All these islands boast of being super friendly and most of them are. Tonga, for instance, evinces a quiet, happy, contented feel that is very deep. I didn’t get that feeling in New Caledonia.
For starters it was grey and rainy. That in itself means nothing. But the mood is somber. More homeless street people than in Seattle. Maybe it’s the bars on every ground floor window, guaranteeing that occupants will be trapped inside in case of fire. Or the high, secure fences. The police have a big fancy recruitment center. It simply does not leave you comfortable, let alone happy.
I did however add two birds to my life list, short-tailed shearwaters and Australian gannets. Reintroduced myself to the classic Australian gull, the silver hull. Good to see them again. It’s been awhile
What impressed me most were New Caledonia’s weird trees.
Trees in New Caledonia. And these were not the weirdest ones.
Weird trees in New Caledonia