Nouméa's Neighbourhoods

There are many neighbourhoods or quartiers in Nouméa (as you can see on the map of Nouméa's neighbourhoods, above), but everything looks further away than it is. We spend most of our time in the Artillerie Nord, Centre ville, Quartier Latin parts of town as well as Orphelinat, Receiving (named as such along with "Motor Pool" following the Americans' stay during World War II), Baie des Citrons and Anse Vata. But, for example, it only took us 15 minutes to get from Artillerie Nord to Ouémo this last Saturday.

For an interactive map (in French) of Nouméa, I would recommend http://www.ville-noumea.nc/outils/carte.asp and for beautiful aerial shots, Google Earth.

Though the map of Nouméa may look large, the city itself is very manageable. The only public transport system it has is bus and there are two lines, I believe. We get around by car and by foot quite easily - though driving can be an adventure. Drunk driving is a bit of a problem here, and many drive without insurance, but apart from these two downsides, driving in Nouméa is rather pleasant.