6 New Caledonia facts that’ll blow you away

6 New Caledonia facts that’ll blow you away

It may be just two and a half hours away from Australia’s east coast, but there’s still much to learn about this laid-back archipelago.

  • New Caledonia is home to some of the world’s most idyllic beaches, which draw over 100 000 tourists each year.

Lifou

@hillymoon

  • The indigenous people of New Caledonia are the Kanaks, who arrived in the archipelago around 3000 years ago. Today, they make up 42% of the population.

Kanak

@trazeetravel

  • The ever-elusive cagou is the national bird of New Caledonia. It cannot fly and barks like a dog.

Cagou

@newcaledoniatourism

  • Locals and the mainland French affectionately refer to New Caledonia as le caillou (‘the pebble’) due to the importance of mineral resources to its economy.

New Cal. Waterfall

@newcaledoniatourism

  • New Caledonia is home to a naturally-occurring, heart-shaped bit of vegetation called ‘The Heart of Voh’.

Heart of Voh

@lesbaroudeurs

  • New Caledonia has an enormous diversity of species. In fact, so many new fish and invertebrates are regularly discovered that it’s hard for scientists to keep up with classifying them.

Clownfish

@pintade_laura

All images sourced from New Caledonia Tourism Instagram feed (@newcaledoniatourism)

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