Return to Noumea, New Caledonia
Another summer in Telluride is over for us. Filled with the usual whirl of family and friends visiting as well as the social and outdoor activities of life in our mountains, it was wonderful and made extra special by Granddaughter Berlin who again spent the month of July with us.
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Here she is helping to put together a sushi dinner – everyone’s favorite in this family!
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Returning home is always a busy time, and for The Captain, it was made even more pressing with the necessary search for replacement parts for the boat. Top on his list is the repair of the hydraulic actuator for our autopilot which we have brought back from New Caledonia. This literally took hours, nay days, of internet search, phone calls and emails. There has been a lot of consolidation in the marine electronics industry in recent years, and the manufacturer of our autopilot was acquired by another company. Though the brand is still available, the knowledgable product support network no longer exists, and, of course, our particular autopilot model has been replaced with an upgraded system and is, therefore, no longer available. While the actuator for the new model will work with our older system, it would require modifications to install on the boat when we return to New Caledonia. The Captain would rather not risk this. He would prefer to get our older version overhauled, but in order to do this, he needs the technical information for the actuator. Finally, he uncovers the name of the company that actually made the hydraulic actuator as a subcontractor for the autopilot company. It’s an English company, and he is fortunate to get a very helpful rep on the line who confirms that his company is no longer making our actuator. He will, however, be able to provide the information that we need. Just give him a little time. 24 hours later, he emails The Captain that a search into the back corners of his warehouse yielded up 2 brand new actuators still on the shelf that are exactly like the one we currently have. Would we like to buy one? “One?” says The First Mate. “No, we’ll buy both!” Two brand-new actuators are shipped to us from England. We are in Actuator Heaven as far as our autopilot is concerned, and no one would argue the working necessity of an autopilot on a blue water cruiser.
Saturday, September 22nd – The worst part about flying to New Caledonia is that there are no direct flights from the USA. One flies to either New Zealand or Australia (flying past New Caledonia on the way) and then after waiting several tiresome hours for the one flight of the day to New Caledonia, one gets to fly back to New Caledonia. It makes for a long day. We finally land at the Nouméa International Airport. That is, we land, but 1 piece of our luggage was held up in Auckland for “security reasons.” As usual we are returning with a lot of stuff for the boat in addition to our 2 prized actuators. We checked four bags, each weighing in at just under 50 pounds, ever thankful that The Captain has well over 1 million miles on one of Air New Zealand’s partners, so there is no extra charge. As we were about to board our flight in Auckland, Air New Zealand notified us that there was a problem with one of our bags. Additional inspection is required. We were surprised and amazed. Our luggage had already twice passed through USA’s TSA checks in Phoenix and LAX, but something bothered the security guys in Auckland. We were told to stand by. Do not board the plane. They then informed us that the inspectors were not going to be able to complete their check by the time our flight departs. “What do we want to do?” they asked. Do we stay with the bag in question or do we continue on with our bags already on the plane? We go with our flight and the rest of our luggage with assurances from Air New Zealand that they will send the bag on the next available flight, and it will be delivered to us at the marina. Just contact the Air New Zealand agent when you land. Sure, we thought, but, hey, we are willing to hope! We think of our valuable actuators, probably the last 2 of their kind, and are thankful that one is already on the plane. The other is in the bag in question. Will we ever see it?
Usually, our bags are among the last to come off any airplane at any airport, even when they have the airline’s priority stickers all over them. It never fails, but not this time. Three of our four bags are among the first to show up on the carousel, but this quick delivery does us no good, for we are forced to wait until the very end to make sure that our fourth bag is not among those straggling along at the rear. It is not. There is a baggage desk nearby, but as expected in these little airports, it is not manned. Having no other choice, we continue through customs to search for an Air New Zealand representative in the main terminal. We soon discover that since Air New Zealand only has a few flights a week into Nouméa, they do not have a ticket counter or service desk here. So much for the agent we were told to contact. It takes The Captain a while to find someone who works with lost baggage and then to fill out the necessary paperwork. While The Captain is searching, The First Mate is stationed with the rest of our stuff by the door to the airport keeping an eye out for our driver who had confirmed by email that he would be waiting for us. He is not, was not and never did show up. Luckily, we are able to obtain a ride to the marina with another driver whose fares (golfers coming in for a tournament) had failed to show up on their flight. Our record is consistent, we are 0 for 2 on transportation to and from the Nouméa airport
A bright young gal, Chloe, runs the office of the yacht service company which has been keeping an eye on Avante while we were gone. The Captain heads to her office to get help. She has had to deal with lost baggage here before. By Tuesday afternoon, she has our missing bag. All intact except for a bottle of non-flammable boat polish that had been removed. The bag flew out by a slightly circuitous route: Auckland, New Zealand to Sydney, Australia and finally to Nouméa, New Caledonia — but it did get here!
Monday, September 24th – Today is New Caledonia Day. We try to find out what New Caledonia day is all about but receive little concrete information. The French residents we talk to are totally uninterested. It’s a Kanak thing. Kanaks are the original inhabitants of these islands. A park across from the marina is filled with Kanaks busily building thatched-roof huts. Cases (Căs), they are called. The First Mate walks through this park every chance she gets to see the work in
progress. She learns that each Case is being built by a different
village, and though nobody is keen to talk to her, she can see that each
village is proud of their particular Case.
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A wooden framework is first constructed. While the Cases are fabricated from traditional materials, it is clearly all right to make use of modern materials during the construction process. The temporary scaffolding is quickly constructed from old oil drums and planks.
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Palm fronds are woven onto the framework, and then bundles of thatch are thrown up to the waiting men to be tied in place.
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Poles are woven into and tied horizontally across the thatch to give the men something to stand on as the thatching progresses higher up the slope of the roof.
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Like the star on top of a Christmas tree, each village raises a carved totem on the top of their pointed Case.
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Everybody stops to watch the process, and there is both clapping and relief when it is finally braced vertically. A crowning touch for this Case is the flying of the Kanak flag. The official flag of New Caledonia is the French flag, but the Kanaks have their own and are lobbying for it to be proclaimed the official flag of New Caledonia. The First Mate cannot blame them.
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Each Case is slightly different. Carvings are done on the posts of some.
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Here a man is working on a pole that will stand at the entrance into his village’s Case.
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When The First Mate admires his work, he points her to the case where one of his finished poles is already placed.
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Building the Case appears to be men’s work, but when it is finished, the women who have been patiently waiting and cheering the men on, rush inside to take over. Raising their melodious voices, they bless their village’s case with their singing.
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It takes about 4 days to build one of these Cases. What is The First Mate doing walking through that park so often? She’s off to the laundry, the boulangerie for fresh baguettes, the post office, the local fish and produce market and the big grocery store. The part of Nouméa where the marina is located is called Centre Ville. It is an interesting area to walk around, but to her dismay, she finds herself a bit on edge. This is mainly because she does not find the people particularly friendly. It matters not whether the person is a French resident or a local Kanak. Few smile in return to her smile. Few respond to her “Bonjour!” This is so unlike any of the other Pacific islands that we have visited. “Bonjour”, we heard in greeting all across French Polynesia. “Malo e lei” or just simply “Malo” in Tonga. That wonderful “Bula” was the official greeting in Fiji. Nothing is offered up here. It’s not that the people on the streets are unfriendly. If one does engage someone in conversation, they are cordial enough. The First Mate feels the atmosphere is one of “keep your distance”. From her reading, she learns that there is a much “controlled” tension between the French and the Kanaks. There has been considerable violence and bloodshed done by both sides in the past. The Kanaks want their country back, of course, and the French have no intention, of course, of doing so. There’s a truce of sorts held in place by French money and French warships. Here in the capital of New Caledonia, the two sides appear to ignore each other as much as possible, and perhaps over the years, that is what has turned the man on the street so inward. Whatever it is, The First Mate is really not that comfortable walking the streets by herself.
The
First Mate purposely makes a decision to not be bothered by the somewhat
sullen atmosphere of Nouméa. She is going to explore, and her favorite
exploratory quest is the available food of the area. She finds herself
in 7th Heaven. Items she has not seen in ages are on the shelves. She
pulls out some almost forgotten recipes to enjoy while items she has
never seen before await for her experimentation.
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The daily fish and produce markets are open from before dawn until 11:00 in the morning. The produce market is a feast of color and freshness. No wilted greens here. Everything is crisp and firm.
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A Cérimoya looks something like a hand grenade with purple/black ridges. It’s a fruit with a gelatinous pulp. She thinks she sampled these on the way to the Marguesas, but they did not appeal to her then. The woman at the market tells her to chill it, cut it in half, remove the pit and scoop out the fruit with a spoon. Served after a fresh salad lunch, drizzled with a little honey, they are refreshing.
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The avocados that were sold back in Vanuatu were heavenly. Bright green globes as big as a softball that were ready to eat while still quite firm. The women at the market there told her that they spread the avocado on bread for breakfast. Rich and creamy, these were the best avocados she had ever tasted! She is delighted to see them in the Nouméa market. Expensive, yes, about $8.00 each, but that’s the price of heaven. We indulge.
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The fish market is a huge hexagon shaped building. Round and round it she walks. How to absorb it all? So many varieties.
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There are plenty of plain ole fish, but there’s also octopus, shrimp, mussels, clams, crabs and langoustines, all kinds, colors and shapes. The prices astound her, for they are as high and higher than those in the States.
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Huge lobsters!
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Look at these marvelous crabs!
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Her first foray into the market: she decides to buy a whole fish to bake. There is a plethora of whole fish basking out there on fresh ice. She talks to the fishmonger who chooses a red fish that kind of looks like a snapper. She is assured (fingers to pierced lips) that it is delicious baked. Baste it with butter and garlic. That evening, she stuffs it with sliced onions and parsley.
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She coats it with oil, then garlic butter and puts it in her oven. A few minutes later, she checks her fish. It is no longer laying there placidly in the baking dish. Its tail is beginning to curl up! She decides that she better score the skin, and in the process, notes that its skin is like that of a neoprene wetsuit. It doesn’t cut without a good deal of effort. That she does, bastes it with garlic butter and places it back in the oven. 5 minutes later, she checks again. The fish is curled into a grotesque shape. Like a rubbery tendon, in the heat of the oven, the skin shrank, split and curled back upon itself pulling fish flesh with it. The exposed flesh is dry despite the oil and garlic butter administered. The thicker parts nearer the back bone are just barely done. Reminding herself that beauty isn’t everything and with the rest of dinner ready for the table, she declares it done, cuts off chunks and serves the meal. Beauty may not be everything, but taste sure is. This fish was tough, mealy and, garlic butter withstanding, it had no flavor. Not every meal is a success.
Her next foray into the fish market is much more successful. She buys sushi grade tuna for lunch, and to her delight, she finds a seller offering flounders. Sole! One of her favorite fish. We have raw tuna and a salad of tomato and avocado for lunch. Dinner is sole sautéed in butter. She returns to the market the next day, but there is no flounder. They do not have flounder every day, but this seller, a little French gal, quickly learns that she has a market in The First Mate and tells her on which days she can expect the flounder. In the meantime, tuna and Mahi-mahi will have to suffice.
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The Casino Grocery Store, about a 10-minute walk from the marina, is big, clean and well-stocked. Though they do not offer as plentiful a fresh produce selection as the farmers’ market, The First Mate does find a few things there that she had not spied in the market.
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Mâche is just an example. We love the tender green leaves in a salad. In her constant search for the best way to preserve her fresh produce, she discovered that washing her greens, setting them out to dry a little on tea towels and then wrapping them up loosely in dry tea towels before placing them carefully in the refrigerator works wonders. Her greens will keep for more than 2 weeks! She does the same for her herbs. Basal, parsley, thyme, lemon grass, etc. all benefit from this system. She is delighted!
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The Casino also offers a small fish market, a poissonnerie.
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Here she spies something called Bigorneaux. They look like small snails without their shells. She asks the seller if these are escargots. No, she is told, they are bigorneaux, and the sign is pointed out to her. She can read, but she cannot translate what these things are.
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When questioned about how to cook them, she is told to sauté them in butter and garlic. That is what she does with escargots. She decides to give these strange looking creatures a try and buys 1/2 kilo (about 1 pound). Back on Avante and on the internet, she finds several recipes for bigorneaux, mostly in French. An English title catches her eye. She learns that in England these things are called periwinkles. Okay, she has bought periwinkles which are described as quite good, but chewy.
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Not willing to risk all her dinner on these bigorneaux, she decides to add in Mahi-mahi. The periwinkles, cooked gently in butter and sliced garlic, will be served as a side dish. If nothing else, a crusty baguette will greedily sop up the garlic butter. A wonderful salad and a bottle of wine rounds out the dinner. The little critters, the bigorneaux, were as predicted: a little chewy, but good, just not excellent. The remainder are chopped up the next day and served in a cream sauce with pasta. Much better!
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Thursday, September 27th – All new parts have been installed. The new actuator slipped into place perfectly. It works, though we cannot completely check the autopilot system until we are out on the water. Before we leave the marina, The First Mate would like to see more of the city than the few blocks she has explored on her own. Nouméa, like Rome, is built on 7 hills. Let’s find one with a good view of the harbor.
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We take off in the morning first visiting the New Caledonia Museum. It is surprisingly well-done with artifacts from New Caledonia and from across the Pacific. We are fascinated by the carved statues similar in function to the totems of the American Indians. Each one tells a story about a person or the tribe.
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We trek over one hill and down to the marina on the other side of the harbor from the one we are in. We are amazed at the number of Mercedes and Porsches that we see on the roads. Obviously, there are a few French people who have done quite well out here.
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Looking across the harbor from on high, we are amazed at the number of masts we see in the marinas. There are three marinas here that are full of local boats. Visiting cruisers only have access to a single visitors wharf in one of the marinas. These boats do not belong to the native Kanaks. Clearly, the French residents have a nice lifestyle in Nouméa.
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Turning in another direction we have a good look across Centre Ville, the older part of Nouméa. The Cathedral rises prominently in the center of the city.
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Looking down into Centre Ville, it is easy to spot the park where the Kanaks have been so busily building their Cases.
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Turning around to view the harbor entrance, 2 small white sails are seen in the distance. Tomorrow, we, too, will be sailing out there to begin our exploration of New Caledonia.
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We have 3 weeks ahead of us to cruise New Caledonia. That may sound like a lot of time, but it truthfully is not enough to take in all of New Caledonia. We must choose. Our choice is between heading to the Loyalty Islands and the eastern coast of Grand Terre or staying within the very large lagoon we entered on our way into Nouméa and explore the many islands and anchorages here. We cannot do both. We decide to cruise the lagoon. It is large with islands enough to keep us happy.