Fact File for New Caledonia
New Caledonia lies in the very heart of the South Pacific with a fantastic French flair running through the cuisine and culture. Composed of the main island of Grande Terre, a number of stunning smaller islands including the Isle of Pines and those of the Loyalty Archipelago and countless smaller islets all providing thousands of diverse and delightful anchorages to enjoy on your luxury yacht charter.
COORDINATES: 20.9043° S, 165.6180° E
LANGUAGE: French
CAPITAL: Nouméa
WEATHER: In New Caledonia, an archipelago located in the Pacific, south of the Equator, the climate is tropical, influenced by the trade winds, with a hot and rainy season (Late Dec -late May), a cool and drier season (June – Aug/Sept), and two intermediate periods (April-May and Oct-Nov). Temperatures range from the early to mid 20 deg C (68 deg F) in the cooler months and into the early 30 deg C (86 deg F) in the warmer ones.
BEST TIME TO CHARTER: September-November
AIRPORTS: La Tontouta International Airport (NOU) is the main airport for New Caledonia. Noumea-Magenta (GEA) airport is a domestic airport with flights to Lifou, Ile des Pines, Mare, Ouvea and Tiga. Air Caledonie and Qantas airlines also fly between Nouméa Magenta and Roma in Queensland Australia.
TIME: UTC+11
CURRENCY: French Pacific Franc (XPF); Visa, MasterCard and AmEx accepted in the greater Nouméa area. ATMs are also common there and in some provincial towns but it is good to also carry some cash. Euros are converted back and forth with no commission so the best to travel with.
ELECTRICITY: 220 V, 50 Hz/60 Hz
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS:
• 1 Jan - New Year's Day
• Mar/Apr - Easter Monday
• 1 May - Labour Day
• 8 May - Victory Day
• May/Jun - Ascension Day
• May/Jun - Whit Monday
• 14 Jul - Bastille Day
• 15 Aug – Assumption Day
• 1 Nov - All Saints' Day
• 11 Nov - Armistice
• 25 Dec - Christmas Day
• 31 Dec – New Year's Eve
MAIN PORTS AND MARINAS: Port du Sud Marina and Port Moselle in Noumea plus Marina de Lifou at We in the Loyalty Islands
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