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hibis   Islands and Lagoons, Pacific life ///
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Pines Island (Ile des Pins)
French

engraved bamboo

You are landing on a kanak island. If you haven't yet rented a car or reserved any hotel, you are going for a good and healthy walk in the sun.

Nothing is usual there. Think to rent previouly a car. Don't drive quickly, it could be dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists. Life passes at the kanak pace, and most of them walk. So you could wait for the car to come and after wait for the driver to give it back, just as the boat is nearly sailing off..

Click on the right map circle to enlarge the "Ile des Pins" inside it.
The island of the Pines is a detached piece of the main land and not a coral island like are the other islands of New Caledonia. The top of N'gé reach a mere metre 262..

 calendar photo

The "île des ins" is located at approximately 120 km from Nouméa-center. One can reach it by plane or by boat. The boat is the cheaper way and makes it possible to better see bays and small islands, but the plane offers an extraordinary scenery on the bed sea of the lagoon. (green right picture

The boat takes nearly 2 hours and half and it should be known that part of the passengers is always sick on this way. Suitable small pockets are available on board. One can go outside to take some fresh air, but it very is very windy, at 60 km/h or more.

Quay of the island. We are right now in another world/


Emotion .. by plane, sand and coral reefs pass under our eyes. hibis

maillot bain

BARE BREASTS. The Kanaks would bathe themselves quite dressed, so bare breasts are not recommended on public beaches. We forced them to dress and it is like justice ! Altough this occidental fashion seems to be vanishing, it is replaced in these 2010 years by nearly bare buttocks.. another vigilance !

Try to not come with your surf board without having enquired. Things can evolve, but I remind you : you are in a kanak land with its numerous tribes. They won't eat you, but they could be very upset.

The "île des Pins" is famous and universally known. Celebrities come there each year. to admiring both its sandy bays and the vegetation which confer it an undeniable appeal.

Peace is ensured on this small island, property of he kanaks, true miracle of a nature up to date preserved,

Hôtels are scarcely scattered ; of them, a high ranked one. One can find more simple, cheaper and more friendlyl. Or simply stay there only a day.


Arrival scenery : its column-like pines are single. They can top at 50 meters. hibis

In a few areas, boats or dugouts of ancestors have been reintroduced to fulfil the needs of tourists. Calendar 2005 picture.

Naval arcjitecture partially inspired from the polynesian style which was known in the past.



Kanumera bay. In front of you, a "corbeille" sort of "coral basket ". All around, a diving would reveal - one says - a setting full of fish.

The sand of the "île des Pins" is very very fine, almost too much because it rises very quickly in water simply while steping into.

Two gorgeous bays stretch along each side of the Kuto headland, whose names are Kuto and Kanuméra beach. 


Bay of Kuto   hibis
The ground of this page is a close up of the Kuto bay.sand (less white).


One can verify there the the thinness  of the sand wich these little boys sprinkle themselves with. They roll sometimes totally into it (this one, to the left).
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Image NC tourisme

Kanaks adore to be coated with sand and you will see the children smearing themselves with after having been in water; they roll sometimes straightforwardly inside.

As a matter of fact, Kanaks keep their clothes bathing and do not have any bath suit (for what ? one dries quickly).

 
  Do come here, in the water. hibiscustour
  Kuto beach seen from the sea.
Gorgeous settings with large shadded under trees spaces. Même à Nouméa. L'appropriation sans limite de la nature a fait ses ravages un peu partout.

On the way, a very typical small Anglican church in its simplicity, framed by a superb setting of hill and pines tree. hibis

near to the plate, along the red ground road, watch carefully the slopes ; you will see small wild orchids. hibis

If you go and visit the island, you will be possibly passing through from meagre coverage areas to tropical luxuriant others. hibis

 

 

Oro beach ; one of the most beautiful spots of the island; the red circle delimits the following sight, on the right hand.

Detail of the left hand sight : cross the bridge to reach an islet where is established a very good hotel. Apart from the bridge, the landscape is completely natural and has been preserved.  hibis

 

There are also 400 tumulus  de 2,50 to 3 metres high and  m 90 od diametre (stone or ground accumulation whose neither origin nor the meaning are really known).

The cave of the Hortense Queen.

 

Here we are (but it was a tenth of years ago..) : in the red circle, tiny tourists - ourselves - refer to the scale of the giant tree ferns, on the left and until the top !

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"bye bye", we would like to !

Ouvea - Ile des Pins - Ouvéa