Home Sweet Home! Parting is such sweet sorrow from New Caledonia!

Hi my friends!

My two weeks in New Caledonia was over in a flash. How amazing travelling the length and breadth of this beautiful land and meeting lovely people. It certainly is a French-speaking country, with virtually no-one speaking English. But we got by. Not saying my French improved overly, as it takes two weeks to get into the groove, but it was certainly lovely to hear that beautiful, musical language reverberating all around me.

Here are some photos from my trip for those of you who didn't follow my travels on good ole FB.

Kanaks welcome the cruise ships with traditional dance and song. I love this as it's pretty much the same as on the tourism website except I own it!

The Grand South, as they call it, was an eye-opener with nickel mines, beautiful bays and old penal colonies. We explored the region with a Kanak guide, Yami, who spoke 7 languages, I repeat 7!! and went to university in Australia. 

In Noumea, my daily focus was always to make sure I ate one of these from Chocolats Morand...

...or one of these Mille Feuilles from La Ville France patisserie. With all that walking I hardly put on an ounce, so was totally guilt free!

Loved catching this group of Kanak students taking their Macca's lunch with the American War Memorial behind them on July Fourth!

It's always about the people you meet. Our stay on the glorious I'le des Pins was the best because of this lovely group from France. We might look a bit scruffy  as we all stayed at a Kanak village together. In case you think it's pretty flash for native village, this is at Le Meridien at the top of the island where we thought a coffee was in order before we jumped back onto the boat.

The Natural Pools on the I'le des Pins, where we snorkled and swam and walked. Gorgeous. Can't capture the absolute jewel-blue of the water or the whiteness of the sand.

This is the top of the island, Haute Tamoa, New Caledonia. So pristine. 

So there you have a few snaps to give you some idea of New Caledonia. A beautiful place to visit as long as you have some French. Most of the touristic places have been returned to the Kanaks (the traditional owners of the land) and you communicate in French or not at all. They're only just introducing English into the school curriculum for the younger years. Currently only taught in secondary school.

So au revoir to this beautiful country.

• How about you? Been travelling lately? Tell us about it. 
• Is there somewhere you'd like to travel to, or are your travels vicarious or created in the worlds you write about?

Lexa Cain's Summer Blog Hop - What's Your Favourite Summer Vacation Spot?

Welcome to Lexa Cain's 

Lexa gave us the following guidelines:

Is your favorite vacation spot 
a sunny beach, a bright city, 
or a secluded cabin? 

A romantic getaway

or a place you loved as a child?  

We want to see it 
and know why it's your favorite!

If you want, you can join this fun Summer Vacation Hop!

1) Sign up on the Linky list.

2) On Saturday May 30, put up a post "My Favorite Vacation Spot" and tell everyone about it!

3) Link to the 6 Blog Hop Co-hosts: 
Lexa Cain: http://lexacain.blogspot.com/
Melanie Karsak: http://www.melaniekarsak.com/
T.F. Walsh: http://www.tfwalsh.com/blog/
Vanessa Morgan: http://vanessa-morgan.blogspot.com/
Jolie Du Pre: http://www.preciousmonsters.com/
Stuart R. West: http://stuartrwest.blogspot.com/

4) On May 30-31, visit the other blogs and see where their favorite getaways are!

Special Giveaways! 
Summer Reads that Thrill & Chill

There will be a giveaway featuring 

6 exciting novels on the Co-hosts blogs!

HERE IS MY ENTRY - NEW CALEDONIA

My favourite holiday (vacation) spot is whatever destination is next on my travel list. So, on June 25th, Geo and I are flying to New Caledonia (Nouvelle Caledonie), yet another little pearl in the Pacific. It doesn't get much of a write up in travel magazines, so I'm planning to get some travel articles published when I return.

So as you can see, from where I live in Queensland, Noumea, the capital of New Caledonia, is only a 2-hour flight direct from Brisbane. We've wanted to visit this island for ages. It's still 'ruled' by the French colonists and French is the official language. A positive bien sur. 

My initial research has shown that there is a lot to do in the two weeks we have allocated. Noumea itself has tour ships arriving quite often, so there is a lively market in local trinkets and artisian chocolate and the very popular Noumea Market where everybody buys their fruit, veges and snacks. 

(This will be my first stop. Just like in Paris, a delicious treat each day. You can also do a chocolate-making course. Yummo!) 

Our hotel (Le Hotel Paris, of course) is close to the waterfront where we can jump on boats and explore islands like the Isle of Pines which is supposed to be world class. Not that there's really anything there but the scenery. Sounds like my kind of place. (Maybe I could move there and write and sell coffee to the tourists!)

For those of you who are interested:

Top 10 Things to do in New Caledonia

1. Ile des Pins
Dig your toes into some of the finest, whitest, softest sand on the planet. Known affectionately as “The Closest Island to Paradise”, the water is transparent and perfect for swimming, snorkelling and diving while history buffs will enjoy visiting the ruins of the penal colony that once stood on the island. Enjoy the cool shade of the pine trees as you plan a way to stay here forever.  

2. Nouméa Markets
Get your haggling hat on and head out in search of the best deals for local produce, meat, fish and souvenirs. Epitomising the market culture with artefacts, jewellery and unique art pieces on offer, the Nouméa markets, located beside the Port Moselle marina, run every morning with their busiest days being Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Go for an early morning stroll and pick up something for an afternoon picnic.

3. Amedee Lighthouse Island

One of the tallest lighthouses in the world is located on one of the most beautiful stretches of reef in the world! Today there are day trips to Amedee Island where guests can visit the lighthouse, take a trip in a glass-bottom boat to witness the magical underwater sea life or go snorkelling with turtles. This is considered a “must visit” during your stay in Nouméa.

4. Chomp on chocolate
Who doesn’t like chocolate? Get your tasty fill as you learn about the chocolate-making process in Nouméa at Chocolats Morand. Try them all to determine your favourite and come home bearing gifts – if they make it back uneaten, that is!

5. Swim, dive or snorkel in the Lagoon
Snorkel and swim through the crystal clear waters of the South Lagoon, surrounded by New Caledonia’s claim to fame: the 2nd longest double-barrier coral reef in the world (second only to the one in Belize, Central America). A picture is worth a thousand words, so go swim for yourself!

6. Nosh on nem
Save a few bucks and dig into the local street food! Located in shops known simply as “snacks”, you can find anything here, from fancy French food to strongly Asian-influenced menu dishes. An inexpensive and tasty favorite is nem, similar to a fried spring roll stuffed with goodies.

7. Hide out in nature
Grotte de la Reine Hortense is said to be the cave where Queen Hortense, wife of a local chief, hid in 1855 to escape inter-tribal conflict on the island. It is now one of the most visited and best maintained caves, where visitors can learn about the history and shine a light in the dark depths of the interior.

8. Be a pearl
Considered to be Tahiti’s specialty, New Caledonia offers visitors the opportunity to learn about the unique styles and colours of pearls and even purchase some as souvenirs to take home. Even if you walk in completely clueless about pearls, chances are you’ll be blown away with what you discover in a short visit to Maison de la Perle in Nouméa.

9. Fly high
Whether it’s from a whirling helicopter or a floating kite, why not see New Caledonia from a new perspective? Try kite-surfing lessons on Anse Vata beach or book a tour with Helitourisme for a birds-eye view of paradise.

10. Peer into the past at a local museum
Immerse yourself in history as you step out of the tropical sun and into the cool Tjibaou Cultural Centre, featuring displays of Kanak painting, sculpture and artefacts, as well as live dance performances twice weekly. Also open to visitors and well worth a couple hours is the New Caledonia Museum which provides a thorough introduction to Kanak and regional Pacific Islander culture.

So there's plenty to do in New Caledonia. Thank you for coming by and reading my entry. Please click on this link to visit more participants.

My 'From the Couch' series continues next week. Tune in Wednesday for my next recliner...

And this is a link for a Mills & Boon and WD Smith romance writing contest which closes mid July.

FRANCE IN THE PACIFIC, go figure...

Well I am really missing Paris but that 20 hour plane trip is hideous, so where does an Aussie go when she needs to practise her waning French, munch baquettes with egg-shell crusts, spread slices with runny cheese, and pop a grape into her mouth while reaching for a chilled glass of bubbly? And only a 2-hour flight away? New Caledonia of course. Haven't visited before, but Lonely Planet assures me the hype is correct and Noumea is bursting with French-style food albeit at Parisien prices (as lots of it is shipped from the mother country), daily fresh food markets and little boutiques and French names for streets (or should I say Rues?) Gastronomic anticipation aside, I was delighted to read that New Cal (or NC) has a thriving writers' community of successful authors. Hope I get to meet some. It'll be inspirational to chat in Franglaise to kanaks and expats. November, roll on...

I'm even booking my accommodation in the Quartier Latin! Beat that!