FAQ

New Caledonia is located 2 hours flying time from Australia, 2½ hours from New Zealand, 9 hours from Japan, 14 hours from Los Angeles and 21 hours from France.

No vaccinations are required unless travelling from an infected area. Noumea has modern medical facilities if required.

No visa is required for EEC, USA, NZ, or Australian passport holders for stays of up to three months. A valid passport and onward or return airticket is required upon arrival. For other nationalities, visa information is available from the nearest French Embassy.

New Caledonia is an affordable destination, however it may not appeal to the budget traveller. Many packages now offer a selection of meal and air passes and a visit to the supermarket to buy food items is both interesting and economical.

New Caledonia uses the French Pacific Franc (XPF). Travellers cheques in XPF do not exist. Visitors to New Caledonia are advised to take some local currency, NZ/Australian/US Dollar travellers cheques or international credit cards. If this facility has been prearranged before departure, funds can also be withdrawn by credit card at ATM machines located in and around Nouméa. The Euro exchange in XPF is free of charge.

Tontouta International Airport is located approximately 50 km from the city of Nouméa. At Tontouta Airport, shuttle buses or mini-buses and taxis offer regular transfer services to Nouméa (45 km from the airport) in 50 minutes. Car rental is also available. It is recommended to organise bus transfers or hire a car prior to arrival in New Caledonia.

International flights arrive and depart from Tontouta International Airport. Domestic flights depart from Magenta Domestic Airport located in the city of Nouméa.

Most people involved in the tourist industry speak English and a majority of tourist brochures are written in English however a few phrases in French are always welcomed by the locals.

The mainland of New Caledonia is 400 km long and 50 km wide. Visitors should allow around four days for a fly/drive itinerary. The Isle of Pines and Loyalty Islands are accessible by domestic airline.

The roads are in excellent condition and well signposted. In New Caledonia, cars are driven on the right side of the road. A current drivers license is required to rent a car.

For use by international passengers, the Air Calédonie Pass facilitates the discovery of several destinations at preferential rates.

Applicable only to non resident tourist passengers in possession of an international airticket visiting New Caledonia for a stay not exceeding three months.

Ticketing for the Air Calédonie Pass package is handled by Air Calédonie agencies, by local approved agencies and by IATA travel agencies or via Internet.

The inter-island ferry service between the islands (lsIe of Pines, Lifou, Maré and Ouvéa) is operated by a high-speed catamaran referred to as "Le Bético" and "Arémiti 4".

For further information, please call (687) 26 01 00 or send a fax (687) 28 98 97.

New Caledonia is described as the land of eternal spring. It boasts a pleasant semi-tropical climate all year round. The wet season is from January to March and according to the statistics it pours more during February. During the cooler season the temperature varies between 20 and 26 degrees Celsius.

Click here to view the current weather in Nouméa.

New Caledonia is renowned for its designer label shopping, including a range of toiletries and perfumes not available in other Pacific countries. Souvenirs, foodstuffs and wines should also be on the visitor's shopping list.

The duty free allowance into New Caledonia for alcohol is 2 litres still wine plus 1 litre of spirits (more than 22%) or 2 litres still wine plus 2 litres of spirits (less than 22%). Like other islands in the Pacific, no primary or dairy foods, fruit and vegetables or raw meat products are permitted into New Caledonia. Processed or tinned foods are generally allowed.

New Caledonia has three international golf courses: Tina International Golf Course in Nouméa, Dumbéa International Golf Course (10kms from Nouméa) and Ouenghi Golf Course (1 hour's drive north of Nouméa).

Port Moselle is the port of entry into New Caledonia. This is the mandatory port for all pleasure crafts entering the territory. The Capitainerie can be contacted on VHF 67, (indicatif "Port Moselle"), daily from 7am to 6pm. The first night's mooring on the quay is free for any boats waving the yellow quarantine flag and arriving from another country. The length of stay is determined depending on the availability at the port. In any case it may not exceed one month. The "Capitainerie" is responsible for notifiying Customs, Border Police and biosecurity services as soon as the pleasure craft arrives at the visitor pontoon. Further information relating to entry and stay formalities in New Caledonia is available on the company's website : www.sodemo.nc

Customs formalities can be carried out at Pandop (Koumac) and at Wé (Lifou) however, yachties must complete the other administrative formalities in Nouméa.

CAPITAINERIE DE PANDOP

MARINA DE WE

CERCLE NAUTIQUE CALEDONIEN - C.N.C


Facilities include 600 moorings, club house with bar and restaurant, dry dock with travellift up to 40 tonnes. The "Espadon" branch for deep sea fishing and the "Alizés" branch for yachting activities are both very active within the club. The sailing school provides lessons for beginner or advanced levels to teenagers (over 13) and adults.

Noumea Yacht Services
Agence de service pour plaisanciers.
Membre de l'organisation internationale A.Y.S.S. (Association of Yacht Support Services)

Noumea Yacht Services, a professional team that can take care of all your needs. Complete provedoring, from fuel at the best rates to provisions, spare parts locally or internationally, repairs and maintenance services and all adminitrative or touristic services. Before your arrival in New Caledonia or during your stay, do not hesitate to contact Noumea Yacht Services.

 

Yes and the two best spots are: Ilot Ténia which is in front of Moindou, about one hour from Nouméa and Bourail - Roche Percé - which is about two hours from Nouméa.

New Caledonia is very popular for windsurfing. In 1999, the world windsurfing championship took place in Nouméa.

New Caledonia offers a vast array of accommodation options from 5 star hotels to simple rural lodgings. You can view a list of recommended accommodations by clicking here.

The New Caledonia Post and Telecommunications Office (OPTNC) has branches located throughout the Territory with a network of 50 agencies and shops. It provides the services and products in its 3 activity sectors : mail, banking services and telecommunications.

In general, a letter posted in New Caledonia takes approximately four to five days to reach metropolitan France by airmail (three days for Australia and New Zealand). Postal stamps, telephone cards and first day covers are very colourful and well illustrated and are greatly sought after by stamp collectors and tourists. The New Caledonia Post and Telecommunications Office was world champion for philately in 2003.

When dialing overseas, dial 00 for the international network, followed by the country code after the tone then the phone number requested. For example, for Australia, dial 00 + 61 + area code (without the 0) + telephone number.

For more information contact the Telecommunications Commercial Agency, 9 rue Gallieni in Nouméa and in all the OPT agencies. By telephone at 1014 (call free).

The Mobilis "Liberté" service is contract free and provides domestic and international telecommunications. This service is based on the pre-pay system by purchasing a quota of communication minutes. Rechargeable cards are sold for 1,050 XPF, 3,150 XPF and 5,250 XPF (tax included).

The roaming system is available in New Caledonia. It provides the possibility of using your mobile telephone on the Mobilis network of the OPT-NC which is different from the one you have subscribed to, without changing your telephone number.

For Mobilis clients who travel and who want to use their mobile overseas, they just need to subscribe in advance to the travel option in an OPT agency (free option) The Post Office has agreements with the following telecommunications companies:

Metropolitan France	France Telecom Mobile Orange, SFR and Bouygues Telecom
New Zealand	Vodafone NZ
Australia	Optus, Vodafone Australie and Telstra
French Polynesia	Tikiphone
United Kingdom	Vodafone UK
Hong-Kong	Hutchinson Telephone
Switzerland	Swisscom Mobile
Liechtenstein	Telecom FL
Spain	Telefònica Mòviles España
Vanuatu	Telecom Vanuatu Limited
Italia	Vodafone Omnitel Italie
Fidji	Vodafone Fiji Limited
Japan	Vodafone KK et NTT DoCoMo
Belgium	Mobistar
Canada	Rogers Wireless

Subscribers to these networks can benefit from the same advantages in New Caledonia and can also use their mobile telephone on the Mobilis network.

Foreigners must obtain an authorisation from the Government of New Caledonia.

Contact : Haut-commissariat / Service des étrangers