| | Jun 1, 2006 - Ouvea, New Caledonia - The Loyalty Islands - 25 Kms of Deserted Beach | (click to enlarge)
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 | Flying to Ouvea
| | Sunset at Mouli Beach
| | Heading to the main grocery store
| | 9 AM and the locals had already had a few too many!
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 | Morning on Mouli Beach
| | "Hey the sun came out!"
| | Professional Beach Bum
| | Smiling locals
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 | Natural beach chair
| | Mouli cemetery
| | 25 kms of beach...all to us!
| | Billabong Boy
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 | Our beach solitude
| | Walking across the tidal flats
| | Incredible water colours by the bridge
| | Perfect water
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 | Locals on the beach
| | Paradise
| | View from the bridge
| | Eric on the bridge
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 | It can't get much nicer than this!
| | Eric enjoying his hammock
| | Our bungalow at Gite Cocotier
| | Pouring rain outside our bungalow
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 | Our home on Ouvea
| | Views from the bridge
| | Local kids entralled with watching the plane land
| | View of Ouvea from the air
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 | | | View of Grande Terre as we head back to Noumea
| | View of Grande Terre as we head back to Noumea
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| | Ouvea, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia - Twenty-Five Kilometres of Deserted Beach
If we could have invited one person to join us in New Caledonia it would have been Little Orphan Annie, so she could sing optimistically to us, "The sun will come out, tomorrow...." As each cloudy day came to a close, we hoped this slump of bad weather would end with blue skies the following morning. No such luck though as we flew to Ouvea, a small island with less than 5,000 inhabitants mainly Melanesians who are known for resisting change, excessive tourism and French Colonialism. The people prefer their quiet existence and simple lifestyle on this little paradise island.
We were staying at Gite Cocotier - a very basic, traditional Melanesian Case (traditional home). The hut was built in traditional style with a wooden centre post, meeting the sloping ceiling beams, covered with a thatched roof and walls made from weaved coconut fronds. About thirty seconds from our doorstep and we were on a magnificent white sand beach that runs for 25 kilometres facing a translucent blue lagoon. Best of all, the beach was empty with the exception of the odd tourist (we saw about 8 others at the most!) and a few groups of locals playing on the beach and frolicking in the lagoon like they didn't have a care in the world. Luckily, one day the sun peeked out for a short while to show us the spectacle of colours rippling across the lagoon and white sand beach.
Unfortunately though it was overcast most of the time and our third and final day on the island it rained, and rained and rained. The winds howled only to be interrupted occasionally by the loud thud of another falling coconut. Not a good day for beach exploring at all, but a great day to curl up and plough through a good novel. After listening to the sound of falling rain for over twelve hours in a row, we drifted off to sleep to dream of a clear day and a scenic flight back to Noumea and then onwards to the Isle of Pines in the morning.
Waking in the morning we found the dream had come true, the clouds had finally broken, and the sky was filled with a brilliant blue and bright, warm sunshine radiating down. Unfortunately, we had to leave first thing in the morning for the airport, but hoped the nice weather had returned for our time in Isle de Pins where we were camping for four nights. Despite the overcast and raining weather, Ouvea will always be remembered as one of the nicest, most isolated beaches we have ever visited!
TRAVEL TIPS FOR OUVEA
1. Ouvea has very little accommodations available and most places are very basic. There is one resort on the island, which is very expensive. Be prepared to either sacrifice your comfort or your dollars to stroll the empty beaches of this island.
2. The locals speak a local Melanesian language or French. Little to no English is spoken on the island so brush up on your French or pack a French/English dictionary to help you out.
3. Although expensive, you might consider renting a car for a day to travel and see the island. There are not many other options for getting around unless the Gite or place where you are staying can put together an island tour for you.
4. There are no ATMs, currency exchange booths and only one bank with very limited hours of operation. It can be very challenging to get additional money if you do not bring enough with you and credit cards are generally not accepted. Bring enough money to cover what you think you will spend and then some extra as a buffer, just in case you need it.
5. There are virtually no dining options except what the Gites and one resort offer. Don't come to Ouvea looking for extravagant dining but come to enjoy the island as it is and accept whatever your place of accommodations offers in the way of meals.
6. To have a piece of the beach all to yourself, just go for a short walk. Within minutes, you should find a spot without any other tourists or locals in sight. This is definitely, one of the emptiest and nicest beaches I have ever seen.
7. The locals on Ouvea are not fond of the French colonists and prefer their independence. We found they were warmer and friendlier knowing we weren't French and therefore tended to say "Hello" first in English before speaking to them in French - something the French would never do and a subtle way to distinguish ourselves as non-French tourists.
8. Daytrips can be arranged out to the Pleiades Islands, a chain of 21 uninhabited coral islets fringing the outer edges of the lagoon. Unfortunately with the poor weather, we were unable to do this trip but imagine it to be spectacular.
9. If you would like to explore a quiet, unspoiled island with minimal tourist infrastructure Ouvea is for you. Remember to unwind and go with the islands laid back Pacific pace.
10. If you think you like the sounds of Ouvea, there are three other islands that form the Loyalty Island Group in New Caledonia. You might consider visiting the other islands of Lifou, Mare and Tija.
www.carlhenderson.ca
www.imagestoframe.com
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