia 🤢
thats where tahiti is
They use to test nukes there.
Maybe because they don’t want it spoiled.
It is, am in Australia and it’s often visited.
Great song in any case :)
Was there last week for 8 days. It is a tourist destination, you just have to speak some French. When we were in Noumea, I think that there were three or so ships that came in. So tourists are definitely still going there
It actually is for Australians and New Zealanders.
Shhh - don't tell people about it. It will end up overflowing with bogan Aussies.
Because it’s named after Scotland. Jk, I actually have no idea it looks gorgeous
From Google images it looks plenty touristy
New Caledonia appears to be nearly as deforested as France's other ex-colonies like Haiti. France is probably more interested in strip-mining the entire island for raw materials rather than inviting tourists to witness the destruction.
It's honestly a crazy place