Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Mt. Mou and the WWII plane wreck

Distance: 8.5 km.  Elevation low/high/total: 219/1185/1150 m.
Difficulty: 9.2/10.  Scenic: 8.8/10

The remains of the Dauntless SBD-3 (Tail 918) - click pic for album
Geotrack for the difficult hike is here
My friend Paul told me about this hike some months ago, and I finally convinced him to motivate a hike.  So, Paul, myself and Kincso, and Simon Nichol (SPC colleague) and his son Django hit the road by 8 AM to start the hike.  Make no mistake, this is a doozy of a hike.  It is straight uphill, through dry forest, red dirt desert, wet rainforest, etc. for 3.5 hours. If you do this hike, take a lot of water.  Take even more than a lot.  The history of this plane crash can be read here.  Sadly, there is less and less of the wreck remaining each year as bounty hunters strip away parts.  Paul has been here six or seven times over the past 15 years and attests to the plane's further destruction.  All in all, an exhausting hike that takes one through several different climes, highly recommended for the masochistic sporties out there.  We placed a geocache at the site, linked here.

Sunday, December 28, 2014

The Dumbea dams, 2nd visit

Distance: 10.0 km.  Elevation low/high/total: 187/466/546 m.
Difficulty: 5.5/10.  Scenic: 7.0/10

A return trip, this time with Paul J's two kids - click pic for album
Not a new geotrack, but the track from first visit
My friend, Paul Judd from SPC, had his two kids in from out of town and that was reason enough for a hike.  Four plus months ago, when my wife and daughters arrived, we took them on this same hike - in a jetlagged state.  Kincso was game to go again, so off we went.  This time, we took no dogs and spent much of the time swimming as the waters have filled the river compared to four months ago, and greatly warmed up.  The length of river was absolutely packed with folks but there were very few as far upstream as we hiked.  A nice, easy, excellent summer hike.

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Maa Bay Point

Distance: 7.4 km.  Elevation low/high/total: 0/22/50 m.
Difficulty: 2.5/10.  Scenic: 8.5/10

The treat at the end of a 3.7 km hike - click pic for album
the geotrack is here

We wanted to return to this area to check out the beach at the end of the road.  The Boat on the Beach and the isolated beaches on the northwest part of the peninsula were great but this area seemed irresistible.  We made the mistake of only wearing flip flops and the hike was a bit more difficult than expected given that the "road" was really an overgrown path.  But the end result was spectacular - odd that there are several no-longer-used-structures indicating that this was once a popular community resort area.  We also placed a geocache here.

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Timbea - La Foa - Baie des Tortues - Plage de Poe

Distance: NA Elevation low/high/total: NA

Difficulty: 1.0/10  Scenic: 9.5/10

Tempting the Undertoad at Baie des Tortues - click pic for weekend album
The beaches we visited are shown on the geotrack
This weekend was a busy one.  First, an end of year xmas party for SPC fisheries folks was hosted by John Hampton out at his place at Timbea.  Then we headed to La Foa, ostensibly for our first camping trip but due to failing light, we ended up back at Hotel Banu.  The next day we met up with the family of a new Hungarian friend of Ikdiko's and checked out the semi-dangerous beach at Baie des Tortues and then took them to our favorite beach - Plage de Poe.  Good times!

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Maa Bay and a kayak trip to Ilot aux Canards

30 november 2014

Based on a good tip we found a tranquil beach to ourselves - click pic for album
geotrack of the trip to Maa Bay is here
My birthday this time and I had some good intel on a great beach not far from Noumea.  Turns out that on the OTHER side of the peninsula from The Boat on the Beach, there is a long set of beaches that require a short hike to reach.  That little 15 minute hike means WAY fewer people than the hordes we encountered on the Gadji Bay side of the peninsula.  The west side is known as Maa Bay and the pics will show what a fabulous stretch of almost deserted beaches are to be found.  And we didn't even make it half way down the peninsula (that's for next time).  This weekend was also the first time that Miss K and I rented some kayaks out front our our home and paddled over to Ilot aux Canards.  Given the strong winds, it was more of a workout than expected.  One of my favorite birthdays ever.

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Return to Prony

Distance: 5.0 km.  Elevation low/high/total: 0/41/100 m.
Difficulty: 1.4/10.  Scenic: 6/10

We returned to the former prisoner labor camp to fulfill a couple of missions, click pic for album
the geotrack for the short hike is  here
We return to the odd old prisoner/labor camp of Prony for a couple of reasons.  First, Miss K and I wanted to scope out - and walk - the very beginning of GR1 as it's likely our real trek will start just a bit further along than the true starting point.  Secondly, we wanted to place a geocache at stage 1 as we plan to place a cache at every stage.  And finally, our first visit was rather sudden and unplanned and we wanted to check it out a bit more thoroughly.  The full (sad) story of the Village Historique de Prony can be read in English at the helpful NC tourist web site.

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Phare Amedee

Distance: NA  Elevation low/high/total: NA

Difficulty: 1.0/10.  Scenic: 8/10

The only Top 25 Tripadvisor destination outside Oz/NZ in the S. Pacific - click pic for album
No geotrack, but here's the Wikipedia page describing the lighthouse (Phare)
One of the most popular day trips outside of Noumea is a visit to the Amedee lighthouse some 24 km south of Noumea.  The entire outing is generally managed through a tour company and, I must admit, it's pretty well done.  A 45 minute boat ride, a gorgeous island with snorkeling, several optional activities, an all you can eat buffet.  Low key, but well run, and all things considered not TOO expensive, at least by NC standards.  Well, if you don't count the expense we incurred from my going snorkeling with my fancy (but not waterproof) cell phone in my swimming shorts.

Monday, November 10, 2014

13th wedding anniversary - la foa, bourail and plage de poe

Distance: NA  Elevation low/high/total: NA

Difficulty: 1.0/10.  Scenic: 9.5/10

Now this is how you spend a wedding anniversary! - Click pic for album
Geotrack of the places visited linked here
Ildiko and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary on November 7th and so it was time to take our first visit out of town.  We made a reservation at the Banu Hotel in La Foa (interesting .... place), then spent a fantastic beach day at Plage de Poe, maybe me new favorite beach in the world.  Ildiko went snorkeling for really the first time in her life.  We will be back here.

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Pont de Japonais - 2nd visit

Distance: 2.7 km.  Elevation low/high/total: 99/133/63 m.
Difficulty: 2.2/10.  Scenic: 6.5/10

Our first return visit, but Ildiko and Iris missed out the first time - click pic to view album
The geotrack for the short hike (and swimming spot) is here
Our intended destination this day was the Parc Provincial de la Riviere Bleu (Blue River Provincial Park) but oddly enough the research I did not prepare us for the mass of people assembled there to be bussed somewhere inside the park.  We decided to seek outdoor activity elsewhere and it occurred to me we were near the Pont de Japonais, a destination missed last time by Iris and Ildiko due to a fall by Iris.  So, post haste, we headed for the parking spot and the day turned into one of our favorites.  We found a river stretch we had all to ourselves and, this time, everybody went into the water!

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Between Two Beaches

Distance: NA  Elevation low/high/total: NA

Difficulty: 1.0/10.  Scenic: 8.5/10

Our outing in celebration of Ildiko's birthday - click pic for album
No geotrack, but we placed a geocache here
Ildiko's choice for an outing and so we went in search of a good beach.  We never did find a good swimming beach but we did find two nice places to hang out.  One was the boat launch area at Ouano - great warm white sand to walk on at low tide - the other was the view point up on a hill in between the beaches of Ouano and Pique-Nique.

Sunday, October 12, 2014

The Boat on the Beach

Distance: 2.0 km.  Elevation low/high/total: 0/0/0 m.

Difficulty: 1.2/10.  Scenic: 6.5/10

An old shipwreck at Gadji Bay - click for album
Here is the geotrack for the day
A short drive north of Noumea is Gadji Bay where there sits a quite old ship wreck.  Originally know as the Mary Judith, then Cleneg, and finally Melanesia, the vessel was grounded here in 1988 by Hurricane Anne.  A fuller history (albeit in French) can be here here.   We also drove to a couple of viewpoints overlooking where the richer French residents barricade themselves in marinas behind locked gates.

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Cap N'Dua and Prony

Distance: NA  Elevation low/high/total: NA
Difficulty: 1.0/10.  Scenic: 8/10

The view from Cap N'Dua, southern end of the New Caledonia mainland (click pic for album)
Didn't record a geotrack, but click here to see the location
For this outing we wanted to go as far south as the road would take us, and that meant a visit to Cap N'Dua, through the red earth countryside and past the vast mining complex at Goro.  Driving through the switchbacks and across the red earth was kinda surreal.  We visited a lighthouse and picnicked in a hilltop gondola (out of the vicious wind). The view from the gondola was spectacular - whales are often seen here but we saw none.  On the way back home we swung by Prony, not really knowing what was there.  Wow.  An abandoned convict logging town - where prisoner torture (for escape attempts) was routinely practiced.  It's also where the famed GR1 (Grand Randonee 1) starts - a 7-day/100+ km hiking trail that Miss K and I plan to conquer stage by stage in the future.

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Pont des Japonais hike

Distance: 2.7 km.  Elevation low/high/total: 99/133/63 m.
Difficulty: 2.2/10.  Scenic: 6/10

Here lie the remains of the "Japanese bridge" - click pic for album
Click here for the geotrack of the hike
Another geocache inspired hike, this is a relatively easy 2 km round trip hike to the remains of a WWII Japanese built railroad bridge.  Along the way you see some remains of the wooden cross beams (the iron tracks are long gone) and occasionally you can find a rusty spike.  At the main river the concrete trestle bases are still there with a bit of wood still inside rotting away.  The hike path along the old track has been almost entirely reclaimed by nature.  Ildiko and Iris didn't make it to the bridge as Iris had a slip on the red earth back where we parked the jeep.  Miss K and I (on my recently surgically repaired knee) made the trek and were rewarded with some gorgeous vistas.  We all return here a couple of months later (november 2nd, to be precise).

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Malaoui roi (chapeau du gendarme) hike

Distance: 7.5 km.  Elevation low/high/total: 468/800/500+ m.
Difficulty: 7.8/10.  Scenic: 9.2/10

Malaoui roi peak, the reward for a long hike (click pic to see album)
Click here for the geotrack of the hike
For this outing, two of our new friends here in New Caledonia came along with us: Alex Tidd and his partner Sara Wilson.  Alex started at SPC about three weeks after me so we'd both been less than six months in country.  This turned out to be a challenging hike for this party - round trip was something like 9 km and the elevation gain was around 380 m (1200 feet).  Total hiking time - 3.5 hours plus a fantastic hour at the peak.  The best part was the final 0.5 km which is along the spine of Mount Koghi to the peak.  The parenthetical name "chapeau du gendarme" means "policeman's hat".

Sunday, August 31, 2014

Hike to Twin Falls

Distance: 5.7 km.  Elevation low/high/total: 53/183/171 m.

Difficulty: 4.5/10.  Scenic: 6.9/10

https://goo.gl/photos/6SsQW5AtgZDkt4B36
Day hike to a set of small waterfalls (click picture to view album)
Click here for geotrack of hike
We learned about this set of waterfalls from a geocache page.  The hike was just the right level of difficulty.  As it was still the cool season, the other members of the party didn't feel inclined to go for a swim but there was no way I WASN'T going to get under that cascade of water.  And, it really wasn't all that cold.  Definitely a recommended hike.

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Hike to Dumbea with Paul Judd

Distance: 10.0 km.  Elevation low/high/total: 187/466/300 m.

Difficulty: 5.0/10.  Scenic: 7.0/10



Paul takes us to the old and new Dumbea dams (click here to view album)
Click here for the geotrack for the hike
The family had only just arrived in New Caledonia a few days earlier but they were over their jet lag and I was anxious to take them on their first hike in their new home country.  Paul Judd, a bud from work, wanted to show me the nice hike up to the dams on the Dumbea River so so we met up with him and his three dogs (one of which was a pit bull, an animal we'd had little previous interest) and off we went.  All told, it was a great introduction to hiking in New Caledonia!