Little Lolly's Small Adventures: New Caledonia

Today's excursion transport - a bright yellow 'train'!

There was a yoga session for crew up in the gym this evening so Paul and I went. Due to the rocking motion of the ship our yoga instructor decided on floor-based session rather than any standing yoga movements. There was quite a bit of stretching involved and we soon realised how stiff we were. Practice, over time, will make us a bit more supple. Unfortunately I started to feel quite seasick during the session but managed to get through it before making a quick exit to the cabin. The horizontal effect of the bed was welcoming and my head could sort itself out. Needless to say I slept rather well - more so after taking meclizine hydrochloride tablet (anti-sea sick).

We arrived in Nouméa, at the container ship pier. The wind was gusty and the current strong. Unfortunately we didn't dock at the passenger pier but the container ship pier turned out to be the safest and best option in the windy conditions.

View from Ouen Toro

Cheese & wine tasting at Chateau Royale

Paul and I joined the captain for an early lunch and then I headed out on to the pier for the tour I was assigned to: 'Scenic Train with Cheese & Wine Tasting'. The bright yellow 'train' was designed as a fun way for tourists to get around and about rather than riding around in a bus. Leaving the pier we followed the road through town past Port Moselle Marina and the yacht club. We stopped at a small viewpoint on the edge of Baie des Citrons and Anse Vata Beach. The beach was busy despite the day being overcast and windy. We had another stop at Ouen Toro Lookout from where we had lovely views of the lagoon below us and we could also see cannons - relics of World War II. Our final stop was at Château Royal, a beautiful seaside resort, where we stopped to taste French wines and cheeses. After the initial wine tasting some of the guests wanted to taste the wines further - and polished off bottles of a red, rose and white wine. It was a hit and left the guests looking rather happy! There was a bit of time left over to explore the resort before we climbed back into the train and headed back to the ship. Frank, our guide, was very knowledgeable and friendly. He also had a great sense of humour and was a hit with the guests as a guide. A guide can make or break a tour and he made our visit enjoyable.

View of Chateau Royale's grounds from the lobby balcony

Back on board I sought Paul out. The kink in the anchor chain had been sorted. The anchor was lowered into the harbour floor with a few chain links so that there was no tension on the anchor. With no tension, the anchor rolled gently to one side on the bottom of the harbour floor and when it was finally lifted, the chain had straightened itself out. So, all is back to normal.

After dinner Paul and I went to the spa and lay on the hot stone beds for a while. It was a bit chilly in the spa area so we went to the steam room to defrost and then soaked in the spa pool for a bit.

The ship is now sailing towards Sydney, a 2 day voyage. Many guests will end their cruise in Sydney, a few are staying on for the circumnavigation of Australia.

PHOTOGRAPHS

Setting off

Port Moselle Marina

From the viewpoint on the edge of Baie des Citrons and Anse Vata Beach

Restaurant on stilts at the Baie des Citrons

Views from Ouen Toro

Horse racing is popular.l The race-course is beside the lake.

Château Royal

Pilot in the cockpit of the tender, waiting the go-ahead to depart from
the ship.

The Maasdam dropped her anchor not far from Tadine's harbour. The tenders were soon zipping across the water, taking guests ashore to explore the beautiful island.

Islanders dancing for the officers - one chap asked one of the ladies
for a dance!

Paul and a few officers attended a ceremony to welcome the ship on her first visit to the island. The whole ceremony didn't really get off to a good start - organised chaos! Some of the children and adults were shy and had to be coaxed to come and dance. After that there were some speeches and an exchange of gifts. It rained but it didn't stop the ceremony. The officers were invited to partake of refreshments but sadly guests from the ship observing the ceremony waded in and helped themselves, the mindset being that they were entitled to the refreshments, not leaving the officers much of a chance to partake. There was fruit juice, coconut milk, papaya, slices of dried breadfruit and sticks of sugarcane. Paul managed to get me a small piece of sugarcane. Memories of my early 20's in Natal came flooding back - getting sugarcane from the locals as they were cutting it in the fields.

There was a small market nearby so Paul and I wandered around and then headed back to the ship. We could have stayed on the island and have a wander but it was overcast and the wind was blowing fairly strongly, making us feel rather chilled.

Hoisting up the anchor

There were problems with the anchor. It could be pulled up but not into its usual position within the hawsepipe because one of the lower links which connected to the anchor was squiff (odd angle), twisting the anchor into the wrong position. The anchor was lowered and pulled up a few times but the link refused to straighten out. Eventually it was decided that the anchor should be allowed to drag just below the waterline while the ship was in motion in the hope that the drag would loosen the kink. It didn't. In the end the anchor was pulled up, still in it's awkward state, as far as it could be pulled up without damaging the ship or the hawsepipe, and secured firmly. The crew will work on it again tomorrow and see what can be done.