New Caledonia – Guidebook

Loyalty Islands

Lifou, Mare, and Ouvea - three islands of secret and untouched beauty, three visions of Paradise, so remote and yet so near: the Magic of the Loyalty Islands. The Loyalty islanders have managed to preserve the most powerful traditions of the Territory of New Caledonia, an imaginary environment wrought with myths and legends. When you visit the Loyalty Islands, you will get to know a people and their beliefs, you will discover Kanak life in all its authenticity, and you will enjoy the natural hospitality of the island people who will receive you like a favoured guest.

Climate
Average temperature is a tropical but moderate 23°C reaching a high of 28°C in February and a low of 18°C in August.

Currency & Banking
Central Pacific Franc. Major credit cards are accepted in the hotels and resorts featured on this talpacific Holidays website but you'll need cash for the local shops and activities. Lifou has two banks, Mare has one bank and Ouvea has one bank.
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Customs & Dress
Melanesian society places great importance on modesty and courtesy and visitors are asked to respect this. Please do not wear swim wear outside the beaches.

Health
Each island has its own heath centre and dispensary and chemist (no chemist on Ouvea). Victims of serious illness are evacuated to Noumea which has extensive medical facilities.

History & Culture
Situated 100 kilometers off the coast of the Caledonian mainland, Lifou, Mare, Ouvea and Tiga constitute the Loyalty Islands archipelago, spanning a surface area of 2,200km2. Inhabited by Melanesians more than 3,000 years ago, the Loyalties later became home to Polynesians: immigrants from Tonga, master carpenters, Polynesian seafarers, and Samoan fishermen integrated the tribes because of their know-how. It was not until 1840 that the navigator Dumont d'UrviIIe drew up a map of the Loyalty Islands. Sandalwood was the attraction for the Australian traffickers, and English and American whalers sailed the coasts in the hunt for cetaceans on their annual migration. They too were integrated into local society, which benefited from their technical contributions and their industrial spirit. At the same time, the London Missionary Society and the French Marist Mission settled in the aim of evangelizing the Loyalties. These islands were at times the bloody scene of fierce competition for religious and national influence between protestant pastors and catholic missionaries.

In 1864, the Loyalty Islands were annexed by France. However, unsuited to intensive colonisation, they were constituted as native reservations, a status that established the archipelago's history for evermore. This special status, and the interbreeding that resulted from successive migrations, set the Loyalty islanders apart as "different" Melanesians. Traditional Kanak customary organisation, which goes back to the dawn of time, remains very strong, and continues to govern daily life. Visitors are immersed in a truly authentic way of life which is a total change of scene. Every individual is affiliated to a clan - an extended family - with its totem, its legends, and its chieftain. The clans form tribes, each placed under the authority of a little chief who directs "private" custom. The tribes are grouped into districts, with a big chief at their head. This customary organisation was forged through conquest or diplomacy and its "political" authority is uncontested.

Symbols of social organisation can be found in traditional architecture. The hut door is supported by the Atresi - the central post -which represents the minister in charge of maintaining the rites. For more than a century, the Great Hut of Hnathalo in Lifou has been a history lesson unto itself.

The human and cultural wealth and the hospitality of the inhabitants of the Loyalty Islands are for visitors an inexhaustible source of mutual exchange and learning. The natural sites of Lifou, Mare and Ouvea, of incomparable variety and beauty, are an invitation to experience all kinds of leisure activities: diving, sailing, game fishing, excursions, hiking, mountain biking...

Today the Loyalty Islands offer an ever-growing tourist destination where the quality of the hospitality and services offered to tourists is based on respect for nature and an exceptionally well-preserved quality of life.
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Languages
French is New Caledonia's official language. English is widely spoken. The Kanak peoples of New Caledonia speak 28 different dialects. Each of the Loyalty Islands has its own language.

Location
The Loyalty Islands - Lifou, Mare and Ouvea, lands of legend and tradition, mystical islands of unique beauty. Endowed with fabulous natural wealth, the most sumptuous landscapes that New Caledonia has to offer lie hidden within these islands: long deserted beaches of pristine white sand, enchanting crystal-clear turquoise lagoons, sheer cliffs majestically crowned with colonial pine trees, legendary rocks rising like medieval fortresses, fish and coral fauna found nowhere else in the world, multicolored sea-life unsullied by man…

Visas & Entry
A passport valid for 6 months after departing New Caledonia and a return travel ticket is required. Please check with your local travel agent for any entry or returning visas you may require.
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Noumea & Isle of Pines

Airport
New Caledonia's International and Domestic Airport is known as Tontouta Airport and is located 48 km from Noumea city center.

Business Hours

• Monday to Friday 7.30am-11.30am and again from 1.30pm-6pm - the majority of offices and shops will close for lunch, however Post Offices and banks remain open but close at 3.30pm
• Saturday City center Noumea shops will be open 8am-11am
• Sunday Most cafes, restaurants and shops are closed, however those on Anse Vata Bay are usually open

Climate
New Caledonia is blessed with a pleasant semitropical climate year round. The warm season (generally September to March) averages 25ºC although temperatures rarely become oppressive. The fresh season (June to September) averages around 20ºC with rainfall at its highest in the months December to March.
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Currency & Banking
Local currency is Central Pacific Franc (XPF), these are in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 & 100 Franc coins and 500, 1,000, 5,000 & 10,000 Franc notes. New Zealand and Australian dollars are accepted for exchange by most hotels and banks. Banking hours are generally 7.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. Monday to Friday. Credit cards commonly accepted throughout New Caledonia are Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners and JCB. Bankcard is not accepted.

Customs & Dress
Greeting strangers, waving at other cars on the road and generally being friendly is certainly a local custom. Fiercely independent, the tough, hardy locals enjoy an almost crime free environment and relish in the freedom that this brings.

Departure Tax
International departure tax from Tontouta International Airport is collected and included with airline tickets.
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Drinking Water
Tap water is quite safe to drink.

Electricity
220 voltage, mainly 2 point plugs.

Languages
The local Melanesians have their own dialects in their various villages, however French is the official language in New Caledonia. English is widely used and understood in most tourist facilities and shops, although it is less prominent in the outer islands.
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Location
Just north of the Tropic of Capricorn lies the group of islands known as New Caledonia. The main island of Noumea is the capital of New Caledonia and is situated 3 hours flying time, northwest of Auckland, 18 hours from Los Angeles, 21/2 hours from Sydney & 231/2 hours from Paris and is surrounded by the largest lagoon in the world. The smaller islands which make up the remainder of New Caledonia are Isle de Pines, Loyalty Islands (Lifou, Ouvea & Mare).

Population
Total population is approximately 200,000 made up of the local Melanesian people, Europeans, Tahitians and Wallisians, Indonesians, Vietnamese and other origins.

Shopping
From the latest in designer gear including clothes, perfume and shoes - the shopping choices are great in New Caledonia. The local market is a must for those wanting to catch the action and see the local people. Many French brands are available, and the supermarket stocks a wide variety of European wines and produce.
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Tipping
There is no tipping in New Caledonia.

Vaccinations & Health
No vaccinations required, New Caledonia is free from Malaria.

Visas & Entry
Valid passport with onward/ return ticket and visa is required (passport must be valid for 3 months). No Visa required for stays of up to 3 months for New Zealand Passport holders.
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