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ON THE GROUND


One can walk naked feet everywhere if one wants : there are no snakes nor of scorpions !

There is a scolopendre well, but where he lives, you will walk with shoes (forest, bush). On the lawn at the edge of water, be quiet, but as everywhere (including in Metropolis) avoid stagnant water in the shade

- Unfortunately there arecockroaches ! but they generally are "treated" in Noumea, as well in private houses. Therefore, they are still there and when the pulverization car runs, they sometimes be fleeing inside as we could see on the inside wall of our hotel !

- Unfortunately, there are ants "electric ant" or " "honey ant" for its color, in New Caledonia and "small ant of fire" in Tahiti/Polynesia (Wasmannia auropunctata), whose bites are painful ; it is said as "awkward" and it's progression is watched.

It bites like all the ants but spade (dart) to inject its venom. This ant exists for a long time but it seems to have proliferated a little everywhere, in the gardens where it falls from the branches one passes very close to or shakes, in "the bush" (New Caledonia). The culture of the coffee-trees would have been given up by the kanaks partly because of this small plague. Let us quote also the ant of Argentina (Linepithema humile), present in New Caledonia but not yet in Polynesia, very devastator. With the precise details of Eric, Tahiti 2007.

IN THE GREAT SOUTH


 : the south of Nouméa consists of vivid yellow-red iron chromium, in the shape of small grains extremely rolling and cutting. Car Hirers prohibit to leave the roads tarred because of the indelible colour which is likely to mark the cars (*); but beware of the dog !! not for its jaws, but for the colour it could have after!! Think at your clothing, and prudence in the turns, even in the four wheel drive car because some of them "drew" straight " forward in a turn ! You are on rollers !!

 (*) that's horrible ?? I saw this warning when renting the car : "don't scratch your car with a scouring pad" !! (I don't tell the name which was some "scot...). Yes, some people try to cope with the colour of the car in this way..

ON THE OPEN AIR


- Unfortunately there are mosquitos, but they generally are "treated" in Noumea, as well in touristic areas.  However, in the nature, they could be terrible;

Experienced : We never were inconvenienced, even at the sunset, at Noumea, Papeete, Bora. We perhaps had chance. If you travel by night in the "bush", or in less touristic islands, take precautions (I remember a breakdown the night in a pass who left us a burning memory, fortunately without incidence for health).

SINCE THEN, it was worsening with the last Tiger mosquitos and two others wide spreading deseases. There deads and massive local actions.

The special and expensive cream recommended and bought in Tahiti was never useful, neither in Bora-Bora, in Tetiaroa, nor during our stay in Nouméa or in the surroundings (Great South and Island of the Pines).

Polynesia: We have seen a Polynesian covered with ugly and deep wounds on the legs, sort of furuncles ; information obtained, they are infected punctures of mosquitos - and not the corals as I believed - because they scraped thelselves to the bone and Polinesians do not cure themselves too much. Scars and spots on the skin are frequent.

- There are also bees and wasps but no accidents have been reported to my knowledge as in metropolis, where the danger is much more significant than for the snakes, about which one speaks much more.
- Flies and bees (Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora); introduced by accident from the USA, the "pissing flies " (Cicadelles or Homalodisca coagulated), who had made their appearance in Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora, installed in the trees of which they pumped the sap until they "pisss" a sticky liquid, are not any more to be feared after the  introduction of Californian micro wasps particularly fond of them. (Marianne, May 2004 and Le Figaro 06 2005). With the precise details of Eric, Tahiti 2007.

IN THE SUN.
Islets ("îlots", or "motu" in Polynesia).
Small islets.In New Caledionia, they generally have a superb vegetation but rather short and they won't offer any shelter from the sun. Don't forget at least your caps and either your sun tan cream ; keep coating thick every three hours at the beginning. Amid the sea, the sun is reflected from everywhere, even in the shade. A towel could be appreciated to covers back and arms. If you want being enjoying your stay there, don't care of others people. You would avoid staying at home suffering

SECURITY : Do not wander around anywhere in the evening, especially in the big cities (Tahiti, Nouméa) because of unemployment, alcohol, sometimes hazardous control of certain conductors, especially on weekend. Avoid the isolated places (Tahiti). Alcohol, but hard drugs too are often at the origin of the problems. In Tahiti, the rape is perhaps not considered by Tahitiens as we consider it ourselves !! ; in Caledonia, the natives also have a similar some problem when they are drunk.

Illness : dengue (mosquitoes), nono (sand flies), ciguatera or gratte, in french (fishes).

Practically no really frightening disease in PAPEETE, Nouméa, nor elsewhere. In Nouméa, the mosquitoes are treated by vaporisation in the streets.

The hot and wet season is more favourable to these small animals, which are are particularly annoying just after nightfall.

In the "bush" and in some islands or "motu", it is better to protect oneself against mosquitoes with a repellent and a mosquito coil. There are also "nono", but only in two Marquesas islands and in a few Tuamotu islands (could be terrible).

 The news : New Caledonia, July 2001: the media announced that a significant number of people have contacted the "dengue" (see "WORDS at "dengue"), of which some seriously. Is it an evolution ? this illness is told an emergent one (spreading slowly). But don't worry too much in touristic area.
The last epidemics made some deaths, in Polynesia as in New Caledonia (for this last case, the dengue made several deaths in April 2003, especially in the north of the territory, but tourists are not concerned in theory ; click above on "Dengue"

The frightening "gratte" (=ciguatera)>, is very rare : prohibited fish species of fishing, hygiene and freezing have reduced the risk. One treats it with antibiotics I believe. The disease comes from certain algae which cover the died corals, after having passed by fish, either directly, or by their predatory.


If any sudden fever, itching, sensitivity to water occurs, consult without delaying, even after your return.




The danger is rather at sea and in the sea, while sailing, swimming or diving.

BOAT : general precautions of the experienced navigators and even much more due to the reefs that are rather frightening.. : be wary of the tides because with one meter less, you won't come back or crash. Learn well marines maps and enquire near competent person.

First of all check out both the fuel level and the engine : I'm not kidding, the failure is more frequent than one could think (*)

Have signal rockets on board. Don't come back too late (after the sunset)
Two engines is more reassuring. If you have gasoline, of course !!
(*) During our stay, foreign people very experienced were located by a military aircraft on a small island next one of the Loyautés islands. It was what we call a big miracle. They were saved thanks to the military staff who know these facts and look closely the sea ; of course they ran out of fuel !!

SHELLS : do not walk on the corals without reasons nor without shoes; You are likely to be a destructor of nature and you can be seriously wounded, either while slipping, or while crushing down a coral "plate" straightforwardly up to the groin. The corals can involve wounds which infect deeply (the Tahitians rub lemon on their wounds).

 DIVING : do not touch what you cannot identify, especially if that looks like a stone. See lagoon life
Hold the "cones Collect it by the larger part, the tip well pointed in front of you because some can launch tiny but frightening poisoned stinger, just like the corals themselves. And do not put them in your pants !  

By the way, let also alone the muraena, the fish surgeon, lion fish.. Nothing will jump to your face because all animals flee initially if you do not drive back them.  The  katuali sea-snake, called "tricot rayé" (stripe knitting) in New Caledonia is part of them.

Preferably put on a diving suit with hood (because of the jellyfishes with long poisonous filaments (physalias); I felt once of them but it was light: a friend of me was badly stroke on its back, half paralysed and panicked. Fortunately, he was "paddling" in the good direction, towards the shore. 

BE WARY OF THE CURRENTS ESPECIALLY CLOSE TO THE CHANNELS (PASSES)
 When you are close to the reef barrier, near a pass (channel), always check your drift compared to the reef or the coast while letting you floating without moving ; the current can be more strong than your flippers (I have lived such bad experiment and a group of friends of mine were thrown out of the reef with their boat.
The tide plays a determining role in the force and direction of the streams in the pass. Before venturing there, enquire also after the shift of the tides according to the place !

- Information - Hints, experienced

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