Things to see and do Grande Terre

These 7,500 hectares of wild and preserved nature is the dream playground for sportsmen and nature lovers. Located on the edge and on the heights of the lagoon classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, it is accessed via the road to Poé, shortly before arriving on the beach. The Domaine has five hiking trails for all levels, including the Oua Koué trail, on ridges with breathtaking views (5.5 km, 324 m ascent); the Forest of Origins trail to the lagoon, through the largest dry forest in New Caledonia (7 km); the Giant's Trail, around the Fournier marsh equipped with an ornithological observatory (6.5 km) and the Boé Arérédi Trail, which overlooks the Poé fault, whose deep blue line cuts into the turquoise waters (4.5 km, 317 m ascent).

For mountain bikers, there are 240 kilometers of trails dedicated to them on 17 different routes with increasing levels of difficulty: the green trail No Poradéno (8.6 km), the blue trails No Bouaou (12.3 km) and Forêt Plateau (11 km), the red trails Bouencoy (16 km) and Me Awi (15 km), as well as the black trail Zouvézélé (20.7 km).

You will also find more than 13 km of white sand beach on the domain and 7 horseback riding trails. Finally, in addition to the Sheraton Hotel, its spa and its golf course, it is also possible to rent mountain bikes at the Maison de Déva located at the entrance of the Domaine or to go horseback riding with the Carré 9 ranch, open from Tuesday to Sunday morning.

This is one of the must-see activities in New Caledonia. Among the two main activities, we advise you to explore the Blue River Park, its fauna and flora, and to listen for the cry of the cagou, the emblematic bird of New Caledonia. You can walk there or rent a bike to cover a longer distance!

You can also do a kayak trip at full moon on the blue river in the heart of the drowned forest, a really unique experience!

A true showcase of the Deep South, this park is absolutely unmissable for all outdoor enthusiasts. A very good map is provided at the entrance and lists the interesting places to visit. The White River area is accessible to cars while the Blue River area has been limited to hikers, on foot or by bicycle. There are specially designated areas for bivouacking in the Blue River basin, but permission must be sought from the front desk agent. Three colors dominate this unique environment: the green of the vegetation, the blue of the river and sky and the red of the earth. Among the species present in the Grand Sud, not less than 75% are endemic. Among the notable trees, we find the kaori, which can reach 40 meters high; one of them would be 1,000 years old, and its diameter is 2.70 m. Fortunately, its exceptional size has made it unworkable. Thanks to a protection program, the area is still one of the few places on the pebble to shelter a population of cagous. This endangered species is a hidden treasure here and everyone is looking for a glimpse. To meet it, you need a lot of luck and a bit of tactics. Theoretically, you have better luck early in the morning and by remaining discreet. One of the highlights of the exploration is undoubtedly the mysterious Drowned Forest, with its naked and white trunks that emerge from the lake.

Hiking: Blue River Provincial Park is home to numerous trails with routes ranging from 30 minutes to 7 hours. Signs indicate the characteristics of each trail and provide information on the animal and plant species that you may see. There are brochures presenting the different routes. Here is the description of some of them:

The Palmetum trail (1 hour - 1 km - very easy). A short botanical and educational trail created on the site of a former mining camp. Discovery of the mining maquis and a dense humid forest.

Le sentier du Houp géant (30 minutes - 1 km - very easy).This short walk follows an old track that was used to extract the trees cut in the forest. A magnificent houp (tree) with extraordinary dimensions watches over the place.

Le sentier de la Source (1 hour - 3.8 km - easy). This is a peaceful loop through the scrubland and around magnificent kaoris and araucarias.

The Three Forests Trail (1 hour - 1.3 km - easy). It starts near the ford of the Pourina. It is necessary to follow a short ascent through humid and dense forests, before entering the mining scrubland.

The Grande Cascade trail (5 hours - 15.7 km - difficult). Located at the end of the main valley trail, this is a long walk to the upper Blue River.

Kaori Trail (3 hours - 8.5 km - medium). Also located at the end of the valley trail, this is a somewhat physical walk among the giants of the forest.

The Koureu Deni trail (2 hours - 4.6 km - medium).This pretty botanical trail starts near the Bon Secours development. Slightly strenuous, it takes you to the giant houp through different types of environments.

The Renaissance Mine Trail (3 hours - 8.3 km - medium). This is a varied loop that leads you on the steps of an old mule track leading to the Renaissance mine prospecting site. The landscapes dominate the valley of the Blanche River and offer a beautiful spectacle.

The GR1 trail. It allows walkers to evolve on paths leading from Prony to the Dumbéa dam and to cross the Blue River Park on foot. By following this fabulous path, you will explore the Great South in all its richness, along ancient paths traced by the Kanaks. Beware, it requires a thorough preparation and a good knowledge of the terrain. You need to be in excellent physical shape and have adequate equipment, as well as enough food because no refreshments are available.

Several service providers also offer various activities in the park and you can contact them beforehand to find what you are looking for: Sud Loisirs (kayaking, mountain biking and hiking - ✆ +687 77 81 43 - www.sudloisirs.nc), H2O Odyssée (kayaking - ✆ +687 91 10 03 - www.h2o-odyssee.com), Aventure Pulsion (kayaking - +687 26 27 48 - aventure-pulsion.nc), Escal'aventure (rock climbing - ✆ +687 74 78 37 - www.escalaventure.com) and Loisirs Concept (rock climbing - ✆ +687 43 90 13 - loisirsconcept.nc).

The Deep South is full of secrets and superb spots where being guided can be very enjoyable, especially if you do not have your own vehicle and rental 4x4s are rare (book in advance). Toutazimut offers various excursions from Noumea.

Téremba, named after a small islet in the Bay of Uarai, was a penitentiary with a post office, telegraph and store. Construction of the buildings began in 1871, but following the Kanak revolt in 1878, a fort was erected there to serve as headquarters for the French army. After 1897, the site lost its importance and was sold at auction in 1919. The Marguerite de La Foa Association has been very active in the restoration of the site and participates in the dissemination of a past that has long remained taboo. It is an excellent museum.

With your fins, mask and snorkel, you will discover an important variety of fish that we do not suspect so close to Noumea. Several buoys mark out the circuit with a wealth of information on the underwater fauna. On these buoys, you will find the different fishes and corals that can be observed along the way. Turtles and a dugong even frequent the area. A stroll for all; our favorite! We advise you to come during the week and early, to avoid the crowd.

Built in the 19th century to supply Nouméa with wood, it is now invaded by lush vegetation. Huge banyan trees cover the buildings with their bewitching roots. In the last quarter of the 19th century, a village was grafted onto the site where the exploitation of the wood lasted until 1911. An association of restoration enthusiasts has rehabilitated the powder magazine built in 1884 and a path has been laid out to fully enjoy the remains. Wet forest and mining scrubland follow one another as you enter the heart of the penitentiary's history.

Once arrived, we are on a hill overlooking Noumea, we discover the superb panorama on the lagoon, the Tjibaou Cultural Center and the Mont-Dore. Below the hill, Notre-Dame-du-Pacifique watches over Nouméa. One of the last dry forests still preserved in the vicinity of Nouméa can be found on 36 hectares. In the Valley of the Endemics, many unique animals in the world are a real showcase of New Caledonian fauna!

You can wander around the mountain, in the humid forest, and steep ravines of 150 m to a beautiful river. The waterfall is on the other side. You access the river, but the water level can climb very quickly when the valves are open. You arrive in the village. Now you are on the east coast: vegetation is green and tropical. When you arrive at the bridge that crosses the False Yaté, you have two options: either cross the bridge and choose the direction of Yaté village or Unia (which ends two more or less in cul-de-sac), or to Waho and Goro. Arriving at Yaté, you see the bridge of Yaté which replaced the ferry and leads to the tribe of Mamié (Unia). If you continue towards Unia (along the coast towards the north), a road will take you over kilometres. Walk through fields of banana trees. At the end of the road to the right, a small entrance gives on the sea: the waves are meant to break off on the reef. To the north is the Forgotten Côte. You can't get there by car, you have to turn around to Goro.

This well-stocked info point is located next to the town hall at the top of Farino, from there the view of the area is sublime and not to be missed. An interesting stop to make in order not to miss anything of the rich cultural and natural heritage of the city of Farino. We recommend stopping here to discover the various activities to do in the area during your stay. Moreover, the area around the information point is ideal for a picnic

From the beach covered with twigs, the village of the tribe of Foué, located at the bottom before the mangrove, looks like a small fishing village with its motor boats that come and go day and night, at the rhythm of the tide. It is possible to rent kayaks at the nautical base to venture into the calm waters that lie in front of you.

Good to know: wild camping is allowed on the beach of Foué (sanitary facilities and showers available). Beware of mosquitoes (the mangrove is close by) and the alcoholic parties that take place there on weekends.

Poe beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, 17 kilometers long and offering shallow waters over several dozen meters. Its colors are as bewitching as its white sand and reefs swept by the waves of the open sea, which contrast with the flat calm of the lagoon. Popular with the inhabitants of New Caledonia and especially with families from Nouméa, the tourist activities are rich and benefit from the recognition of the site as a Unesco World Heritage Site. You will see many kitesurfers and some windsurfers.

Located in the communes of Sarraméa, Farino and Moindou, the Grandes Fougères Park was inaugurated in 2008 to protect an exceptional natural environment. A network of hiking trails has been developed to allow visitors to survey 4,500 hectares of tropical rainforest. The flora and species present are mostly endemic (cagou, notou, crested parakeet...). Mountain bikers are welcome, but there is no bike rental company on site. Motorized vehicles and dogs are not allowed.

This is THE visit not to be missed during your stay in New Caledonia. A masterpiece of the architect Renzo Piano, the Tjibaou Cultural Center is the result of the Agency for the Development of Kanak Culture (ACDK) founded following the Matignon Agreement. Inaugurated in 1998, this center aims to promote Melanesian culture.
Built on the very spot where the Melanesia 2000 festival was held in 1975 by Jean-Marie Tjibaou (the independence leader assassinated in 1989, in whose honor a statue erected on the heights of a hill overlooks the site), it celebrates France's recognition of the traditions and history of the Kanak people.
It was a long and arduous task for Renzo Piano, an internationally renowned architect (Osaka-Kansai airport, Georges Pompidou center), who undertook this ambitious project. It is a contemporary interpretation of the island's architectural heritage where the combination of steel and wood bridges modern and traditional styles.
The building, organized around a central alley flanked by columnar pines, links the ten large stylized huts that reflect the ten customary areas of New Caledonia.
The latter house numerous exhibition rooms evoking the culture, history and customs of the Kanak civilization, one of which is dedicated to the life of Jean-Marie Tjibaou.
The center also hosts various artistic events, temporary exhibitions, festivals, conferences and screenings. The Bérétara room honors contemporary Kanak and Oceanian art. The two media libraries (Ngan Vhalik for multimedia and Mwà Véé for books) have many interesting works on Melanesian and Oceanian cultures as well as many books on the theme of Kanak identity.
Outside, the Kanak Way, an initiatory plant walk that retraces in five stages (the origin of beings, the nourishing earth, the land of the ancestors, the land of the spirits and rebirth) the legend of the creation of the first man, the founding hero Téâ Kanaké, allows one to grasp the strength of the link with nature in Kanak society and the very great importance it gives to plants.
In this landscaped park, one discovers the symbolic vegetation of Melanesia, as well as the three traditional huts of the Mwakaa customary area, one for each of the New Caledonian provinces (North, South and the Loyalty Islands).
A dance show representing the creation myth is held every Tuesday at 2:30 pm in the gardens.

A true New Caledonian icon in the same way as the cagou or the striped tricot, the elegant ageless hen sits proudly in the bay of Hienghène, between the coast and the open sea. It takes on different faces depending on the point of view, which explains the great diversity of possible photos. The most beautiful spot is at the belvedere, where you can access the southern entrance of the village. A small sign announces the site and there is room to park and picnic. The panorama is absolutely magnificent and extends from the black rocks of Linderalique to the famous incubator and the sphinx that faces it. In the open sea, the sea and the sky seem to be one, so that the horizon beyond the bay is interrupted only by the islets and the high peaks of the Mount Panie massif. According to local beliefs, the chicken symbolizes the founding element of life. Many legends surround these mythical places with a halo of mystery. According to one of them, the settlement of the territory would have even started here. If you have the opportunity to go for a canoe ride, it seems that you can even recognize the towers of Notre-Dame from certain angles! To better appreciate the Sphinx, you will have to cross the village and come out of it by the north to admire it from its point of view.

This is a must-see site for anyone visiting (or re-visiting) the region and even New Caledonia in general. The beauty of the place and the legends surrounding it are bewitching.

In the blue-roofed halls overlooking the marina of Port Moselle, the archipelago's largest marina, flowers, fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, meat (deer sausage!), pastries and souvenirs are displayed. While tourists and locals mingle every day, the market is a big hit on weekends! You can have breakfast at the kiosk inside the halls. You can go there from 6am to have your coffee or to find a snack to take away for lunch. Be careful, Caledonians are early risers and from 11am the stalls are empty.

This museum is installed in an old colonial building. It traces the world of mining and the history of the region. The Le Nickel company (SLN), founded in 1880, was at the origin of development in Thio. It set up the infrastructure necessary for the exploitation of the site. The mines, the ore processing plant and the shipping wharf required a large workforce, half of which was recruited from Japan. A very interesting museum directly related to the modern exploitation that you can appreciate by visiting the mine.

Do not hesitate to contact the tourist office to prepare your stay in Hienghène and more particularly in the tribe. The tourist office will give you the names of the hosts able to welcome you (it is better to book 24 hours in advance). It is located in the center of the village, the reception is pleasant and informed. Behind the desk, the portrait of Jean-Marie Tjibaou is displayed. Very practical at the beginning of any stay, the team of the tourist office of Hienghène will be delighted to guide you in your adventure.