Lifou: Amusing Sights

We just loved certain things about Lifou - trees growing out of houses, "houses" going up over night, the optician's being signposted (when very little else was), and roadside welcome (?) signs. We were struck by the ease of living and the local humour. Could it be that we are simply easily amused? Me thinks it is simply easy and wonderful in Lifou.

Photos by Laurent Guiader, 2006.

Lifou: The Largest Loyalty Island

Photo by Laurent Guiader, 2006.

Covering 1196 square kilometres (81 km long and 16-24 km wide), Lifou is the largest - and most culturally diverse - of the Loyalty Islands. Bigger than both Tahiti and Martinique, this raised coral atoll is also geographically diverse, with limestone caves, bleached white sand and rich sea life. It does not have any hills or rivers, however.

Lifou is also the most populated Loyalty Island, with some 10 000 inhabitants. 20% of the population live off the island in Nouméa (New Caledonia's capital), though, for employment or education reasons. Tourism is the major industry on the island, though Lifou also exports copra, rubber, vanilla and sugarcane.

The native language on the island is Drehu. French is also spoken as is a tiny bit of English.

Lifou: Picture Paradise

Photo by Julie Harris, 2006.

Close your eyes and picture paradise for a moment. What colour is it? What do you hear? What do you smell? Who is with you?

Our very own version of paradise is right here in New Caledonia. The photo above was taken in Lifou, on Christmas day. Lifou is one of the Loyalty Islands - islands located just off of New Caledonia's mainland (or grande terre). It takes an hour or so to get there by plane (photo left, just over Lifou), about four hours by boat.

On Lifou, you'll find the perfect combination of beauty, things to do and see, not too many people, friendly islanders, good food and a range of places to stay.

Would we say Lifou is our favourite Loyalty Island? Quite possibly. A very close second is Maré ... but then Ouvéa is gorgeous as well. And there is the lovely Ile des Pins ...

What We Loved About Lifou

Photo by Laurent Guiader, 2007.

Some of you may remember that we visited the Loyalty Islands over Christmas and that I have written a little bit about our adventures on Maré and Ouvéa. The last island we visited was Lifou, the largest of the three.

Lifou is the size of Martinique and it is resplendent with things to do and see. Here are a few of the things we loved most about Lifou:

• Visiting a vanilla plantation and bringing back some vanilla to make vanilla coffee.
• Snorkeling in the north of the island on Christmas day. We snorkeled for well over an hour in deliciously warm water, surrounded by the greatest variety of tropical fish that we have seen in New Caledonia (we've snorkeled on the mainland, at the Ile des Pins and in Maré).
• Chatting with the very friendly locals (some of whom invited us to their big Christmas festivities).
• Picnicking on the beautiful white, sandy beaches and the turquoise sea.

Tsunami Alert in the South Pacific: No Danger to New Caledonia

The tsunami that devastated the Solomon Islands today brought no damage to New Caledonia. On alert for two hours this morning, the tsunami crashed down on the Loyalty Islands - at 15 cm high, a "vaguelette" or "baby wave".

The public was fully alerted however and inhabitants made for higher ground. By 10:38 everyone was out of harm's way and by 11:15 the alert was over. Everyone could go home.

New Caledonia on High Alert: Cyclone Becky on the Way

At 19:00 today New Caledonia was put on Cyclone Alert 1 (there are three levels of alert: pre-alert, 1 and 2). Apparently tropical cyclone Becky was 250 km north-northwest of Lifou at that time and travelling at 25 km per hour. It is predicted that she will hit the Loyalty Islands tonight or tomorrow morning.

All schools will be closed tomorrow and we are being encouraged to stay home with our extra bottles of water, candles and basic provisions.

More news will normally be available at 5:00 local time at Meteo France's Alerte cyclonique page.

Ouvéa: The 1988 Massacre

Photo by Laurent Guiader, 2006.

To return to our tales of Ouvéa and the Loyalty Islands, I thought we should begin with the story of the 1988 massacre in Ouvéa. My thanks for the story go to the Lonely Planet's 4th edition of "New Caledonia", by Leanne Logan and Geert Cole:

"On 22 April 1988, just days before the French presidential election, a group of Kanaks captured the gendarmerie at Fayaoué, Ouvéa's capital, and killed four gendarmes. They took 27 hostages, 11 of whom were released, while the others were transported to a cave near Goosana, in the far north.

Ouvéa was declared a military zone and all communication and transport was cut. More than 300 soldiers were flown to the island and Captain Philippe Legorjus, head of France's elite antiterrorist squad, began negotiations with the hostage takers. During attempts to secure the hostages' release, Legorjus was captured but was freed after coming to an agreement with the group's young leader, Alphonse Dianou, on a date of release for the hostages. It was set for after the presidential election.

On 4 May, three days before the election, Captain Legorjus had two guns and a set of handcuff keys smuggled into the cave. In what was code-named Opération Victor, the military then stormed the cave and reported 'at least 16' people dead, all of them Kanaks. The following day, the figure was revised to 21, including two gendarmes. Later, allegations were made that four of the Kanaks, including the leader, Dianou, and Waine Amossa, a 19-year-old who had been sent into the cave to deliver food, were killed after they had surrendered. It was also claimed that the military tortured and beat civilians from Goosana during the operation. The human rights group Amnesty International took up the case, and France's Minister for Defence later announced that 'acts contrary to military duty have unfortunately been committed'. One gendarme was suspended but no judicial action was taken.

After the cave assault, 32 Ouvéan prisoners, including Djubelly Wea, a local independence movement leader and FULK (Front Uni de Libération Kanak) supporter, were flown to France to face trial. This was despite a previous assurance from the French High Commissioner in New Caledonia that trials would be held in Noumea. Wea was eventually released and the others were given amnesty as part of the Accords de Matignon. Wea returned home to find that his elderly father had died shortly after the hostage crisis. His father had apparently been beater and left tied up in the sun by the military, and was soon regarded as the '20th victim' of the Ouvéa massacre."

Ouvéa: Bread Delivery

Photo by Laurent Guiader, 2006.

Bread is delivered on Ouvéa as it is in other remote parts on New Caledonia's mainland. What with bakeries few and far between, short opening hours, and even fewer roads to get to the few bakeries open for an hour here and there, bread is delivered to little boxes such as these. At first I thought this box was for the mail, but no. It is for the bread (fresh baguettes) - which no French man or woman can live without - delivered daily.

Ouvéa: Underwater Marvels (and Monsters)

The one day we got out to go snorkelling in Ouvéa, the waters were rough at Mouli Bay. But Laurent couldn't resist and though he nearly got swept away by the surf, he had the immense pleasure of swimming with a ray - a bit like this one:

Video by tiptup29

Thank goodness he did not see this (also found and filmed in Ouvéa) - a leopard shark:

Video by tiptup29

But most surprising of all ... a parrot fish (also found and filmed in Ouvéa):

Video by djenemoa

Ouvéa: A Deserted Island

Photo by Laurent Guiader, 2006.

In addition to its untold beauty (sands so white and silky, seas so aquamarine, skies so blue, one has the impression one has died and gone to heaven), Ouvéa feels deserted. True, during the day one does not see very many people (as it is scorchingly hot and bright - at least in December), but there are not many people to see. At the 2004 census, there were 4 359 inhabitants (according to Wikipedia).

As there is little work on the island, many Ouvéans live in Nouméa and return home for the holidays. What with one police station, one bank, four gas stations, one pharmacy and two dispensaries, services are also fairly limited.

Ouvéa makes Nouméa look like a teeming mecca.

Ouvéa: Food and Water

Food and water was in limited supply on Ouvéa. Certainly not at the four-star Hôtel Paradis d'Ouvéa - it was always possible to order lunch or dinner there, though at rather costly prices. I mean that as we were on the southernmost part of the island, without a car, our options were limited.

Photo by Laurent Guaider, 2006.

We did have the "Snack Fassy" (pictured above) down the road (within walking distance) which was run by locals. The Kanak ladies served up one menu a day (usually something like chicken and root vegetables with, say, a papaya salad) and that was it. We ate there on the first day. That night I was terribly ill with a tummy bug. Unfortunately, I was ill for the entire week.

It was wonderful that we had a great hotel where I could rest and stay cool, but it was not the greatest for Laurent, Sophie and Pablo. Poor Laurent had to get a ride to a pharmacy (the only one, about 20 minutes away by car), take care of Pablo, try to entertain us while I felt under the weather, spend lots of time at the pool. We weren't able to explore the island as we normally would have done. Sophie got sick later in the week and Pablo got his first fever at the end of the week as well.

All of this could have been due to the water that I drank from the tap on the first day. Not a good idea on Ouvéa (we quickly switched to bottled water). As Ouvéa does not have any rivers or reservoirs (except for a few water holes), fresh water is practically non-existent. In fact, the water on Ouvéa is desalinated sea water. When we returned to Nouméa we learned that the desalination plant on the island had had problems and that the water wasn't good. The problem has long since been fixed.

It could also have come from something I ate at the hotel restaurant. We think Pablo came down with something at the end of the week as I was breastfeeding, and that Sophie got a bad egg somewhere. Who knows?

The good news is that we got in lots of rest and games of Uno!

Ouvéa: The Paradis d'Ouvea Hotel

Photos by Laurent Guiader, 2006.

There are not many lodgings on the tiny island of Ouvéa. "Paradis d'Ouvéa" is purported to be the only hotel. As it is a four-star, it is on the expensive side (villas run from €288 to €636 a night and bungalows are €436 a night). But the service and the beauty of the hotel are truly astounding. Above you'll find a view of a gazebo one can rent for a private lunch or dinner with a private waiter.

We stayed in the Paradis d'Ouvéa hotel for four nights (we were able to get a big discount on our stay - which made it possible; had we not had the discount, it would have been impossible for us to afford four nights) - from 18 to 22 December.

Located on Ouvéa's southernmost island, Mouly, it is one of the most beautiful spots on Ouvéa. The hotel opened in late 2000 and is partly funded by Japan. The 15 spacious bungalows, many right on the beachfront, have an Oriental influence and a strong Japanese clientele. There is a pool (with a waterfall) along with a large restaurant that serves haute-cuisine.

Ouvéa: The Most Beautiful Loyalty Island

Photo by Laurent Guiader, 2006.

To return to tales of our tour of the Loyalty Islands over Christmas, we'll turn now to Ouvéa, the most beautiful of the islands. Ouvéa is known as one of the most exquisite coral atolls of the Pacific Ocean. Hard to beat, Ouvéa sports a 25 kilometre-long stretch of unbroken white beach, an enormous aquamarine lagoon and a peacefulness unknown in this world. The island is 35 km long and in some places less than 40 metres wide. A single road runs north to south, most times along the long stretch of beach, through coconut groves - and at other times along the very edge of the deep blue Pacific Ocean.

Ouvéa gets its name from the Wallisian word uvea, meaning "island far away". Historically, it has seen many turbulent times, divided between Melanesian and Polynesian cultures as well as by religion. In the late 1980s, violent political events shook Ouvéa, the tremors of which were felt all over New Caledonia and France.

Maré: Last Day

We ended our trip in Maré with a day on the beach and at the pool. Laurent went kayaking, Sophie listened to music, Laurent and I got some great snorkelling in (right at our hotel - highly recommended at Nengone Village), and Pablo hung out with his new sand toys. When the novelty of his new toys wore off, Sophie stepped in with a dance on her hip and a song. Great (relaxing) fun was had by all.

Would we recommend a visit to Maré if ever you get to New Caledonia? Yes, definitely. Is it often visited? No. Why? Probably because there are so many other lovely places to visit in New Caledonia. But, that's no reason - if you can find the time - to skip Maré. It is a wonderful place to both relax and discover.

Photo by Laurent Guiader, 2006.

Maré: A Long Walk Through the Forest

Have you ever read a guidebook, followed its instructions and wished you hadn't? On our second day in Maré, just after our half-day tour of the island, we decided to walk along the beach to a secluded cove: Pede Beach. It is reported to be the best on the island for snorkelling.

The guidebook mentioned that it was an easy and pleasant walk from our hotel - just along the beach. So off we went. I was sure from what I had read that it would be 20 minutes, maximum. Well, 17 verses of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" and 2 hours later, Sophie and I were convinced that we would be camping in the forest that night - along with all the other island folk. Mind you, this was not a camping ground we were traipsing through! Islanders had simply mounted temporary homes out of palm fronds (yes, palm fronds!) and scraped together whatever cooking utensils they could find.

City Sophie and Slightly Worried Mother Julie trailed slower and slower behind Laurent, the intrepid soldier. If you ever have to feature in "Survivor" or "Koh Lanta", Laurent is your man. He'll get you through!

After several hours we did find our little cove. Exhausted, we managed to thank our lucky stars, not for guidebooks or mobile phones, but for our determination and optimism, as waning as it sometimes was. Everyone plopped down (except Pablo of course) and swore never to trust a guidebook again.

How was the snorkelling? Well, okay. True, there was no wind - but as it was by then the end of the day, there was also little sun, and thus little visibility. Alas. We laughed.

And how did we get back to the hotel? We took the road back and hitched a ride!

Photos by Laurent Guaider, 2006.

Maré: As in Death, Life

Besides its wild and remote qualities, one of the things I loved about Maré was its simplicity. By this I mean the lack of artificial barriers between good and bad, life and death, land and sea. There were no complications, no analyses, no complexities. Everything on the island was what it was.

An example of this is the Maréan burial grounds (pictured). There are no looming tomb stones to mark an end or a separation between life and death. Instead, the Maréans are buried surrounded by living plants, colour, natural wooden fences, towering palms and the sea. One would say that their burial grounds are a place of celebration, of vibrancy and of all things, life.

My thanks to the Maréans for letting me share a photo of this sacred place with you.

Photo by Laurent Guiader, 2006.

Maré: Warrior's Leap

To continue our tour of the Loyalty Islands, which we undertook over Christmas 2006 ...

Legend has it that a warrior, harassed by his enemies, leaped across this gaping 5-meter wide crevice in the cliff that dominates Allier Bay in Maré. All of his enemies fell to their deaths as they attempted the same feat.

A terrible fear of heights kept both Sophie and I from trying our luck, though Laurent most likely would have tried in his younger days.

Photo by Laurent Guiader, 2006.

Maré: Its People

Photo by Laurent Guiader, 2006.

We were lucky enough to meet and talk with some of the locals in Maré (Maréans) - not so in Ouvéa (which was where we went next). We found them to be very warm and welcoming - but not warm and welcoming in the touristy kind of way. They were genuinely open and willing to share their culture, not for money but out of pride for their island and their way of life. Unlike on the main island (Grande terre) of New Caledonia, the Maréans (largely Melanesian) control how things are run on the island (which is also true on the other Loyalty Islands and Ile des Pins). Only about 2% of the population on this island are French - so you really feel as if you are in direct contact with the locals, the minute you arrive.

On our tour day of the island, we spent a morning with our Kanak guide above (click on the photo for a larger image). Not only did he take us all over the island, but he talked about what his life was like. As it was the holiday season, and Santa Claus had arrived by boat the night before, and there had been fireworks and parties into the night and early morning, he was a little worse for the wear. (Kanaks like to party in a big way - we saw a number of them flat out from all the partying during our tour and our guide explained that all the shops were closed, because after they had been drinking, they could get aggressive and either walk out with the shops' merchandise or get into nasty fights ...)

In the photo above, our guide had just taken us down into an enormous cavity that led to an underground water hole. He explained that the names we saw on the cave walls were the result of competitions - the men like to climb the walls (as high as they can go) and then carve their names in the walls. Mind you, our guide was about 35 years old. When I asked if women and children came down into the water hole, he said that they all do. They all love to swim there - and that the more women there are, the higher the men climb.

Throughout our tour, we saw children playing in the dirt roads. We are accustomed to seeing them bare foot (you often see them running and playing soccer bare foot in Nouméa), but due to the heat, they were also entirely naked. Smiling, laughing, they would continue their games in the street despite the approach of a dusty Peugot 206 and look after us with a vague (and passing) curiosity. They made me hanker after their total simplicity and unshakable "joie de vivre".

Maré: A Tour of the Island Begins

Photo by Laurent Guiader, 2006.

To continue our story of our tour of the Loyalty Islands, we spent the second day (16 December) in Maré touring the island with a local guide. We started here, at a picturesque (and often photographed) corner of Maré, not too far from our hotel (Nengone Village). A stone's throw away, you can get down into the cove where you have one of the nicest beaches (la plage de pede) and snorkelling locations in Maré.

We then drove to the natural aquarium (pictured below), which is an outdoor inlet fed by the sea flowing under the coral formations. It provides a wonderful refuge for fish and turtles and it is forbidden to swim or fish there. We were thoroughly impressed with the number of fish you could see and the water's transparency.

Photo by Laurent Guiader, 2006.

Stay tuned for the rest of the tour ...

Maré: A Great Place to Rest and Relax

Photo by Laurent Guiader, 2006.

As we had an early departure for Maré (by early I mean the taxi to the airport arrived at 5 am) and thus an early arrival, Laurent, Sophie, Pablo and I spent the first day resting and relaxing. The last few days leading up to our departure had been a little busy, what with Sophie taking her big exam (brevet), Laurent finishing up work, and me trying to finish up a guide I am working on (which I am still working on!) and getting everything ready for our trip. Pablo was busy learning how to pull himself up to wander around whatever room he happened to be in.

Maré, being quiet and secluded, was the perfect place for R&R. The first day, we settled in, napped, visited the hotel pool (pictured above) and went for a walk on the beach and a roll in the sand (Pablo and I). We also just sat on our terrace and enjoyed the view:

Photo by Laurent Guiader, 2006.