Our first stop in New Caledonia is on the the island of Grand Terre in Noumea, the capital of New Caledonia in the South Pacific. Known for it's gorgeous beaches, Noumea offers visitors sand, sun, sea, nightlife, scenery and fascinating World War II history. On our Tchou Tchou train tour excursion, we saw much of Noumea including panoramic viewpoints, important buildings in the town and several bays and beaches. One beach, Lemon Bay, was closed when we visited due to two very bad shark attacks, but I've read that the beach has reopened with shark nets. We learned about American GI's that were stationed in Noumea during World War Two and saw cannons still in place and a hospital that American military left behind that became the local clinic. Our guide said most Caledonians were born in this clinic. We learned about Nickel ore, which is vital to the economy of the islands, For a small train tour, we saw a lot of Noumea and I feel we hit all the highlights.
Most cruises will offer free shuttle buses to the ferry port where there is a variety of restaurants and shops and even the Hop On Hop Off bus tours. New Caledonia means New Scotland, and living in Scotland, I had trouble believing this beautiful tropical island felt or looked like Scotland to anyone, but as we left, I could see the green hills and, maybe, a small resemblance to the Scottish Highlands. Both are beautiful places to visit!
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