New Caledonian Geography and History in a Nutshell
New Caledonia is located in the South West Pacific, at approximately 1600 km off the eastern coast of Australia, just North of the Tropic of Capricorn . It constitutes the fourth largest archipelago in the South Pacific and counts a population of about 250 000 people. Almost half of the population lives in the capital city Noumea, which lies on a headland in the South-West corner of the island.

Captain Cook discovered the North-East side of the island in 1774 and named it New Caledonia because of its resemblance with the green hills of the Caledonian islands in his native Scotland. In 1853 Napoleon III annexed New Caledonia, and later included the Loyalty Islands which lie to the east of the main island.

New Caledonia became a strategic point for the allied forces during WWII as it hosts a third of the world’s known nickel resources. Nearly one million American and Anzac soldiers came through New Caledonia; roads, bridges and the airport were built and jump-started the development of the island. Some of these soldiers surfed at Bourail, where they had an R&R restaurant on the beach. They were probably the first to ever surf in New Caledonia. Consequently the first generation of local surfers emerged at Bourail in the 70’s with the fiber glass revolution.

In 1998 the Noumea Agreement was settled to prepare the progressive autonomy of the country, which could become independent after referendum in 2018. Today New Caledonia is ranked amongst the 30 richest nations in the world thanks to its mining industry and to French government support. 

Time lag
+ 11 hours GMT in winter , + 10 hours GMT in summer
+ 1 hour time difference between New Caledonia and Eastern Australia.
- 1 hour time difference between New Caledonia and New Zealand.

Weather
New Caledonia is described as the land of eternal spring. It boasts a pleasant semi-tropical climate all year round. The wet season is from December to March and according to the statistics it pours more in February. Temperature varies between 25 and 30° degrees Celsius. During the cooler season the temperature varies between 20 and 26 degrees Celsius°.

Link www.windguru.com

Currency
The island’s currency is the Pacific Franc (CFP). The CFP has a fixed rate with the euro:
€ 1 = 120 cfp.
The following rates are average rates but remember these fluctuate with the market:
US$ 1 = 92 cfp ; AU$ 1 = 75 cfp ;
YEN 1 = 0.9 cfp ; NZ$ 1 = 74 cfp

Language
The official and administrative language in New Caledonia is French but Melanesian and Polynesian dialects are widely spoken. English is commonly used in Noumea mainly in the hospitality industry.

Safety
New Caledonia is a French territory which gives it political stability and makes it safe for all travellers.

Flights
From Australia : daily flight from Sydney (3 hours), 5 flights per week from Brisbane (2 ½ hours).
From New Zealand : 4 flights per week from Auckland (2 hours 40 minutes).
From Tahiti : 1 flight per week from Papeete (5 hours 40 minutes).
From Japan : 3 flights per week from Osaka and 5 flights per week from Tokyo (9 hours).
From United States : via Tahiti, Australia or New Zealand
Return or fly through airfares are compulsory.

Visa
For a stay less than 3 months, citizens of the following countries don’t need a visa :
France, Germany, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Danemark, Spain, Finland, Great Britain, Greece, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, New-Zealand, Holland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland.

For a stay less than 1 month, citizens of the following countries don’t need a visa :
Bermuda, Canada, Chili, Cyprus, South Korea, USA, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico and Poland.

Citizens of other countries should contact the French embassy in their country of residence to enquire about visa procedures.

Vaccination
No vaccination is necessary when coming to New Caledonia.

Communication
New Caledonia’s mobile phone network covers all the islands and a vast majority of the lagoon. Internet cafés are easily found in Noumea but are scarce in the rest of the island. The island counts two local TV channels, 1 cable TV network, a daily newspaper and 5 radios.

Links

www.new-cal-adventure-cruises.com
www.nekweta.com
www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/nc.html

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