N. Caledonia's Casino
p. 12 · Read in the full issue
rE construction of a Casino at Anse Vata Beach, Noumea, is linked with the construction of a modern hotel of 150 bedrooms with bathrooms attached, for which plans are already prepared.
Foreign as well as French capital is interested in the scheme, which should give a great impetus to the tourist traffic.
The Casino will be in the same grounds as the hotel, and besides gambling rooms will include a dance hall and a theatre.
There will be tennis courts and golf links.
The site is that of the former US Army camp with is great central Pentagon Building. The building area is three hectares (about 71 acres) adjoining a magnificent stretch of sandy beach, look ing out across picturesque coral islets to wards the Amedee lighthouse and reef about nine miles away. Being linside the great barrier reef, the beach does not provide surfing facilities.
To carry out the plans, the Societe Touristique et Hoteliere is increasing its capital from two to ten million francs, by the sale of shares valued at 10 000 francs each to Caledonian subscribers.
It will be recalled that, just before the war with Japan, a hotel representa tive of Pan American Airways spent some time in New Caledonia investigating pos sibilities of a large hotel at Anse Vata, and he is understood to have reported favourably on the project. There was also some talk of making a seaplane base at I’Orphelinat Bay nearby, on the main land, instead of at He Nou.
The growing use of landplanes has turned attention to the possibility of an airfield at Magenta, just back of Noumea, enlarged to take the largest planes. At present, Pan American planes are using Tontouta airfield, over 30 miles away, and passengers travelling to or from Aus tralia usually see Noumea from the air only.
Miss Pat McCarthy, daughter of Judge McCarthy of the Cook Islands High Court, created great interest at Oriental Bay.
Wellington, recently when she launched her native canoe. The canoe, which is a 21-ft. outrigger, came from Pukapuka and was sent by her father. It was as sembled at Oriental Bay by Cook Is landers then in Wellington.