NewCaledonia
EXPERIENCES / INTERNATIONAL
New Caledonia
Overview
- Two long walks on the Grande Randonnée 1 and Grande Randonnée 2
- Four days on the Ile des Pins.
- Carry full packs on the Grande Randonnée 1
- Carry only day packs on the Grande Randonnée 2 where you stay in Kanak villages.
- An incredeible variety of plants -- more endemics than almost anywhere else in the world.
- You also get to experience some of the Kanak culture.
There is the possibility of a one or two week extension to visit either or both of the Loyalty Islands of Maré and Lifou. It may be possible to do this without doing the rest of the trip. Please click here to email the guide if you are interested.
One of the clients on our 2023 trip has prepared two pages describing the G.R. 1 and the G.R.2, lots of photos. You don't have to take our word for what it's like. Click the links below and see what someone else has to say.
INTERNATIONAL
6-27 October 2024
This trip consists of 3 parts.
1. Grande Randonnée GR1 - Bushwalking the South Province
2, Grande Randonnée GR2 - Bushwalking the North Province
3. Ile des Pins
Grande Randonnée GR1
On day 1, we get driven to the starting point of our bushwalk on the GR1 and the Parc Provincial de la Rivière Bleue.
It will take us 10 days to cross the Rivière Bleue Provincial Park. We will walk on tracks built by the Kanak People in immemorial times or by the "Muletiers" (mule drivers) who supplied the region's mines and sometimes on tracks broken by the runoff of rain and time. The tracks go up and down, sometimes steep and slippery.
It will take us 10 days to cross the Rivière Bleue Provincial Park. We will walk on tracks built by the Kanak People in immemorial times or by the "Muletiers" (mule drivers) who supplied the region's mines and sometimes on tracks broken by the runoff of rain and time. The tracks go up and down, sometimes steep and slippery.
But the landscapes of the primary forest and the lookouts will reward you for your efforts. We will evolve in a universe of moss, giant trees (kaoris) and horizons of red earth and green vegetation. We will explore one of the richest ecosystems on the planet, which is said to be a relic of what Australia was 80 million years ago.
At night, we will sleep in cabins, shelters, or tents.
A food drop will allow us not to have to transport 10 days of food. It will be organised on the 4th day, so we will only have to carry 6 days of food on the second section of the route.
A food drop will allow us not to have to transport 10 days of food. It will be organised on the 4th day, so we will only have to carry 6 days of food on the second section of the route.
On the 11th day, you enjoy a day off in Nouméa while the guide prepares for our second walk in the Northern Province Nord (Northern Province) in Kanak lands.
Grande Randonnée GR2
We will reach the start of our second hike by taking the local bus. It takes around 5 hours to reach the Northern Province from Nouméa.
On the GR2, we will walk for 5 days but we will not have to carry our backpacks. They will be transported by car to each village. Freed from the weight of our bags, we will be able to appreciate the tropical landscapes of the Northern Province even more.
Most of the tracks are old redeveloped Kanak tracks well maintained. Along our way, we will have the opportunity to
swim in streams or waterfalls.
In the evening, we will sleep in the Kanak villages, where we will be served our dinner and breakfast. We will then discover the local gastronomy, particularly the famous "Bougna", a traditional Kanak dish cooked from yams, tarot, sweet potatoes and coconut milk. This is a dish that we will discover at Helene in Tchamba and also at Michel in Napoepa.
Immersion in Melanesian culture is one of the highlights of this trip to New Caledonia. “The Kanak is welcoming by nature” as Jacques Thy likes to tell me, whom we will meet at his home in Ouanache.
Ile des Pins
We will end our expedition with a trip to the magnificent Isle of Pines, which is covered with colonial pines and lined with bays that are inviting for swimming in the crystal waters.
On the Ile des Pins, we will sleep in a cottage where you can choose the type of accommodation you want according to the comfort that suits you best.
We will explore the island by traditional canoe and on foot, and we will end our trip with a boat excursion where we will have lobster, fish, or chicken lunch.
We return to Nouméa by ferry on the final day in the late afternoon. And, if you want, we can organise a farewell dinner in a gourmet restaurant in Nouméa.
Details
DATES
6-27 October
Sec 1: 6-23 October
Sec 2: 24-27 October
Optional addition: 29 October to 4 or 11 November
PRICES
Full price: A$4460 + expenses
Sec 1: GR1 & GR2: $3970 + expenses
Sec2: $690 + expenses
GROUP SIZE
6-10 including our guide
CAMPSITES & ACCOMMODATION
GR1:
Shelters & tents
GR2:
Accom organised by local Kanak people or your own tent
Ile des Pins:
Choice of own tent or other accom.
SWIMMING
Good swimming on both sections.
WILDLIFE
Mainly birds like the endangered Cagou that lay only one egg per year and which is the emblem of the country.
The colourful Notou that is the biggest pigeon in the world.
Corals in the waters of the Ile des Pins
The colourful Notou that is the biggest pigeon in the world.
Corals in the waters of the Ile des Pins
CLIMATE
October is the most pleasant month of the year. We should enjoy a tropical climate similar to the one we experience near Brisbane. It should, therefore, be sunny, but it could also rain or be very hot.
Average temperatures are between 15 and 26 degrees. In the Southern Province, when we sleep in high-altitude shelters, the nights can be quite cold. And like in Australia, it can also be very hot during the afternoon when the sky is blue.
We will definitely have rain during these 22 days together. You must take the fly if you want to sleep in your tent.
Average temperatures are between 15 and 26 degrees. In the Southern Province, when we sleep in high-altitude shelters, the nights can be quite cold. And like in Australia, it can also be very hot during the afternoon when the sky is blue.
We will definitely have rain during these 22 days together. You must take the fly if you want to sleep in your tent.
ADDITIONAL EXPENSES
These are detailed in the trip notes, link below.
WALK RATING - EASY TO MODERATE
Terrain
Almost everything from flat and easy to steep climbs
Unique.
An incredible percentage of New Caledonia's plants exist nowhere else.
Distance
4-6 hours per day of walking on the longest days.
Pack Weight
Moderate to heavy on the first walk, day packs only on the GR2 and Ile des Pins.
Itinerary
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