New Caledonia Newcomer's Guide: 2008 edition

If you are looking for good, solid information on moving to and/or living in New Caledonia, I highly suggest the New Caledonia Newcomer's Guide. This free 26-page guide was updated, researched and compiled by a team of local English-speaking expatriate contributors. The guide touches on such topics as:

• Recommended Reading
• Getting Around New Caledonia
• Driver’s Licence
• The Magnificent Mobilis (mobile/cell phones)
• Learning French
• Do’s and Don’ts
• Carte de Sejour
• Finding a Place to Live
• Health Concerns
• Medical Care
• Childcare
• Culture Shock
• How To Handle Culture Shock
• Shopping For Food
• Recommended Pastry Shops
• Shopping For Home
• Shopping For Clothes
• Saving Money
• Local Expressions
• Useful Tips for Tropical Transformation
• Creepy Crawlies and Other Tropical Delights
• Poverty
• Hobbies and Clubs
• Places to Volunteer
• Fun Places to Spend the Day
• Vacations
• Who Succeeds Abroad?

A 1997 Newcomer's Guide also exists, but this 2008 edition is a much-needed addition to the limited information you will find on living in New Caledonia (many thanks to Jo Ann for sharing this!).

Happy reading!

Setting up House in New Caledonia

Are you wondering what it is like to move across the world and set up house on a remote island in the South Pacific?

Do you have specific questions about moving to New Caledonia?

It's been a couple of years since we did it, but our friend David and his family are just now moving in in Noumea, and David is doing a marvelous job describing the process on his blog at Trekking Greener Grasses.

Take a look at his tales and see his photos of market life, hiking in Noumea and the trials and tribulations of transitioning into a life of palm trees, early mornings and things going right - and wrong!

Bienvenue en Nouvelle Caledonie, David and Gang. Welcome to New Caledonia!

Horseback Riding in New Caledonia

Little did we know, one can (and should) go horseriding in New Caledonia. The terrain and the weather are perfect for it - and there are clubs for all levels. Plus, New Caledonia has what is left of the real outback cowboys, or so it seems to me.

Our last weekend in New Caledonia, we indeed went horseback riding - at Yala Ranch in Dumbea, just outside Noumea.

I had been up on a horse once or twice at school when I was younger and had been traumatised (as I am wont to do by anything bigger or faster than myself). Laurent had ridden a few times before.

Yala Ranch turned out to be the perfect place to go. We spent a couple of hours on the horses, riding through the river, climbing a gentle hill, getting a lay of the land. The guides were very friendly and reassuring - and though Laurent was nearly thrown (he loves to tease the horses), I managed to stay on my horse.

There are several options for horseriding in New Caledonia. I would encourage you to give it a try - for those days when it feels a little too cool (under 20 degrees) to go scuba diving.

Kitesurfing Season in New Caledonia

Now is about the time of year when one sees a million and one kitesurfers in Noumea (right next to the Meridien Hotel). This video was shot in 2005 by Laurent Guiader, the year we stumbled on an International Kitesurfing Competition.

Watching this makes me want to take the next flight to Noumea, whether it takes 40 hours to get there or not!

Looking to Buy or Sell Something in New Caledonia?

Try one of the various free online classified sites available in New Caledonia. You can buy or sell anything from a car to a boat to a baby bed to a computer. Okay, eBay and Craig's List are still to come to the South Pacific, but these sites proved very helpful to us a few months back:

• Annonces.nc
• Cagou.com
  
• Kaori
• Zannonce !

As the population turns over every couple of years (military rotation), you can often find great deals. Definitely worth a browse, as most things on the island are expensive, purchased new.

Occasionally you will find things described in English, but if you need help translating the French, try any of the available online translators to give you a general gist, e.g. Babelfish.

And for currency conversion, try http://www.xe.com/ucc/

Now, speaking of things for sale in New Caledonia, anyone interested in buying our Peugot 206? :)

Missing Anse Vata

Photo by Laurent Guiader, 2007.

We miss this, of all places. This is the Anse Vata ... I've written about it several times before on this blog. This is a long stretch of beach in Noumea which is particularly windy, and particularly beautiful - with its turquoise waters, white sands, and green slopes.

Pablo and I used to walk it frequently. Just after he was born, we walked it nearly every day with our friends Caitlin and Dorian. When they moved to La Reunion, we continued to walk it, but less frequently. I occasionally ran along it, and his father ran along it three times a week.

This is where Pablo really learned to walk (I would bring him down here to walk in the sand), this is where I sometimes went at 7 in the morning when Pablo wasn't sleeping, this is where we met friends, and where we often walked on the weekends.

Do we walk as much in Paris? I wish we did, but it is not nearly as warm and inviting in Paris. We are not used to the palava of having to bundle up, dodge other people and pushchairs, or navigate narrow sidewalks. We are not used to the sounds of the buses and cars and beeping horns. But never fear, we do walk, and even find ourselves at the base of the Eiffel Tower, on the Champs de Mars.

New Caledonia's Local Art and Souvenirs

"Les couleurs de Tina" is one of our favourite little market stalls in Noumea. A local artist sells his superb island paintings for next to nothing (1000-1500 francs - or EUR 8.38-12.57) here.

He reminds me of all the portrait artists in Montmartre at the Place de Tertre. The difference is yes, his subject (island scenes and animals), and the fact that he is one of the only artists displaying his paintings in a public place (unlike the millions in Paris' Montmartre).

For the little he charges, I would definitely recommend his paintings as souvenirs to take home. They are both original and beautiful - and definitely better than a postcard!

A pirogue on the Ile des Pins

Far-Flung Roots in New Caledonia

Photos by Laurent Guiader, 2007.

Ah, some of my favourite trees here in New Caledonia: the banyan trees. You'll find these right in downtown Noumea, next to the police station, on "bank street" (where all the banks are). I marvel at them every time I pass them - how is it that one can live with one's roots above ground?

Laurent was kind enough to take photos of them for me - as in some small way they seem to symbolise us and our short visit on the island. Roots far-flung and above ground: I was born in America, but have lived abroad for years; Laurent has lived outside of his native France on many an occasion; Sophie was born in France, but has travelled the world - and is half American; Pablo was born on this island, soon to live in Europe, a mere 22 000 kms away.

We are uprooted by our own choice this time (okay, poor Pablo has to follow along for the moment - and okay, we would all rather stay), but like these majestic trees, we will continue to grow and prosper.

Every time I pass these trees, I thank them for the reminder.

Harry Potter Arrives in New Caledonia

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", the last of the Harry Potter series, arrived at our house Monday night, 30 July. Sophie and I jumped up and down, screamed and hollered, shook the house and both Laurent and Pablo thought a catastrophe had struck. But no: pure excitement!

Pre-ordered from amazon.co.uk back in March, it was shipped on the release date, 21 July, and arrived a mere 9 days later! That is fast for mail to New Caledonia!

Sophie is already 100 pages in - and I've read the first chapter (we are switching off: normally we buy 2 copies, but we won't have a lot of room in our luggage when we leave in 3 weeks, so 1 copy it was). I just finished rereading Harry Potter 6 ("Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince") and so my memory is refreshed and full of fun Harry Potter facts.

Now - the question is: how many other HP7s are there in New Caledonia? Must go see if they are selling them at the grocery store ...

New Caledonia's Online Phonebook

A resource we use all the time here in New Caledonia is its phonebook. It contains helpful maps that show all of Noumea's one-way streets (no other maps seem to do so!), restaurant advertisements (it is hard to know about them otherwise, strangely enough) and of course professional addresses, like doctors and dentists.

I had never been much of a phonebook user (I seem to look everything up on line), but moving to New Caledonia changed things. New Caledonians are from the old offline world - and living here one realises how much faster a simple phonebook is (find it, open it up, figure out the French for "doctor" - medecin- and away you go).

As our phonebooks are packed up and on a slow boat to China (they make great souvenirs - and serve as proof that we were here!), I am now using the online version of the phonebook. Though helpful, it is somehow not as good.

With a paper version, you can see tangential and yet relevant companies and services. Online, you have to know the name of the company or the category -- and the categories are bizarre here. I can never seem to get my category right. Plus, you cannot type in an address to find a company (which is very useful as you may know the street but not the company name).

Maybe the online version just isn't user-friendly enough yet - or maybe I expect too much.

In any case, if any of you are looking for friends, family or companies in New Caledonia, go to www.opt.nc, right-hand side.

• If you are looking for a person, type in the last name under "nom", the first name under "prenom", select the city and click on "rechercher".
  
• If you are looking for a company, click on "pages professionelles" and you will be taken to a page where you can type in the name of the company, or a category and the city.
  

Have fun - and let us know if you find the online version easy or not.

President Marie-Noelle Themerau Steps Down

The President of New Caledonia, Marie-Noelle Themereau, resigned yesterday, 24 July.

Elected president of New Caledonia in 2004, Ms. Themereau had given plenty of warning she intended to leave politics.

The resignation means that New Caledonia's Cabinet is now dissolved, and its members will form a caretaker government.

Within 14 days, the national congress has to decide which of the country's politicians will make up the new government, and who will hold which portfolio.

The new cabinet then decides who amongst them will be president.

New Caledonia: Seven Things We Will Miss

Photo by Laurent Guiader, 2007.

Officially one month left in New Caledonia, time is slipping through our fingers. Two years have flown - where have they gone? New Caledonia is a part of us now and as some readers know, will always be a part of Pablo (who was born here). I think it will always be a part of all of us (and perhaps a small part of all of you).

So what will we miss, you ask?

1. The sun, the light, the warm weather.
2. The coral, the shells, the white sands.
3. The trees, the flowers, the fish and the birds.
4. The ease of life, the ease of living.
5. The silence and the wind.
6. The smiling people, the women who take your baby in the post office when he gets bored, the people who help you in grocery stores.
7. The blue, blue, blue of sea and sky, the transparent waters of the Loyalty Islands, and the visions of sailboats on Wednesdays at 5:15 pm.
   

Trekking Greener Grasses: A New Blog on Living in New Caledonia

Photo by David Giustizia, 2007.

"Trekking Greener Grasses" is a great new English-language blog on moving to, and setting up life, on a tiny island in the South Pacific - yes, in New Caledonia. Authored by Canadian, David Giustizia, with input from his wife Alana and sons David and Nathan (and technical expertise provided by son David), this little blog promises to be an interesting look at what it is like to leave the snowy mountains of Canada for the coconut trees and breezy bays of New Caledonia.

David and his family will be living in Kone - which is about half-way up the island - and is home to about 2000 inhabitants. Their adventures will differ from those you have read here (life in a capital city is far from life in the outback!) ... I wager they will be much closer to what living on a tiny island is really like.

Thanks, David, for taking over the reins of "Sojourn in the South Pacific" - and have fun, everyone, reading about life in New Caledonia, from a different angle.

All Packed Up and Ready to Go

Photo by Julie Harris, 2007.

The movers have come and gone. After a month's preparation and 40 boxes later, our container of 10.5 cubic metres is packed, sealed on its way. The boat will take about 8 weeks and our books, clothes, toys and coffee maker will all land on our doorstep in Paris on or around 3 September.

Never fear, we've kept darling Pablo with us, along with Sophie and Tjiba and Laurent.

We will leave New Caledonia on 21 August, via Auckland, Los Angeles, and London. Final destination: Paris, 29 August. On beautiful sunny days such as those we have today in Noumea, we are praying for an Indian summer in France ...

Appreciating the View

Photo by Laurent Guiader, 2006.

Though these last few days have been busy with planning our move to Paris, I stop myself on occasion and drink in the view. We have had a magical time in Nouméa. We have been very, very lucky. We have lived in a house with a garden (Sophie's first ever), we have had the sea right in front of us all along, we have heard nothing but birds (parakeets) and the wind. I am so thankful for the time we have spent here - and for the glorious taste of paradise we have had.

How the Mail Works in New Caledonia

Have something urgent to send to a major developed country from a tiny island in the South Pacific? Sit back, relax, and above all, take a deep breath.

The fastest the post office can actually guarantee that your mail will reach Paris from Nouméa is six days. New York or Los Angeles or Toronto? Probably eight to ten days.

Our experience is that it takes 10 days to reach Europe and 14 days to reach the United States.

Why is that, you ask? I recently asked and the answer is: because the mail actually only leaves the island on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. And if you want your mail to leave, you have to get it to the post office the day before. So, for a Saturday flight, stop by the post office on the Friday (before 15:30 - in Nouméa: for other cities you might have to stop by sooner). If you make the mistake of going to the post office on Wednesday and thinking your mail will leave (same day service - who would have thought of such a thing?), think again. Your mail will leave on Saturday.

Which is why, with the wait time, they can only guarantee six days (via priority service or even a courier service such as DHL). Heavens!

New Caledonia: Leave Your Silk and Wool Behind

If you're thinking of moving to New Caledonia for a few months or a few years, "Leave your silk and wool behind!" advises the local dry cleaner.

New Caledonia is so humid that in a short time your leather will show signs of mildew and later mould. Your silk will turn yellow (never to be repaired) and your wool will either sprout funny little holes and/or smell bad for the rest of its life.

I recently discovered a whole closet-full of damaged clothes. I'd left a lot of my wool behind, but had been told that I would need the nicer (silk) pieces for special soirées. Alas, the dry cleaner was only able to save but a few pieces.

"Bring cotton and light fabrics," she advises. "The humidity in New Caledonia will ruin your other European (or American or South American or what have you) clothes.

We live and learn!

Peet's Coffee: An Expensive Addiction in New Caledonia

Do you have a coffee addiction? Are you considering moving to a desert island in the South Pacific? Hmmm. Do. But you'll pay dearly for your addiction.

One of the wonderful things about New Caledonia is it is devoid of the Starbucks and McDonald's of this world (Nouméa does have two McDonald's, but that's it). It is charming, not being surrounded by big multi-nationals. It is charming, buying locally. It is charming, supporting the local economy.

And then, one day, you want a really strong, really good espresso. Life on a desert island gets just that little bit less charming. Okay, I admit it: I'm a Peet's lover. I discovered Peet's coffee in San Francisco a long time ago, and I have not found a better, stronger, richer coffee since.

On occasion, I order Peet's on line. I just picked up a pound last week, and here is what I paid:

• $12.95 for one pound of Peet's Espresso Forte
• $0.00 US sales tax
  
• $21.04 in shipping (standard international rate - all they offer as a shipping possibility)
• $16.62 local New Caledonian taxes
• $50.61 TOTAL (or €37,49 or 4 474 CPF, depending on your currency)
  

Gulp. I should mention that if you can keep your online order under $33.93, including shipping, there is no tax here in beautiful New Caledonia. My order came to $33.99 - 6 cents over the limit. And so I paid 33% in additional tax.

I've mentioned life being expensive in New Caledonia, and I should know better. But sometimes you cave - for a really good cup of coffee.

Ilot Maitre: A Day Off-shore

Ten to fifteen minutes away from Nouméa (by boat) lies a little island called Ilot Maitre. We decided to take Sophie to spend the day there a few weekends ago. Laurent, Pablo and I had been once (for my 40th), and we wanted to show Sophie.

I didn't pick the best day. It was cloudy. It rained a little. And Ilot Maitre is about doing water sports (jet ski, canoe, paddle boats, snorkelling, etc.), lying by the pool, and soaking in the sun. When there is no sun, it can be a little sad.

However, we did manage to enjoy ourselves. We had a little visitor: a tricot rayé - who left us well enough alone (Sophie and I did keep our eyes on it, just to be sure).

Laurent and Pablo got in a nap.

Sophie caught some rays in the afternoon when the sun came out.

Pablo and I had a bit of a play.

And we all caught the end of a
beautiful sunset.

Views from Ouen Toro, Nouméa's "Mountain"

Photos by Laurent Guiader, 2007.

Click on the photos themselves for close-ups.

Nouméa, New Caledonia's capital, offers the most magnificent views - from mountains to beaches, from turquoise blues to deepest greens. One of the places we always take our visitors is "Ouen Toro", Nouméa "mountain". From the top of Ouen Toro you have views down over Nouméa's beaches, Anse Vata and Baie de Citrons. From the other side, you have New Caledonia's mountains.

On a clear day, you can see Nouméa's paragliders and kitesurfers, and Phare Amédée in the distance.

It goes without saying that Ouen Toro is one of our favourite places to visit. Being only 15 minutes away, we enjoy its views regularly (and pinch ourselves, "Is this really a dream?").

Thanks to Ruth for inspiring this post ... this one is for you!