Nine must-do highlights of Noumea, New Caledonia

The restaurant

A fine reason for visiting Noumea, the capital of New Caledonia, a French territory under three hours by air from Sydney, is its variety of Gallic culinary delights. If you only dine at one restaurant ensure that it is Marmite et Tire-Bouchon. At this relaxed modern French bistro you’ll enjoy dishes so imaginatively conceived and beautifully presented that you won’t even need to shut your eyes to pretend you’re somewhere in mainland France. See marmiteettirebouchon.nc

Waterfront Noumea.Credit: iStock

The beach club

Something of a Noumea institution, MV Lounge is set in a leafy and sandy nook right at the northern crest of Baie des Citrons (Lemon Bay). A beach club cum outdoor bar, there are tables and chairs spread out above and along the adjacent golden sands. Suffice to say there’s no better locale to enjoy sundowners over the Pacific than right here. See newcaledonia.travel

The markets

The Queen Vic they ain’t, but Noumea’s Port Moselle Markets are well worth an early morning visit for the chance to mingle with the purveyors of the fresh subtropical produce on display, not to mention the cosmopolitan customers. Pull up a stool at the unpretentious central cafe, La Buvette de Marche, and order a croque madame and cafe while absorbing the Franco-Pacific atmosphere. See newcaledonia.travel

The lunch spot

Hidden away on a quiet corner in Noumea’s so-called Latin Quarter, not far from the Port Moselle markets (see above), is La Guinguette. Named after the term for a popular French suburban-style tavern, this cool brunch and lunch spot is easy to miss but unmissable. Choose from a blackboard lunch menu of Mediterranean-influenced dishes (the youngish owners hail from Marseilles), including locally caught seafood such as tuna steaks, while for brunch it’s all granola, pancakes and good espresso. See facebook.com/bistrotLaGuinguette/

The lookout

Looking back over Noumea and Moselle Bay.Credit: iStock

Not only are the 360-degree views of Noumea and the Pacific superb, especially at dusk, from the 132-metre Ouen Toro Hill, just up from Le Meridien Noumea Resort & Spa (see below), there’s also an Australian historical connection. In 1941, the Australian Army installed a pair of 1.55-metre-long cannons designed to repel a Japanese invasion which, unlike other islands in the Pacific, never eventuated.

The architectural marvel

The Jean Marie Djibaou Kanak cultural centre, designed by architect Renzo Piano.Credit: Alamy

Renzo Piano’s masterly Tjibaou Cultural Centre, named in honour of the indigenous Kanak independence leader, Jean-Marie Tjibaou, is a must-visit. Built within a gorgeous bayside and forested setting, only a short drive from the centre of town, the centre consists mostly of 10 towering ribbed steel and timber structures inspired by traditional Kanak huts. See centretjibaou.nc

The cafe

Any Australian coffee connoisseur who has been to Paris is aware that this is not one of the strengths of the French, something also generally evident in far-flung Noumea. But this rule absolutely does not apply at Lemon Bay Cafe, named after its enviable Baie des Citrons beachside location. It feels so authentically antipodean, in the best possible way, that it’s no surprise to discover that it’s the product of a couple, he from Australia and she from New Caledonia. See facebook.com/LemonbayCafe/

The island day-hop

There are an estimated 8.7 million sea kraits in the world and most of these land-going marine snakes seem to view Amedee Island, Noumea’s popular paradiscal day-trip destination, as home. But fear not (well, maybe a little) because, while venomous, bites from these ubiquitous fetchingly banded creatures are exceedingly rare. Amedee’s crowning man-made glory is its nearly 60-metre, Insta-friendly white lighthouse, erected here in 1865 and France’s first such structure to be built from metal. See amedeeisland.com

The accommodation

New Caledonia, with an economy enriched by untold nickel reserves, can seem ambivalent about tourism, something reflected in the nature of places to stay (Fiji it isn’t but the food, as evidenced in this guide, is better). However, you’ll be perfectly comfortable and well-located at Noumea’s two best resorts, Le Meridien Resort and Spa and Chateau Royal Beach Resort & Spa. See marriott.com; hotelchateauroyal.nc

The sweets

One final, deliciously persuasive reason for a visit to Noumea is the fact that it boasts some of the best patisseries and chocolatiers this side of the Arc de Triomphe. The locals are absolutely devoted to Au Peche Mignon on Rue Jules Garnier for cakes, while for handmade soft and hard centres everyone swears by Chocolats Morand in the Latin Quarter with its astounding range. See aupechemignon.nc

One more thing

Following shark attacks, including a fatal incident involving an Australian tourist, earlier this year, beaches in Noumea were closed to swimmers. However, they have since reopened, including the popular beach at Baie des Citrons, where a 750-metres wide “shark barrier” has been erected. Lifeguards are on duty between 8.45 am and 5 pm (4 pm in the cooler season) with swimming outside those times at the risk of swimmers.

The writer travelled as a guest of New Caledonia Tourism and Aircalin. See newcaledonia.travel; aircalin.com.au