What New Caledonia Has To Offer

According to calculations made by the Pacific Area Travel Associa tion in 1961, New Caledonian tourism that year showed one of the biggest percentage increases of all the South Pacific territories.

THIS does not mean that thousands of extra tourists are rushing into New Caledonia each month—they aren’t. But figures have certainly gone up since the jet-air age dawned in the Pacific a couple of years ago and New Caledonia found itself in volved—rather at the tail of the kite, to be sure—in the tourist boom that hit Tahiti.

Any resemblance between French Polynesia and Melanesian New Cale donia is purely promotional; there fore, many Americans who follow the airline services down through Tahiti and Fiji to New Caledonia are apt to be disappointed.

New Caledonia is a different type of country, with a different type of people and its main business in life has been exporting such things as nickel and chrome. It hasn’t got so much of the Polynesian laissez faire about it, but it has sufficient of its own peculiar charm to be interesting.

After all, if all that is required is an American-type tourist hotel, a warm sea and a few palm trees, why go further than Honolulu which has all three, ad infinitum?

New Caledonia started to talk tourism over three years ago and in some respects hasn’t got past that.

There has, however, been an im provement in the number and type of hotel rooms and apartments available, particularly in Noumea, although in country districts lack of suitable tourist accommodation is still a bottleneck.

For Australians and New Zealanders, New Caledonia is the nearest foreign country—about 1,000 miles from Sydney or Auckland—and

New Zealanders are said to be the most numerous tourists to the French

territory currently. (There is one

DC4 plane per week, operated by

TAI, Auckland-Tontouta; fares

£A73/4/- (£NZSB/10/-) return.

GETTING THERE: A large proportion of the Pacific cruises that originate in Sydney include a call at Noumea. These cruises are run irregularly but usually occur in the Australian Winter months, or the Christmas-January period and are additional to the vessels’ regular schedules between Europe and Australasia.

The big Dutch, Italian and English shipping companies all operate cruises as a regular practice.

The ships of Messageries Maritimes, on their regular voyages from Europe through the Panama Canal call at Papeete,

Noumea and Sydney and return by the same route. It is possible to get a berth on one of these vessels from Sydney to Noumea and return by air.

The smaller MM vessel “Polynesie”, 2,400 dw tons, runs

a regular monthly service between Sydney and Noumea and then goes on to ports in the New Hebrides. The complete round trip Sydney back to Sydney is £AI4O; however, the return fare to Noumea is £AB4 and it is possible to leave the vessel there, spend 10 days in New Caledonia while she is away on the New Hebrides part of her voyage, and pick her up on her way back to Sydney.

Qantas, the Australia airline and TAI, the French airline, both run jet services between Sydney and Tontouta—New Cale donia’s international airport 30 miles from Noumea. Fares are £AIO2/8/- return first class and £A73/4/- economy class. (As far as TAI is concerned, this is a section of the weekly service from Paris via the Middle East, Bangkok, etc.).

From America, there is a weekly TAI service that originates in Montreal, Canada and calls at Los Angeles, USA, and Papeete, Tahiti en route.

ACCOMMODATION: There is one build ing of holiday apartments right in Noumea, half a dozen hotels in Noumea

or its environs and several country hotels in the ouside districts two of i cater for tourists.

Not all of these establishments! a dining room or restaurant althoug including the apartment house, sei Continental breakfast.

These are listed as the best bet tourists; LANTANA HOTEL, Anse Vata, No Room with bath and breakfast,! approx. £A3 single; £A4/10/- doubl night ($6.70 and $10). Bar and d room adjoining.

TRIANON HOTEL, Route d I’Anse Noumea. Room with bath and brea approx. £A2/15/- single; £A4/2/-« ($6 and $9) per night. Dining, and bar attached.

La Perouse Hotel, Rue Seba!

Noumea. Rooms with bath, a £A2/15/- single; £A4/2/- double ($ $9). Dining room and bar.

LUTETIA HOTEL, Quartier I Noumea. Rooms with bath, and bres approx. £A2/10/- single; £A3/10/-J ($5.60 and $7.80). Dining room attached.

Horizon Hotel, Mont (

Noumea. Rooms with bath, a £A2/5/- single; £A2/15/- double (5 $6).

Holiday Apartments, Ru(

Salonique, Noumea. These are room bath, and breakfast is supplied. approx. £ A2/10/- per night; £A3/10/- ($5.60 and $7.80).

The S. T. H. Bungalows, Anse

Noumea. There are about 10 units with four rooms. Each room has its room. Single approx. £A2/5/-;jj £ A3/10/- per night ($5 and $7.50).

The favourite beach resorts ( Noumea are Isle of Pines, right c SE tip of the main island, 75 mile!

Noumea: and Touho, three-quarters way up the east coast about 100 m road from Noumea.

At Isle of Pines the bungalow-typi is called Relais de Kanumera. All are included in tariff which for room with bath is from approx. £1 and double £AI2/12/- per day ( $3B). There are more expensve and some less expensive, without 1 At Touho, there is the Hotel de where rooms with bath range from t £A3 single and £4/2/- double ($5.1

$6.81). The cheaper r without bath ing room an

Transpoh

TION: The 1c Service, TRAI using Heron Rapides, regular scl to all the

centres, including the Loyalty which lie to the east of the main and to the Isle of Pines. S< schedules in the Timetables sect this issue.

For getting around in New Ca! itself, the tourist would do well a drive-yourself car for the dural his stay. There are three firm rent cars—usually baby Citroens. C are approx. £A2/10/- per day plus 6d per mile after the first 50 ($5. sc). It will be necessary for all to get a temporary driving permit is obtained on production of your driving licence.

GENERAL NOTES: New CaledoniJ well down in the Southern tropics > between 19 deg. S. Lat. and 2'.

S. Lat.) it has a very pleasant i for most of the year, being re! cool in the southern winter months hottest and rainiest months are J and February, when there is an occ hurricane. Because it lies across tl vailing wind and has a mounl

The "Pacific Islands Monthly" is a member of the Australian National Travel Association (ANTA) and the Pacific Area Travel Association (PATA), which are pledged to promote tourist travel in their areas.

It has a wet and fertile side st coast), and a dry and arid le west coast). Noumea is on t coast. Except in the extreme er it is well roaded. necessary for everyone except citizens to get a visa. Apply nearest French Consulate. (Aus are charged £AI/1/11 for three hings most tourists like to do Caledonia are (apart from g the French atmosphere), visit illages; the famous aquarium at ,ta Beach about three miles out city—where the South Pacific ion has its headquarters; visit i, the once notorious convict it right in Noumea Harbour; swim ulge in water sports; and drive e East Coast. is some work ot local natives I carving and pearl shell to as well as French perfumes and »ut the cost of living in New i is very high and bargain will probably be disappointed, are several local travel agencies iea and the Government tourist ntality is Office du Tourisme, Marechal Poch, Noumea, which you literature on request.