Overnight our ship sailed from Lifou to Noumea. We are berthed opposite the dock where coal is being unloaded. The coal probably came from Newcastle! The power station is nearby.
The view from the portside of the ship was better, even with hundreds of containers on the dock.
We went ashore and were taken into town by a shuttle bus. It was warm and humid, so we kept under the shade of shop awnings. Most buildings look tired, probably due to the high annual rainfall and proximity to the ocean. A couple of interesting old buildings were boarded up. All buildings have steps or ramps to the ground floor to avoid flash flooding. Some of the drains were smelly.
We noticed a significant police presence around the town. A police van with several officers was stopped under shade in the main park. A meeting or demonstration in support of independence was taking place near the port, with many participants carrying the Kanak independence flag. Both the French Tricolour and the Kanak flags can be flown, but we only saw the Tricolour on official buildings.
The last referendum on the issue of independence was boycotted by the Kanak community because so many were in mourning following a large number of Covid deaths. Consequently, the outcome of the referendum was an overwhelming rejection of independence.
We were back on board in time to have lunch. As we were getting coffees, Beccy took a seat nearby to have her lunch. We sat with her and talked dogs. After a visit to the pool, we were going to listen to a singer playing in the Centrum, but the bass noise was unbearable.
Beccy’s first concert tonight was terrific! Some Roadies were going to see it again. The top entertainers perform two concerts on their allocated night – the first at 6 pm and the second at 9 pm, with a 90 minute break between shows. Bec had lots of energy, was funny, and the Hussy Hicks and rest of the band were great.
Committed Travellers 