Isle of Pines, New Calidonia

 



Located in southern Melanesia, Iles des Pins (Isle of Pines) is a small, sparsely populated island often referred to as “Jewel of the Pacific”…but then if you pick-up brochures & read advertisements from other South Pacific islands, don’t they all make the same claims?? Many passengers had been here before, and they too told us to expect the unexpected. I will share with you, this was an absolute paradise found…with beaches like powdered sugar, clear turquoise lagoons, & a lush landscape of rainforests unlike anything we’ve ever seen. The island is only 11 miles by 8.5 miles in size. It is named for the unique pines up to 200 feet tall covering the interior of the island. It’s also very rugged, rising to an elevation of 870 feet but surrounded by the New Caledonia Barrier Reef. It is a very beautiful island where the local inhabitants live as they have for many years. The Kanak are the country's indigenous people and number about 2,000. They speak an unwritten language and are divided into eight different tribes. They are officially known as Melanesians. The Caldoche are the whites that have lived in New Caledonia for several generations. They usually refer to themselves simply as "Caledonians" and may be either white (mostly French or German) or white with a mixture of Asian, Melanesian or Polynesian ancestry. The Metros or Metropolitans are the newcomers who have emigrated from metropolitan France. 

The ship anchored off the island and ‘tendered’ passengers to the Bay of Kuto, near the village of Vao. Local villagers came to the waterfront to greet us with their bodies painted & performed traditional dances. The constant drum beat and chanting went on for hours.

Kuto Bay is a perfect horseshoe-shaped bay and is, in fact, one of the most beautiful bays in the world. Its turquoise water is absolutely ideal for swimming or just lounging around in the sand. We walked well over a mile along the shoreline and found a perfect spot to setup ‘camp’ for the morning. The water temp was brisk, but completely crystal clear. We spent a good two hours in the surf with occasional rest periods on the beach. Before returning to the ‘tender’, we spent some time on the islands most famous landmark…"the Kunie Rock" - amazing swimming & snorkeling to be had around the rocks vicinity with dozens of beautiful tropical fish.

We’ll let the pictures tell the rest of the story. A truly amazing, magnificent day!

Next stop…Fiji – arriving Friday morning. 

No 'wedding vow renewal' date yet.