Nouméa

We're in Nouméa, New Caledonia, escaping Canberra's chilly winter for a week. We were attracted to the destination as it is relatively close to home (about three hours' flying time), and a wee piece of France in the South Pacific. It hasn't gone quite to plan – for example, half our luggage took a two-day detour in reaching us – but it has been a delightful holiday so far. The weather has been, apparently, unseasonably cold and blustery, so we've steered away from activities such as snorkelling and boat trips. There are however plenty of other attractions. We've visited the Aquarium, the Nouméa City Museum, the Museum of New Caledonia, the Tjibaou Cultural Centre, the city markets, the cathedral, and various restaurants and cafes. (Of course!) The photos aren't quite as exciting as we'd hoped, due to inclement weather, but here are a few pics anyway.

Goat's cheese salad with croutons ...

... and crème brulée at a local French eatery!

Boats at Port Moselle 

Les poissons at the Aquarium!

Aaaaaaaaaah

View from Anse Vata beach

Decorated pole at Tjibaou Cultural Centre

Pond in La Place des Cocotiers

Nouméa is easy to get around once you suss the bus network out, and everyone has been friendly and helpful. Oh, and if you happen to come here, don't miss having a meal at L'Assiette de Cagou, which features local food. Delicious. Go there with a hearty appetite though – the serving sizes are huge and much as we wanted to try the desserts, we had no room!