New Caledonia Part 3: Return to Noumea

Bakery delights

Back in Noumea, we quickly settled into a routine. I had discovered a bakery a five-minute walk from our hotel. It was tiny, with three people inside forming a crowd. And there was always a queue to get in, especially at 7:30 in the morning. But oh, the French pastries looked (and were) absolutely scrumptious. The bakery became our go-to breakfast which I would buy then take back and eat on our balcony overlooking the sea. Here I am about to devour an apricot flan, an almond and pear tart, and an apple turnover. Please notice that I am having half of each one!!!

'This is what holidays are all about', I kept telling myself.

We had a couple of 'must-do's' to do in Noumea that we had saved from our original visit - the National Aquarium and the Cultural Centre. 

The National Aquarium

The aquarium was easy to get to, just a 10-minute walk from the hotel. On our first visit to Noumea we'd walked there one morning only to discover it didn't open until 1:00pm. 

I always enjoy aquariums and, although small, this one was beautifully laid out. Different sections showcased New Caledonia's various marine systems from mangroves to coral reefs, and the deeper outer waters.

I thought I was pretty clever to get this next photo of Steve taking his photo.

Here's a selection of what I saw. It was difficult because the fish just would not stop to have their photo taken but insisted on darting hither and yon and then disappear behind a lump of coral only to appear somewhere else a second later. One does one's best.

The dreaded, but beautiful, lion fish.

Outside, in another area, was the turtle tank. We were fascinated watching two turtles and an assortment of other fish swim lazily about. This little boy was so excited. I had not noticed this before, but, look carefully and you can see our silhouettes on the photo.

And who could blame me for having a bit of fun? Looking at this photo now, I realise that Steve should also have been in it! 

And so to our last stop, the Tjibaou Cultural Centre, named after Jean-Marie Tjibaou who fought for Kanak independence from French rule and had a vision of establishing a centre to promote Kanak culture.  Sadly, his struggles led to his murder in 1989.  The French Government eventually recognised the Kanak as an indigenous people. Before this, the history of the Kanak people is eerily similar to those of Australia's Aborigines: thousands of French convicts were sent to New Caledonia to help with mining; Kanak people were ordered to live in reserves; they were forced to speak French, denied to speak their own language and told to forget their own culture (a culture that had begun in 1000 BCE); they were sent as indentured slaves to other countries. Today, Kanak culture is thriving and there are annual festivals highlighting dance, art, music, sculpture and food, links with other Pacific islands, and regular exhibitions in the Cultural Centre focussing on modern interpretations of their culture.

The eight-acre site was a 15-minute taxi ride from the city. The central building is made up of a long enclosed walkway that represents the ceremonial alley of a traditional Kanak village. Various rooms open off this corridor on both sides; these house administrative offices, libraries, meeting rooms, an auditorium, conference facilities and exhibition galleries. But it is the outside that captures your attention. For, shielding the building from the sea, there are ten giant structures representing Kanak village huts - two smaller ones either side of a larger Great Hut.  The design definitely makes a bold architectural statement, blending Kanak tradition with a contemporary look. I've included a photo from a brochure that gives a better idea than my description does.

   

These huts are huge and were designed as an interpretation of Kanak village life - 'a visual metaphor' as the brochure says. Here are some more views of them; one is from the entrance to the Centre; one is taken from inside the walkway, the others are from the outside as we walked along the curved path surrounding the 'village' of houses.

Before we went into the building itself, we took the fascinating Kanak Pathway that focussed on Kanak ancestors - their myths, totems and plants. The path wound its way around the gardens. Everything was clearly labelled and signed and provided us with an insight into the ancient legend of the first man (Téa Kanaké), and symbolic plants such as yams, cordyline, ironwood and tea tree which all have meaning for them. 

This was a very peaceful part of the garden walk.

Time for a rest.

Then back to work.

It was now time to actually go inside the building. There was not much on offer. I think Covid has had an impact because the café was closed, there were few attendants around and no major exhibitions. Steve took a photo of three stones that had a symbolic meaning though I cannot remember what it was.

One room had a number of modern totems that were quite impressive.

And a ceremonial 'something'. 

Back outside, we walked over to an area where there were three huts. They were each built in the distinctive style that represented the Loyalty Islands, the north of Grande Terre and the south of the island. 

Each one had a totem at the entrance.

I went into one, of the huts noticing its construction and the use of natural materials.

Even the path outside was made of shells.

On our way to the exit we passed two women peeling fronds from palm leaves. We smiled and 'bon jour-ed' and they laughed and let us take their photo.

A lovely end to an enjoyable visit.

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Our holiday was coming to a close. Time for one more promenade ...

and one more sunset...

Our favourite photos

I decided to end this travelogue with two photos we chose as ones we particularly liked. 

Steve loved this photo he took that epitomises the luxuriant nature of New Caledonia...

... while this photo sums up the holiday for me!