Video: An Afternoon in Noumea

Many people ask me what New Caledonia is really like and are often surprised to learn that we have modern, French hospitals, good schools and a few big supermarkets. Life is not as backward on this little island in the South Pacific as one might think ...

For a snapshot of the New Caledonia's capital, Noumea, watch the 7-minute video below. It captures some of the main sights, shows our views, and even pictures our slums (yes, we do have people who live in wooden shacks). You'll also find pictures from our famous Tjibaou Cultural Center, an architectural marvel.

My thanks to "crankycross" for filming and posting this on YouTube in May, 2007.

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.

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!

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.

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!

Windsurfing or Kitesurfing Anyone?

Photos by Laurent Guiader, 2007.
Click on the photos themsleves to see close-ups.

Nouméa is blessed with a mighty wind on its beautiful long stretch of beach at Anse Vata. Whenever the wind is up (which is most of the time), you are likely to find a host of windsurfers and kitesurfers. On clear blue-sky days as warm as 30° C, it makes one want to have a go. No?

Video: Nouméa, Isle of Pines and the South Province

For a quick two-minute overview of Nouméa, New Caledonia's capital; the neighbouring Isle of Pines; and a mention of the Southern Province, take a look at this video from "caledosphere". The commentary is in English and the images are quick and varied.

Moving to New Caledonia with a Pet

When we were thinking of moving to New Caledonia in 2005, I had two burning questions. Call me silly, but among the most important to me were:

1. How we were going to bring our cat to the island.

2. Did New Caledonia have high speed Internet access.

Never mind that we did not have a place to live up to about a week before we arrived - and so did not know where Sophie would be going to school (or where to have our mail forwarded) - these details eventually worked themselves out. Figuring out how to bring our cat and get Internet access up and running were other major priorities.

I started the process of exporting our cat to New Caledonia eight months in advance of our move. For animals from Europe, the process is pretty straightforward, though a bit long. There are vaccinations to update, tests to take and proof to provide. Then our cat was assigned her place on the one flight a month. Then she stayed 40 days in a quarantine.

Then while we were still in France, I receive an e-mail to come and pick her up. But we were still in France, arriving a few days later. They couldn't wait. Things got complicated. And then we found a way. An ex quarantine employee could take our cat and keep her until we arrived. It was fun organising this from 22 000 km away (and 10 hours' time difference), but we did. And everything worked out perfectly.

If you are looking for how to bring your pet with you to New Caledonia, I recommend this site: www.spanc.asso.nc/pratique_dossier_quarantaine.asp. The process is very clearly outlined. To translate the page from French, you can try an online translation site, such as http://babelfish.altavista.com/.

As for Internet access, yes, we got that set up too. But it took six weeks from the date we requested it for the phone company to switch it on (we were told this is a normal wait period in New Caledonia). The positive side? Nouméa does have Internet cafés, so with a little patience and a little flexibility we found that despite the obstacles, life in Nouméa was not as hard as we thought it might be.

Wednesdays at 5:15 pm: Sailboats

Photos by Laurent Guiader, 2007.
Click on the photos themselves for close-ups.

One of the things I love most about living in Nouméa is the view - which you can get from just about anywhere. We are very lucky to have large sliding glass doors looking out onto the sea (lagoon). For me, this is the definition of heaven. To top things off, every Wednesday at 5:15 pm, we have a parade of sailboats that sail through our little bay. I am generally working at 5:15 pm, but I always look up to see the boats. They remind me of the freedom we all have, to live our dreams on a Wednesday at 5:15 pm.

Everyday Things

Photo by Melissa Kurtz, 2007.

Here we are, a typical day in Nouméa. Pablo and I try to get to the beach or the park or the store for bread every day. Laurent goes to work and Sophie starts school at 7 in the morning. Pablo and I toddle about, get out and about, and Pablo generally goes down for a nap in the afternoon (when I can work at last). Sometimes we even get to the beach for a fully-clothed dip (for Pablo, that is) and a rinse (as above) - but most times we head off to the park for climbing and squeezing and jumping and sliding.

Today it is a beautiful day in Nouméa and everyone in the family has had a long nap while I have cooked apples, answered e-mails, done some online research and looked at the view. Our lives will change dramatically in a few months with our return to Paris. Gone will be the ocean view, the cloudless skies, the warm temperatures, the silence and the birdsong. In with activity, friends, café visits, good coffee, the world's greatest museums, theatre, film, paying parks for Pablo and great shopping for Sophie. Oh - and self-evident, fully functioning faucets. Joy!

Wages in New Caledonia

Photo by Laurent Guiader, 2006.

With the cost of living being high in New Caledonia, I am often asked if the salaries are commiserate. How are people able to make it here - given that rent, food and clothing are all expensive?

There are several populations on the island. There are the public service employees (the military, the teachers, the administrators, the postal workers, etc.). There are the people who are paid minimum wage (those who work in the food industry, commerce, tourism, etc.). There are the retirees. There are the people who have come from the Loyalty Islands to earn a living to send back to their families.

In general, the public service employees are very well paid in comparison to the average New Caledonian citizen. Those who come for fixed stays often have a very nice salary (higher than they would earn in the "metropole" - mainland France) and some have lodging practically free of charge. They also receive a bonus for being here. The idea is that they should be recompensed for having to living so far away from France. My sense is that the public service employees are among the highest paid. They can easily afford the cost of living here and still have money left over at the end of the month. They generally own cars and boats and their children own scooters and mobile phones.

The minimum monthly wage in New Caledonia is €963.70 (or $1,280.68) . The hourly rate is approximately €6,02 (or $8.00). I know that babysitters are paid approximately €5 an hour, and maids €5,86 an hour. When you look at how much it costs to live in New Caledonia, one wonders how people living on minimum wage make it. Basically, they live frugally. They buy a lot of rice, they shop at the markets, they do not own luxury items, they do not have Internet, they do not go out on outings (many of the locals have never been to the neighbouring islands, much less Australia or New Zealand). They also do not live in big, expensive houses or apartments in town. There are ghettos here, and some build homes out of cardboard boxes or tin siding.

The retirees receive their monthly pensions and then some. They are what we call "indexé". They can receive up to 20-40% more on top of their pensions. Again, this goes back to way back when when it took a week to get here by boat. France esteemed that those willing to travel to, and live in, such a faraway place should be recompensed for such a thing. There is some debate at the moment as to whether or not the indexation should be stopped (it costs France and its taxpayers a pretty penny) - or at least rewarded to those who have worked on the island. For you see, French citizens who come to retire here can receive such an indexation, never having worked here.

Lastly, there are the islanders (from Lifou, Maré and Ouvéa) who come to Nouméa to make a living. My hunch is that they carve out a life for themselves, but it is no picnic. Some of them live in the ghettos - thereby avoiding paying rent and electricity, so as to send more back home. They work as hard as they can and their kids generally stay back on the islands with the tribes. As there is little or no work on the islands, living and working in Nouméa is one of their only choices.

Methinks there is a fifth population - the Caldoches, the island's white local population. They own businesses and nice homes. They've been here a long time and have worked hard for all that they have. They send their kids to mainland France to get good educations and they invest in New Caledonia to keep it thriving.

Cost of Living in New Caledonia

Photo (our driveway) by Laurent Guiader, 2006.

A reader wrote to me last week about life in New Caledonia. He wanted to know more about what life is like, and in particular if there are any English-speaking schools, for example. After a little research, I can confirm that there are indeed no English-speaking schools on the island. All education is carried out in French. There are language schools to learn English, Spanish, what have you, but there are no public or private English-speaking primary or secondary schools. (Anyone wanting to move here and looking for something to do? ... Start an English-speaking school for the English-speaking population!)

But another question he had was whether or not it really is expensive to live here. I'd written about the high cost of telecommunications here (and expensive bread), but I took another look at our expenses for 2006 and came up with this, for any of you who might be interested:

Average monthly expenses
(for a family of two adults, one teenager and one baby)

Automobile: Gasoline - 64,17 €
Automobile: Parking - 2,33 €
Bills: Cable tv - 83,83 €
Bills: Cell phone - 30,00 €
Bills: Electricity - 100,25 €
Bills: Internet service - 90,25 €
Bills: Newspaper - 4,00 €
Bills: Telephone - 48,42 €
Bills: Water & sewer - 75,00 €
Clothing - 92,75 €
Customs - 6,00 €
Dining out - 166,42 €
Groceries - 769,83 €
Healthcare - 172,75 €
Hobbies: outings - 200,00 €
Hobbies: movies/dvds - 20,00 €
Personal care - 50,00 €
Postage - 22,00 €
Rent (three-bedroom house, 165 m2) - 1500.00-2000,00 €

Want to see the prices in your local currency? Go to XE.com Universal Currency Converter to convert from euros ... and try not to scream when you see how much rent is (and reassure yourself - this is less than what it costs to live in a three-bedroom flat in central Paris!).

World's Most Expensive Baguettes

Last Wednesday, we paid €118.49 (or $153.18 depending on your currency) for two French baguettes. Now I know things are expensive here (a recent report about the perks of retiring to Nouméa put the cost of living at 40% higher than Paris), but this is asking a bit much.

When Laurent told me how much we had gone over our weekly budget (and I had looked at what he had come home with), we pulled out the receipt. How in the world could two baguettes cost over €100? Mind you, we have friends who spent €25 on a round of Camembert when they first arrived. It's an easy mistake to make.

Turns out the cashier had keyed in 70 francs (the real cost of a baguette: €0.59) twice - which makes "7070" and then multiplied 7070 by 2 - which equals 14140 francs, or €118.49. When Laurent went back to the store and presented the receipt and asked what had happened, the manager giggled. She immediately detected the error. She showed it to a colleague. They giggled. She took it to the cashier. They giggled some more. Apparently this was most hilarious. The cashier asked if Laurent hadn't noticed that the bill was a bit high. Yes, he responded, but he had a baby in arms, the groceries to pack up, and a looming mealtime for aforementioned baby.

To make a short story long, we were reimbursed for the mistake and all is well. But it reminded me that when we had arrived, we had been warned to always check our receipts and our change: strange things were known to happen. This being said, this is the first time something like this has occurred - well, as far as we know ...

Video: Life in Nouméa

Have any of you ever wondered what we do all day in Nouméa (known as "paradise on earth" to some)? True, it is a sporty capital, so there are some who kite surf, rollerblade, windsurf, run, walk. There are others who see the sights, shop, get on and off the cruise ships. For a taste of "Nouméa in September", see this two-minute video by YouTube member, helyonmandi (remember to turn up the volume on your machine to get the full effect):

Many thanks to helyonmandi.

Video: A Typical Drive in Nouméa

Would you like to see a typical drive in Nouméa? If so, you'll enjoy the three-minute clip below. (Click on the arrow and turn up the volume.) This clip is brought to you by YouTube member, ipiroro. This is his drive to work: you'll love where he works.

The drive begins on Promenade Vernier and continues past Ouen Toro past "The Roof" (a great restaurant on the water" to the tourist office (look for the hut) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (not shown, but it is across from the tourist office) at Anse Vata. Nouméans will recognise the drive easily and those at a distance will remember it fondly (I am thinking in particular of Caitlin and Xavier).

Laurent runs this stretch, Sophie is learning how to drive here, and this is my favourite bit to drive with Pablo (we do it at least once a week). Doesn't it make you dream, smile, want to visit?

My thanks to ipiroro.

Walks Along Anse Vata

Photo by Laurent Guiader, 2006.

Anse Vata is one of the long stretches of beach in Nouméa. Many of you may recall my mention of it before. There are basically three beaches in Nouméa: Anse Vata (windy!), Baie des Citrons (crowded!) and Kuendu Beach (isolated!). My favourite is Anse Vata (pictured above), largely because I have spent many a good moment there with my good friend, Caitlin. Shortly after our sons were born, we took to walking the Anse Vata three times a week. The view was out of this world, the wind whisked away our "Am I doing this right?" new mommy concerns, and a fast and furious friendship was formed. In August, Caitlin moved to La Réunion, another beautiful French island. Pablo and I still walk the Anse Vata, though not as frequently. Today we will go to say Happy Birthday to Caitlin. If only she were here so we could celebrate it together ... on the Anse Vata!

Palm-Pruning Time in Nouméa

Every year at this time of year, workers from the local gardening company stop by. Not unlike the chimney sweeps in Paris, they offer a regular and much-needed service. Only rather than descending chimneys, they climb coconut palms. Right, a photo of one such fellow just in front of our terrace. He climbed the palm with the help of a ladder (I've seen them shimmy up without a ladder, but this one was a tricky one), pulled a machete out of his pocket and started hacking away. Down went the browning palm fronds and all of the coconuts. Why in heaven's name, you ask. Because during the hurricane season, the last thing you want is speeding wayward coconuts.

Photo by Julie Harris, 2006.

Our Little Corner of the World

We live on this little hill right in front of you (yes, sometimes I feel like an ant). At the top of the hill you will see a helicopter landing pad (yes, we hear them from time to time) and to the right a little marina (click on the photo for a close-up). This is the marina we look out on - and the city we look back on. One of the things I used to miss in Paris was the horizon - buildings were everywhere! We have the opposite now in our little corner of the world. The dominant colour, rather than the off-white or grey of Paris buildings, is blue. Blue skies, blue sea. And green. Turquoise waters and green palm trees, pines and banana plants. Ah, the difference a year makes!

Origins of the Name Nouméa

I learned the other day that Nouméa, New Caledonia's capital, means Sardine Island in one of the 32 Kanak dialects. Méa means island and Nou is sardine. At first one might scratch one's head ("Confusion is always the most honest response." - Marty Indik), but from above perhaps our little island does resemble a sardine.

Paradise Is for the Birds

Spring has sprung in New Caledonia and my oh my is it something. The birds are back, for one. We have lovely, loud parakeet - type birds that are red and blue and green and travel in pairs. When swarms of them get together in one of the trees on the Baie des Citrons, foot traffic stops in its tracks as everyone stands looking and listening. You can see a picture of these birds here. Above, a photo of one of our many other birds, these found in our local wildlife park, the Parc Forestier. New Caledonia has a fair few endemic bird species - all of them beautiful. For a list, see wikipedia's entry on the topic. Now wouldn't you say New Caledonia (a.k.a. Paradise) is for the birds?

Photo by Laurent Guiader, 2005.