Visitors in Noumea, New Caledonia

Quartermoon
Mike Share & Sammy Byron
Wed 27 Oct 2010 06:10
It has been a strange time here in Port Moselle. We have been so lucky to have our friends on 'Ghost', 'Go Beyond' and 'A Small Nest' here and although we feel so sad about QM they have tried in everyway to  make our time here with them as fun as possible!.
Brad and Kat pulled out all stops again and hosted a dock party for all the visiting boats which was great fun. Everyone is trying to diminish their booze supplies before hitting Australia as the rumours say that any excess will be confiscated! I think the whole dock was suffering from  a sore head the next day.
 
              
 
 
Gav and Akio arrived on Saturday, a few days after we arrived in Noumea. Unfortunately for them they were thrown into the midst of us trying to sort Quartermoon. Not the holiday they had in mind I'm sure.
 
Mike was very glad to see them and I am sure Kronenberg were happy to see their New Caledonia beer sales sky-rocket to an all time high!
 
                  
 
We did manage to escape the stinking marina (reeks of urine as apparently the sewage pipes go straight into the marina - 3rd world style) as Brad and Kat kindly offered to take us all out to Isle De Maitre on their yacht "Ghost". That is testament to the fact they hadn't seen Mike, Gav and Akio in full effect before. It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon, eating smoked Salmon, drinking Champagne and a BBQ onboard.
 
We almost ended up eating a 20 tonne fish that Akio nearly caught (with a chicken drumstick as bait) but it was so huge that when it took off it snapped the heavy line, taking Brad's lure with it! I think we may have been in serious trouble if he had managed to reel it in.... we have since found out it is a marine sanctuary, Oops! 
 
 
 
                  
 
We found a few good bars and restaurants and it was great to catch up with the guys as well as Casper & Maud from "Sueno Azul" and MAds & Elin from "Go Beyond".
 
       
 
 
Just so sad we couldn't show QM in her full colours and get the boys out for a sail. Even so, they seemed absolutely content to consume more beer in 3 days than the average Frenchie drinks in his lifetime. We also got out for a dive near the Amedee lighthouse pass on the lagoon's outer reef. (That is where we should be leaving around now en route for Oz). The first dive was average with current against us but some big fish. Luckily the instructor was saved from later abuse at the last minute as there were 2 HUGE manta's hanging in the current which turned a quite average dive into a spectacular one. The 2nd dive was really good; we were expecting some lame wreck after the Coolidge but it was a reasonable sized Japanese fishing trawler (best place for it on the sea bed....) in great condition with plenty of big fish and tons of opportunities to explore tight places. The poor instructor had panic on his face as he tried to keep his eyes on 7 of us who were dead set on penetrating different parts of the wreck and had no interest in where he was showing us outside! (Oh did we mention Akio stayed home on QM to try and grow us a new mast. Diving was secondary to consuming yet more beer!)