Travel Isle of Pines Eat KUNIE KAA Bulimes, or escargots de l’le des Pins, are endemic to the island and are beloved by the locals. At Gite Nataiwatch’s Kunie Kaa restaurant, a plate of the lightly seasoned gastropods will set you back around $40. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. nataiwatch.com KOU-BUGNY Try the local blue shrimp at Kuto Bay’s restaurant Kou-Bugny. They come crumbed and lightly pan-fried. This local specialty isn’t cheap but is worth every cent. kou-bugny.com Sleep LE MÉRIDIEN ILE DES PINES is the island’s only five-star resort. Situated on a natural lagoon, it features a range of rooms, suites and bungalows, including some overlooking the beach and lush coconut grove. There’s an infinity pool, gym, spa, restaurant, small gift shop and complimentary use of gear for snorkelling. Breakfast is included, while lunch and dinner feature a delicious mash-up of French and Kanak cuisine. lemeridieniledespins.com Play VANILLA PLANTATION Visit the vanilla field near Gadji for a fascinating look at how this expensive spice is grown. Tiphaine, a recent arrival from France, will give you a tour of the property and show you how she grows, dries and exports the fragrant vanilla pods. QUEEN HORTENSE’S GROTTO Check out Queen Hortense’s Grotto, an impressive cave hidden in the belly of limestone cliffs. The popular attraction gets its name from the island’s former queen who was forced to hide there for almost a year in1855, thanks to an uncle who objected to her ascending the throne. I’m awake the next morning before the mosquitoes to visit Pic Nga, a 45-minute thigh-curdling hike 262m to the island’s highest point. It’s worth it, though, for the views across the island, from Kuto Bay, where the cruise ships dock, to the rocky outcrop of Kanumera, which the locals consider sacred. In between are bright slashes of pink, spilled by the island’s many bougainvilleas. Zerena tells me I can’t leave the island without experiencing a pirogue, a traditional outrigger canoe with a single triangular sail. It just so happens that her shy, dreadlocked cousin Daniel owns one, so at the picturesque Baie de St Joseph we clamber aboard the vintage vessel. Gliding elegantly across the waters with no one else in sight, the only sound the salt water gently hitting the outrigger, we spot stingrays and green turtles, which play around the boat, diving like synchronised swimmers in search of food. The 90 minutes I spend on the pirogue does more for my stress levels than a week of downward dogs ever could. I run into my German breakfast companions several times during my stay (it’s a small island), and each time they look more blissfully in love. I tell them I’ll be back to the Isle of Pines, but next time with my husband in tow. newcaledonia.travel/nz Above: Carved poles at Saint Maurice Bay. Right: The church at Vao.Clo Getting there Holiday Packages 0800 747 222 Holidays Travel Brokers 0800 737 767 airnewzealand.co.nz ISLE OF PINES Air New Zealand offers non-stop flights to Noumea from Auckland with connections from across the domestic network. PHOTOGRAPHY ALAMY, GETTY, SHARON STEPHENSON 54 <strong>Kia</strong> <strong>Ora</strong>
Travel Australia RIDING THE The Ghan rumbles through the immense, parched Australian interior between Darwin and Adelaide, following in the tracks of pioneer railway builders and cameleers. STORY JENNY FARRELL RAILS 56 <strong>Kia</strong> <strong>Ora</strong> <strong>Sept</strong>ember 2017 57
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