Noumea

December 21st
Day 3
Noumea, New Caledonia
Cruise stats:
Swell: Calm
Weather: Early fog, clearing to bright and sunny, 30C
XPF spent: ₣3060 (as well as another AUS$33)

For a place I've heard a number of people describe as 'more French than France', Noumea is not what I expected. I anticipated a city that was one part Paris, one part Tortuga – what I got was more of a mix of Denpasar and Melbourne. We got off the boat early and did a self-guided walking tour, which is essentially the one in the guidebook with some differences where we either got lost or couldn't be bothered climbing the hill.

Noumea appears to be a city which is changing, but hasn't got there yet. There is a lot of construction going on, but little is new apart from a handful of soulless apartment blocks. It is also a city of a wealth disparity I couldn't quite get my head around, with expensive jewellers next to hole-in-the-wall cafes, and brand-new BMWs parked out the front of dilapidated buildings. The tourist train looked uncomfortable and only vaguely interesting, and we also failed to find lunch. We only stayed until midday, when the cloud burned off and the heat became unbearable. The view from the balcony was good – Noumea is a city which looks better from a distance.

This evening was the first that I was well enough for anything in the evening, so we went to Pirates of the Pacific in the theatre. Cheesy, but funny.