Pacifique Sud

With Helen Rousseau

If the French can be said to have a national sport, one in which all can participate, it must surely be “Systeme D” the skilful art of wangling one’s way around the law, or gaining a per sonal advantage. The New Caledonians now have new scope for indulging in this sport, since new regulations were made covering the island’s uni que “barking” bird the cagou.

While the French authorities in Noumea meticulously keep count of every tonne of nickel produced, every request for a permit to have a gun, and the delicate tally of jobs divided be tween Caledonians and “metros” from France, the com puter operators now have a new task counting cagou birds.

By April, 45 birds had been counted in a cagou census. All birds in captivity are to be tagg ed, and if one dies its remains are to be handed over to the authorities. The owner will not have the right to acquire a new bird. Obvious scope for Systeme D.

No doubt this accounting for cagous will become an important job for the French public service, watching production targets under the current seventh Five year Plan. Another important part of that plan for distant New Caledonia concerns the media and communications. Since the installation of satellite-transmis sion facilities in Noumea last year, the Caledonians are now treated to certain direct TV broad casts from Paris, intended to help the islanders feel closer to the mother country. The Caledonians have already been entertained by 10 years of television and have now been promised the luxury of

colour TV in 12 months time.

The Tahitians have plenty of enthusiasm for other things too, and invited numerous overseas groups to join in their dance festival in late April. Among those to fly to Papeete for the event were dancers from the Philip pines and Japan besides Pacific Islanders and Australian Aborigines.

An unusual beauty contest held some time beforehand was neither the traditional Miss Vahine or Monsieur Tane but Miss Tane-Vahine, which reveal ed some very well-endowed men to add to the novelty of Tahiti night-life. In more serious vein, Paris has promised that French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing will visit Tahiti before the end of this year.

Meanwhile, back in Noumea, just in case the Caledonians should get the bold idea that Australia might help them in ob taining greater self-government from France, the local press keeps photographing smiling Australian naval commanders exchanging hearty handshakes with French officials, with the caption that Franco-Australian relations are “fine’’.

Actually, it has recently been announced in Noumea that a South Pacific section is to be formed in the Franco-British As sociation. This has led to ex pressions of surprise that such a friendly association has not ex isted before. Indeed it is surpris ing, especially as over the past 10 years the French have man aged to drive out one Australian consul and a resident correspon dent for Radio Australia, who was only allowed back in Noumea on

the understanding that there was no more writing about local affairs.

But the French are great believers in change variety is the spice of life. So the welcome mat is out for Anglo-Saxons now.

As a sign of the new trend, for the first time this year the ANZAC Day celebrations in Sydney on April 25 were joined by a 21-man delegation of Caledonian war veterans.

So in New Caledonia it’s open arms for visitors. And now they see not only the capital, Noumea: a new Federation of Inland Hoteliers is encouraging tourists to venture to new resorts up country, to Hienghene and Poin dimie, Bourail and Sarramea, along the east and west coasts.

The bush hoteliers are in direct telex contact with the new French Caledonia Travel Service in Sydney, set up by Alex Redler of Theodore Travel, to help foreign visitors explore off the beaten track.

After his success with the gamblers’ $2,000 special excur sion to Noumea’s Casino Royal, Alex Redler has now discovered the offshore island of Ouvea, with its bungalows to take 60 persons.

Resort managers. Azem and Pauline Youssef, flew to Sydney in April to tell a gathering of 300 travel agents just what a relaxing welcome they can expect on this atoll in the Loyalty Group.

Yes, they have great fish, shells and lobsters three feet across or was it five? Any photo genic gendarmes on Ouvea yes, two, to maintain the French connection. So New Caledonia can really claim to be the Pacific Island territory with a difference “la presence francaise’’.