New Caledonia Map

 

 

 

         

          Map of

        the Pacific

 

latest picture: August 20, 2008

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01  The team of our shipping agent

“Logistique et Transit Martin” gathers

around our LandCruiser in the port of

Nouméa, after the customs released it

 02  From the hill of the “Auberge

de Jeunesse“ (Youth Hostel) we enjoy

a beautiful view over St. Joseph

Cathedral and the yachting marina

03  Anse Vata with its Mediterranean

flair is one of the two most popular

beaches in New Caledonia’s

capital Nouméa

04  Emil poses with an impressive

carved figure at “Tjibaou’s

Cultural Centre” in Nouméa

 05  The “Tijabaou Cultural Centre”

in Nouméa is a magnificent work of

architecture. It was built by Renzo Piano

and has a surface of 8’000 sq.yd.

06  This conical straw hut in

the “Tijabaou Cultural Centre”

in Nouméa represents the

traditional house in the South

06  The palm fringed seashore of

the Bay of Boulari near Nouméa

spreads the charm of the Pacific

 07  A mother is picnicking

with her child at Anse Vata Bay

08  A sailing boat passes in front of the

luxury hotel complex „Coral Palm Island

Resort“, situated on the tiny islet Maître

10  In Saint-Michel – about 10 miles

East of Nouméa – the lonely church

squeezed against the mountain of

Monts Koghis is an eye-catching sight

 11  We are heading towards the

“Blue River Park” in the South of the

mainland of Grand Terre. The vast

natural reserve was created in 1980

and stretches over 22’350 acres

12  Impressive forests of Araucaria

trees dominate the plains in the

“Blue River Park” with its two

river valleys, the “Blue River”

and the “White River”

13  Morning atmosphere in the

“White River” Valley, as we drive

along the Yate Lake

with our LandCruiser .....

 14  ..... after the Perignon Bridge we

have to take the compulsory shuttle bus.

Our first stop is the “Drowned Forest”,

whose bleached branches are

wonderfully reflecting in the calm

waters of the damned Yate Lake .....

15  .....a peaceful moment along the

Yate Lake in the “White River” Valley

Diversification and richness of the flora and fauna in the “Blue River Park” are unique:

16  The deep red “Amyema

Scandens“ – a kind of misteltoe –

grows directly from the trunk .....

 17  ..... and pear shaped buds,

whose name we do not know

(we have seen a similar looking

tree in Hong Kong: line 7 right)

18  One of the delicate

flowers that has grown

back in the mining areas

19  The carnivorous “Pitcher Plant“

is filled with liquid. This “pitcher” has

a lid to prevent rain diluting the liquid

within. Insects attracted to the plant

by the humidity fall into the liquid and

are digested to release nutrients to the

plant [we have seen similar plants in

Sarawak (Northeast = picture line 10 left;

South = picture line 8 middle) on

Borneo (= picture No. 44)]

 20  The golden „Oxera coronata“

is common at the Pacific coast

21  Between all the scrubs we

discover this tiny white orchid

22  The Cagou is an endemic bird from

New Caledonia and the National emblem.

It is a bird that cannot fly, lives in dense

rainforest and can reach in the wild an

age of more than 20 years. It lays only

one single egg once or twice a year. That

is why it belongs to the extremely

endangered species

 23  This giant Kaori tree is the

biggest in New Caledonia. The

diameter of its trunk reaches

2.70m. As to how old it is: .....

it was already here over 1’000

years ago! We have seen an even

older species on the North island

of New Zealand (picture No. 378)

24  A butterfly rests on a leaf

25  The “Dracophyllum ramosum“,

the dragon-leaf, is towering above

the scrub. When blooming, the

flower is white, it then changes

to brown and black

 26  Liliana poses for a picture in the

White River Valley of the

“Parc Provincial de la Rivière Bleue“

27  A touch of adventure: This

‘African-like’ red earth track

leads to the highest point of

the White River Valley –

by rain extremely slippery

Moods from our lonely hill bush camp towards the „Plaine des Lacs“:

28  Three red colored lakes at sunset

 29  The sun is rising behind the hills

30  Morning fog covers the plains

31  Alone with nature: A perfect

bush camp in the deserted

land of the South .....

 32  ..... one of the many red laterite

earth tracks that lead through the bush

of the South – who isn’t thinking more

of Africa than of the Pacific? .....

33  ..... for 4x4 freaks all kind

of challenges; here a rocky track

34  Due to road constructions, the road

to the seashore on the East coast ends

for as at the Goro Nickel Mine .....

 35  ..... a helpful worker draws

Emil a map of an alternative road .....

36  ..... what means that we are

challenged with more adventurous trails

37  The Madeleine Waterfall is

situated in a wonderfully untouched

natural environment and is one

of the highlights of the South

 38  The “Retrophyllum minor” is

native to New Caledonia and is

called here „Bois bouchon“. It is

found standing in the water at river-

banks, here in the “Special Botanical

Reserve of the Madeleine Waterfall”

39  The ”River of the Lakes”

meanders through intact natural

environment at the Netcha campsite

                                  40                                                                        41

The variety of plants that grow in the barren – but rich of minerals – earth of the South

is astonishing. We discover this amazing flower opposite of the Netcha campsite

42  White lichen grows widespread

in the red soil and often forms entire

carpets. Touching them gives a

feeling of a humid sponge

43  In the surroundings of the

Madeleine waterfall we see the

red bell „Bikkia campanulata“ .....

 44  ..... this unusual grass with

the brownish looking seeds .....

45  ..... and the endemic „Neocallitropsis

pancheri“ with its wood rich on oil.

It was used for perfume what resulted

in the nearly extinction of it. Since 1942,

this kind of coniferales is now protected

46  View over the damned Yate Lake.

It provides the hydro-electric power

for the whole region of Nouméa

 47  The stony, due to the Yate dam

nearly dry bed of the Yate River

48  Descent to the Pacific Coast

with the Yate River mouth and

the tribal village of Wao

49  A group of traditionally dressed

Kanak people walks praying through

the narrow and windy island road

towards the village of Touaourou .....

 50  ..... the white-blue church of

the mission of Touaourou lies in the

warm light of the afternoon sun –

together with the palm trees the

perfect South Pacific setting

51  The decorated interior

of the mission of Touaourou

52  All there is in Yate is a shop and

two petrol pumps, although the name is

printed in bold letters on the map. But

its setting in tropical surroundings

along the same named river is beautiful

 53  At our bush camp on the Pacific

Coast we enjoy an amazing sunrise

54  A blue sea and palm trees swaying

in the wind – what more do we want?

55  We camp at an idyllic spot at the

southernmost tip of New Caledonia

near the village of Goro

 56  A mangrove tree shows

its wide spread-out roots

57  On our camp in Goro we discover

this black and white rayed snake with

a yellow head. It’s a poisonous Yellow-

lipped Sea Krait that is preying at sea

and digesting on land

58  Remains of a former Japanese

Chrome mine near Goro, abandoned

at the begin of the 2nd World War

 59  We are driving towards

Prony Bay in the deserted South

60  The water of the “Lac en Huit”

on the “Plaine de Lacs” is so calm

that the whole sky is reflecting in it

61  Liliana poses for a picture in front

of the former penal colony at Prony. The

prison is more and more overrun by the

roots of fig trees. It was used as deportation

center of convicts, more or less like the

one on the islands of “Iles du Salut“ in

French Guiana (= picture line 10 middle)

 62  These blue cherries have fallen

from a tree growing near the former

penal colony at Prony. They grow

between India and the Central

Pacific and are edible too, a bit

farinaceous though

63  This fig tree in Prony shows how

immensely its roots can spread out

64  Mushrooms on a dead trunk

at the former penal colony at Prony

 65  The clear creek with its tiny waterfall

in Prony where we fill up our water

bottles. Luckily nearly in all of

New Caledonia the water is drinkable

66  The roots of the Pandanus

tree are nearly as tall as Liliana

67  View over the Bay of Prony.

The sailing ships are anchoring

in the “Baie de la Somme“

 68  Through the red land of the South,

which we liked so much, we drive over

the Prony Pass back to Nouméa

69  A local family is having fun at

low tide at Nouméa’s Magenta Bay

70

 71

72

Local (Kanak) families are enjoying the weekend at Magenta Bay near Nouméa

Continuations:

• Pictures from the second part of our New Caledonia trip: North #1 of Grande Terre
• Pictures from the third part of our New Caledonia trip: North #2 of Grande Terre

Articles in newspapers about us in New Caledonia:

Article: "Un voyage sans fin", Les Nouvelles Calédoniennes - August 27, 2008