While I would like to claim we relied heavily on my French speaking abilities, in fact, most of the locals speak good English and you can easily get by.
It was about a forty minute drive from the airport to our hotel at Anse Vata, a popular tourist beach just south of Noumea's city centre. There are a number of hotels to choose from, we were at the Hilton, right across the road from the beach.
On day one I was keen to get to a local supermarket to sample some of the produce I had heard so much about. Geant at Saint Marie is quite literally a 'giant' of a store, selling everything from electronics, cosmetics, fridges and French wine to the most impressive cheese selection I have ever seen.
Try to self cater for at least a couple of meals a day while in New Caledonia, which can be a pricey destination. It's a good way to keep the budget in check and the tummy happy.
Replete with cheese and a delicious bottle of rose (bought for around $10 NZD) we headed by water taxi to the L'ile aux Canards (Duck Island), less than a kilometre from Anse Vata beach.
Being so close to shore I doubted the claims of some of the best snorkelling on the island, but as soon as I dipped my toes in the water I was surrounded by spectacular, vibrantly-coloured coral and tropical fish.
On the mainland, the next bay around from Anse Vata is the Baie des Citrons. It has a good, safe swimming beach but also an excellent selection of bars, restaurants and clubs. We dined at Les 3 Brasseurs, a local mircrobrewery. The menu is mainly upmarket pub food, but their speciality 'Flammekueche' - a local take on pizzas - are delicious.
We were lucky enough to spend the afternoon of the following day at the Chateau Royal - the only hotel and resort located right on the beach. It has a wonderful pool area complete with a swim up bar and also boasts an indoor Aquatonic Pool a series of pools at different temperatures with twelve massaging jets. While it may put you a little out of your comfort zone at first (especially for the men who are required to wear Speedo-style togs) it is one of the most relaxing experiences you could hope to have.
The spectacular pool at Chateau Royal. Photo / Supplied
The resort is also home to a number of bars and restaurants: the terrace bar has the best view of the sunset across the bay and its top-end restaurant, Le Taom, features local produce prepared with a French twist.
Just down the road is another high-end dining option, Le Roof. Set in a bungalow on stilts over the sea, it boasts that dolphins and turtles can often be sighted swimming nearby. The water underneath is floodlit and it is a magical place to enjoy a meal.
With all the time spent eating, we somewhat reluctantly decided we had better engage in some form of exercise. Ouen-Toro is a 132-metre-high hill, surrounded by a park. Morning and evening it is full of joggers and walkers, working off their pastries. At the summit there are spectacular views across the bay and out to the lagoon.
On our final day we ventured out of Noumea to the deep south to take in some of the history and scenery. Our tour guide for the day was Axelle Boullet, who had recently launched her own guiding business, Toutazimut.
As we passed through the changing landscape the earth became increasingly red - rich with iron and other minerals. Axelle had a new four wheel drive and was keen to show it off so we did some good off-roading up and down hills, across streams and over the vast expanse of this country.
Toutazimut tours can take you off-roading to see the real New Caledonia. Photo / Supplied
First, we head to Prony Bay where many of the convicts ended up working in logging. Conditions were tough and those who tried to escape were brutally punished. Prony Bay is also the launching point for many of the whale watching tours which operate from July until September each year.
You can do a pretty walk through the bush alongside the side of the lake to Prony Village and read up on the history of this remote spot.
In 1864, nickel was discovered in New Caledonia and it is now the third largest producer of it in the world. En route to our next stop at Cap N'Dua (where we hoped to see some whales) we headed past one of the largest mines - an operation on an immense scale.
Sadly the whales were a long way out to sea the day we visited, but we were told they can sometimes be spotted swimming close to shore.
The whale-spotting shelter at Cap N'Dua. Photo / Supplied
Next we head to the stunning waterfall and national reserve La Chutes de la Madeleine. Until recently the waterfall and surrounding river was open to all and a popular destination for hiking and swimming. But damage to the surrounding vegetation and waterways has seen it turn into a protected reserve and it is all the better for it.
With that, our four-day New Caledonian adventure came to an end.
Weighed down with happy memories and one or two more pain au chocolats than I actually needed, we made the short journey home.
Refuelled, relaxed and ready to tackle a rainy, grey Auckland.
