December 15, 2001
ILES DES PINS

At some point in its geological history Iles des Pins broke away from the mainland of New Caledonia (Grande Terre) and, although only 50 kilometers from Noumea, it is entirely different. For one thing, 95 percent of the inhabitants are Kanaks as opposed to 40 percent on Grande Terre.

The Kanak people live in eight clans around the island and live off subsistence farming and exports of forest snails--considered a delicacy by aficionados.

The underlying red of the interior is evidence of the island's parentage, but unlike Baie de Prony, Iles des Pins is surrounded by a protective rim of white coral sand. We anchored in Baie de Kotu in pure unadulterated turquoise water facing a mile-long beach that looked like a fluorescent light tube when the sun was reflected on it. We have rarely anchored in such a beautiful spot.

Our first stroll ashore took us through a magical forest canopy to the next bay, which was even more stunning. Grappling for suitable superlatives, we returned to the boat to watch in awe as a fat melting sun fizzed into the ocean and turned the sky the same ochre as the hills surrounding the anchorage. We liked it here.

Speleologists would like it too. There are no less than three caves on the island, all dripping with stalactites and one with a pool sufficiently deep to scuba dive in.

At the other extreme, Mt. N'ga is the highest peak on the island and overlooks Kotu anchorage. It is a hot, steep but rewarding hour-long walk to the summit. We were adopted by a dog as we walked toward the trail and she accompanied us to the top and back down again. Maybe she knew that walkers always carry sandwiches in their packs or maybe she just enjoys the company. She stayed with us until we were back on the road, then gave us a cheery wag of her tail and left us.

The island gets its name from the Araucaria Cooki (Norfolk Pine) trees that used to be abundant here and are still present all around the island. They are rather strange trees, not at all bushy, more like a bottlebrush. They are tall, 40 metres or so, but the branches are never more than two metres long.

Although there are three safe anchorages dotted around the island, the best way to see everything is by scooter. We rented two for the day and scooted around the island, managing to visit all of the caves and the main town of Vao, and still had time for a peaceful lunch overlooking the reef that protects the east side of Iles des Pins.