Care for a Swim, Dear?

Photo by Laurent Guiader, 2006.

Meet one of our newfound friends, at the Club Med in Hienghene. Imagine our surprise (and enchantment) when two deer wandered up and sat down beside us at the pool our first afternoon in Hienghene. Much better than a "spider who sat down beside her" of Little Miss Muffet fame!

In early November, readers might remember that we drove up north to Hienghene, an absolutely stunning site on the sea, best known for its enormous rock (calcium) formations (such as "Le Poulet" or "The Chicken") and its "Club Med". We stayed at the Club Med for a night or so to see what it was like.

Originally, we were to stay in a traditional Kanak "case" (or hut) at the "Club Med". But upon discovering mice droppings on two of the beds, we lucked into a bungalow that was both clean and cool (yes, it is hot here in November) - and had the added advantage of having a bathroom and shower included. Though we thoroughly enjoyed our stay, we weren't convinced that this was a real Club Med ... apart from the deer!

Delays at Goro and Aquaculture Increasingly Important for New Caledonia

I read two wholly unconnected articles recently and wondered about a possible link between the two.

The first concerned the new delays and increased costs for the nickel mine that is being built in southern New Caledonia. Inco, the company behind Goro Nickel, has a new head. At a press conference in Rio de Janeiro (yes Brazil took control of the Canadian company and its Goro project last month), it was announced that the mine would not start producing nickel until the end of 2008 and that costs will rise to US$3 billion. See Costs at Inco's Goro nickel project soar.

The second article concerned the importance of aquaculture in the Pacific region in coming years. Dr. Tim Adams, who heads the Secretariat for the Pacific Community's Marine Resources Division, told Pacific government representatives at a recent meeting of SPC's governing body that aquaculture "will become increasingly important for exports and food security. As wild stocks come under increasingly rigorous management (...) the economic balance will tip further in favor of aquaculture." See Aquaculture increasingly vital for Pacific.

Now, the Goro Nickel mine is purported to present a tremendous threat to marine biodiversity. In addition, I'd read that there were plans for the development of large-scale industrial coastal shrimp aquaculture operations in the area.

Will Goro Nickel really be for the good of New Caledonia and the Pacific region, I wonder?

(And a thank you to Dr. Adams for his recent post on this blog.)

Lucie's Dashing Coffee-Drinking Soldier Man

Since my post about The Quietly Remarkable Mlle Lucie Agez, I have received both proof that her young American soldier man was a coffee lover and indeed, dashing (as pictured above). I've also learned that there were other young New Caledonian women who left New Caledonia to follow their American soldiers. One wonders how many. One wonders how many Americans have New Caledonian ancestry. One wonders how many Americans are proud of such ancestry ... in any case, many thanks to Lucie for showing young women the way of courage, strength and independence - 60 years before the world's borders opened and international travel became something of a regular occurrence.

100th Post and a 40th Birthday

Here we are, 100 posts later. I started this blog upon landing here in August 2005 with the aim of sharing some of our adventures in New Caledonia - with friends and strangers both. I had had a devil of a time explaining where New Caledonia was when we learned we would be moving here. Most people thought it was in Canada. Others' eyes simply glazed over. Some asked if we had running water, electricity, hospitals and grocery stores. I hope this blog has answered some of those questions - and will continue to answer more!

I've reached my 100th post on 17 November, which is also my 40th birthday. What a thrill! I've had the most magnificent 40th birthday a person could have! On a tropical island with a wonderful husband, an amazing daughter and a hilarious son. My husband took me to Ilôt Maitre, a tiny island 25 minutes away from Nouméa by boat, for an exquisite lunch and a leisurely afternoon. Afterwards, we went to dinner (Japanese) with Sophie. It was wonderful to be out to dinner - just the three of us (Pablo stayed at home with his "Tata Gali" and slept through the whole outing). I received the most beautiful bouquet of tropical flowers from Laurent, good news about my friend Ben, a million and one wonderful birthday greetings from friends and family in France and the United States, and the most wonderful posts and e-mails about Lucie and her family.

Thanks so much to everyone - for all your wonderful words and your encouragement for my work on this blog.