Le Nouméa

Nouméa has an interesting free magazine that features changes and developments in the city. Le Nouméa's coverage (in French) is both excellent and engaging. Rather than just touch on some of the projects underway in the city, it goes into them in depth. Did you know, for example, that the city cares for 15 000 trees -- 5 000 of which are palm/coconut trees and 1 200 columnar pines and kaori trees?

I discovered the magazine recently as the city is offering the opportunity to win air tickets to Nice, the Gold Coast (Australia) and Taupo (New Zealand), Nouméa's sister cities. To be eligible to win, you have to peruse the magazine to find answers to 10 questions. Hmmm ... read a magazine, win a trip? Why not?

The Beauty of Blogging

The beauty of blogging is in the people you meet. Some weeks ago Jo (above - who I'd never met before) submitted a comment on this blog with a few questions about our weather and such. She was planning a trip to New Caledonia with her husband, Séan, and was wondering if it ever gets chilly here (among other things). I responded and targeted some posts her way in the hopes of being able to help her out. Jo and Séan live in Dunedin in New Zealand - Jo works for the Dunedin Public Library as a Bookbus librarian and Séan is a museum curator at a social history museum, the Otago Settlers Museum. I was only too happy to meet up with them after they had been on the island a few days to show them some of the lesser seen sights (and help them find one of our only good bakeries). A few days later they came for lunch and we enjoyed a good laugh over a bottle of Sauterne and grilled tuna. Laurent and Sophie were happy to have them 'round for lunch as we learned that Séan is also a writer, Jo has run three women's triathlons and between them, they are a hoot!

Gone Fishin'

Almost everyone in Nouméa seems to own a boat - big boats, little boats, fishing boats, catamarans, speed boats. You name it, it's here. I'd read that Nouméa has among the highest numbers of boats per capita in the world. From all the different marinas we have here, I wouldn't say that estimation is too far off. All of our friends have boats, for example (not that we have that many friends). And they often go fishing. Which means the occasional fresh fish for us - how wonderful. Above, our friends the Apochers. And a pretty big fish ...

Sentenced to New Caledonia

Back in 1864, 248 murderers, rapists and thieves were sentenced to hard labour in New Caledonia. Their mission? To build a penal colony that would later house thousands of hard, petty and political criminals. Of the many criminals that landed on the island, only one escaped the 4-kilo chains, the handcuffs, the days literally levelling low-lying hills and building some of Nouméa's most important public buildings (e.g. its cathedral, hospital, military barracks). His name was Rochefort, a French journalist ousted from Paris by the Prussians for his political views. The rest of the prisoners, upon completion of their long sentences (to build Nouméa) were allowed to return to France (if they could afford the ticket). Those who could not afford to pay the return journey were forced to settle in New Caledonia and cultivate the land.

A subject of great taboo

75% of today's European population in New Caledonia (the Caldoches) are descendants of these prisoners. The penal colony was a subject never broached. It was almost completed razed in 1933 and was not opened or visited until 1994. A great divide had grown up between the descendants of the original prisoners and the 25% Europeans who had come to New Caledonia as free citizens. Inter-marriage was formally forbidden and many a bloody fight flew up in the face of the past. "My grandfather was not a straw-hat!" would come the calls of new generations defending their roots. (Straw hats was the term used for prisoners as this is what they wore to work under the heat of the sun.)

Today, one can visit what remains of the penal colony with the help of a guide. Asked who comes to visit the prison and museum, the answer is Japanese tourists or people who've come for a short stay (teachers, military, administrators). The Caledonians? Very few.