New Caledonia

Our passage from Vanuatu to New Caledonia was one of our best ever, with glorious sailing the entire route. New Cal itself looked different than we expected: the tall columnar pines made famous by the "Isle of Pines" (which we did not visit) are actually found throughout the islands, and red earth predominates on and around Grande Terre, the huge main island. It possesses a strikingly different kind of beauty, more reminiscent of Mexico's Sea of Cortez than the South Pacific.

A cluster of tall pines on the island of Mare'

Red earth on Grande Terre

There's not much to share about New Cal since we were there for such a short time and had little opportunity to explore. Like French Polynesia, New Caledonia is administered by France, and we did appreciate some croissants and a lovely market. Most enjoyable was the Museum of New Caledonia, with its marvelous displays of Kanak culture--particularly wood carvings and their unique style of huts.

Which is scariest?

Beautiful carvings and symbolism

Having quoted Paul Simon in the last post, it's appropriate to do so again, starting with

"I get all the news I need on the weather report".

We joined the other cruisers at Port Moselle Marina's wifi area, obsessing about passage weather: when to make the leap to Australia/New Zealand. We're headed to New Zealand, our home away from home, then on the United States, home for the holidays.

As Paul sang, "Homeward Bound..."