ROUTE:
Noumea to Kone 270 km
Kone to Malabou Beach 157km
Malabou Beach to Hiengheve 275km
Hiengheve to Pondimie 50km
Pondimie to Noumea 299km
Koniambo Hotel Kone
After four relaxing days on the lovely Ile Des Pins we
collected our hired Europcar at Magenta airport and headed north for Kone a
distance of 270km. Driving in New Caledonia is on the right so negotiating
roundabouts and freeway on ramps was a bit of a challenge at first and for the
first half hour we found ourselves constantly heading in the wrong direction to
where we wanted to be but with a little extra patience and logic we eventually
found ourselves heading north. The road conditions on this section were very
good and the dual freeway extends almost to the airport some 45 Kms from
Noumea. It seems though that the speed limit is seen as a challenge to many
motorists but in our little mini Peugeot we were no match for the big boys in
their oversized Utes so merely trundled along without apparently aggravating
anyone coming up behind us at breakneck speed. Not one hoot so far! The
countryside is magnificent and to the eye pristine and un spoilt. Soaring
mountain ranges are a feature of the the island topography and at times these
give way to gentle rolling hills and grasslands. All evoking nostalgic thoughts
of places previously lived and favourite places of natural beauty. I discovered
that New Caledonia is home to 3,332 plant species 2,551 of which are endemic
and as we travelled we marvelled at the variety of trees, shrubbery and grass
varieties.
On arrival in Kone we soon found our roadside hotel The
Koniambo. A pleasant enough motel type of establishment, clean and moderately
comfortable. The staff were great and put up with our hesitant French. Dinner
was buffet style in a brightly lit dining hall, the quality of fare was good
with a fairly wide choice.
The next day a shorter drive to Malabou Beach the roads
still good with evidence of up grades along the way. The vegetation gave way to
a more arid look than the south with smaller rocky hills and more stunned
vegetation. Poum is the northern most town and appears to have little going for
it and feels rather sad and neglected but it was a Saturday afternoon.
Malabou Beach Resort is 10 minutes south of Poum. The resort
overlooks a large lagoon and comprises lovely beach bungalows thatched in palm
leaves. Interiors are modern and clean if somewhat compact and some bungalows
have small private pools. The beach is not great, a very narrow slice of sand
with lots of natural debris along the shore. A walking trail from the resort
takes you through the mangroves and up to the top of the peninsula for lovely
panoramic views. The environment is pristine, natural and serene. You can also
explore the lagoon on a kayak from where you can appreciate this piece of
paradise. Overall the resort is well run with friendly staff. The restaurant
offers a reasonable a la carte menu, we were visiting out of season and
realised that this place undoubtedly has more to offer at peak times. A few
days here though is adequate as the surrounding area offers little more of
interest to visitors.
Malabou Beach Resort
Malabou Beach to Hienghene (Hyehen)
Driving south for around 40km we took the
turnoff at Chagrin in the direction of Ouegoa. This cross country road twists
and turns through rolling hills and over small mountain passes, the road is
generally in good condition but you cannot do this short distance in a hurry
and why would you want to? The scenery along the way is magnificent and once
more we were struck by the diversity of plant life, evergreen hardwood trees
and tree ferns clustered in small forests and then open country with conifers
and a variety of flora. The leisurely pace allowed us to enjoy the passing
scenery but concentration is needed in negotiating the many winding climbs and
descents. Finally cresting a steep hill the magnificent turquoise waters told
us we had reached the other side of New Caledonia which at its widest point is only 55km. Driving south we
hugged the rugged coastline passing through small settlements and farms with
the Kanak people waving us on with a friendly smile. The road in this stretch
is not great and care is needed approaching the one way bridges of which there
are many. The ferry crossing over the Ouaieme river which flows through central
NC is the last remaining barge in the country and it comes upon you without
notice, a steeply winding road drops you into the valley with its breathtaking
view of Mount Panie and all of a sudden a stop sign signals your arrival at the
crossing point. The barge man calls from his small cabin for you to proceed and
whilst you cannot understand his orders you instinctively know where to stop on
the barge to avoid going over the edge, not much attention to health and safety
here but you need to remember that this is after all 'island life'. The barge
service is free and works on demand with no waiting for a full load, our barge
man took off with only us on board and then suddenly reversed to pick up two
more vehicles who arrived as we left the shore.
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| Barge crossing |
On arrival in Hienghene (Hyehen) which means 'cry while
walking' due to the villages violent history there is a pharmacy, mooring dock
and information centre and no other shops. We stopped at the surprisingly
modern information centre to ask
directions to our next stop Koulnoe Village Resort and at the same time to
learn of any attractions in the vicinity. The main attractions here are the Tao
waterfall around 30 km north of the village and Les Roche Noires de
Linderalique (Limestone rocks) in the beautiful bay. One of the noticeable
features of our journey in New Caledonia is the scarcity of convenience stores
to buy basic grocery needs. Snack bars or take away establishments are as rare
as hens teeth and we soon learned that if we wanted a supply of snacks or even
to do a bit of self catering that we took our opportunity when we stumbled upon
it, choices are limited with a dearth of fresh produce which is surprising
given the pastoral aspect of the country. The resorts generally are fixated on
buffets and you are held hostage to the relatively high price you need to pay
even if you are only looking for a light meal. There simply is no alternative
but perhaps this adds to the authenticity of country kept as it is in its
natural state with minimum human intervention.
Koulnoe Village Resort
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| Hiengheve viewpoint |
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| Hiengheve Bay |
The Hotel Teiti in Poindimie is positioned overlooking
tranquil seas and does have a beach but not anything too get excited about
although the waters are calm and fine for swimming, the beach is long enough
for a longish walk and the shoreline offers up a variety of sea shells and broken
coral.
Hotel Tieti Pondimie
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| Lovely beachside bungalows |
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| Beach at Hotel Tieti |
The final leg of our trip from Pondimie continued down the eastern shore crossing the mountains from east to west turning at Houailou heading from Bourail and southwards to Noumea and our destination hotel Nouvata at Baie De L' Anse Vata
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| Beautiful church near Pondimie |
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| Heading to the mountain passes |
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| Our mini Peugeot |
New Caledonia is a gentle and relaxing place to visit. The
New Caledonians are warm and welcoming and although this is a French speaking
country many people can converse in English and will patiently tolerate any
hesitant French you may have to offer. Our trip was entirely d.i.y from Air
bookings and car hire to the hotels and resorts we stayed in. Readers of
this blog are invited to contact me for any information they may need should
they be planning a trip to this small but unique country only a few hours from
Sydney but yet offering a unique mixture of Melanesian and European culture. We
have merely brushed the surface and feel that there is more to explore and
local culture to experience in this interesting archipelago.
