Post by Peter Lewis on Aug 13, 2006 12:07:32 GMT 12
Last month I was able to spend several days on Grande Terre, and visit some sites of aviation/military interest.
There are two major airfields near Noumea - La Tontouta, which is 45km north of the town (the international airport), and Magenta, on the north east outskirts of Noumea itself.
La Tontouta was the prewar airfield (though no signs of that now remain) and during WW2 was heavily used by American aircraft transiting from the US to Australia. As well as civil airliners, from time to time there is French Naval aviation activity at La Tontouta.
Magenta, a wartime field, is home to local airlines and general aviation, including an aero club, parachuting activity and helicopters. This is also the departure point for tourist flights to the Ile de Pins (Isle of Pines) using ATR42 aircraft.
The only aviation relic that I could find around here was the tailgroup off a DH89, the original commuter plane to the island
Although the Japanese forces were not able to invade New Caledonia, the area was right in the front line of the war and was a major base for American, Australian and New Zealand forces. The population was and still is grateful for their presence, and there a number of well maintained memorials throughout the country commemorating this part of their history. Right in the centre of the Noumea waterfront there is an elaborate French - American friendship memorial:
We stayed near the Baie des Citrons in Noumea, and just back from the waterfront there is a small area with several streets named after French aviation heros - Breguet, Bleriot, St Expury, Nungesser and others:
Heading north up west coast of the island, just before the town of Bourail, there is a New Zealand military cemetery maintained by the Allied War Graves Commission:
The cemetery is located on a ridge, and runs from the access road down to a memorial wall. There are about 240 grave plaques, plus a large number of names of those who have no known burial site on the memorial wall. A nice touch was the lisiting of a considerable number of pacific island natives, who's efforts are usually forgotten, on this wall.
Continuing north, 300 km north-west of Noumea, just before the village of Pouembout, there are the remains of a huge American air base at Plaine Des Gaiacs. This remote field is now completely deserted, but there is a memorial erected by a service club.
Looking down on the airfield site, the layout of the runways is still visible:
This airfield was used by the RNZAF during the 1940s, and the wreckage of Hudson NZ2023 is still on site
There are local air services from Magenta to up country towns, and airfields with sealed strips to accommodate this activity. This is the terminal at Kone:
But there seemed to be little GA activity outside the Noumea area. At Kone there was just one light aircraft, a TB20
The last town of any size heading north is Koumac. Beside the main traffic circle in this town there is a Catholic Church which was moved to the site in 1950. Prior to that, I am told the building served as an aircraft hangar:
Looking at the interior of this building, given the location of the supporting pillars, folding wings would have been a prerequisite!
Koumac airfield is again based on a prewar field, but now seems to be fairly derelict. Outside the tiny terminal there is another memorial to the allied forces:
Tracking back down the island through the east coast, there a a couple of abandoned small airfields in the area and some WW2 Quonset huts at Poindimie.
My general impressions of New Caledonie is the very high prices there (NZD8.00 for a coffee, NZD16.00 for a cheeseburger, NZD455.00 per person for a day trip to the Island of Pines) and the lack of any tourist infrastructure outside the Noumea/Ile de Pins axis. The place basically survives on the nickel mines.
There are two major airfields near Noumea - La Tontouta, which is 45km north of the town (the international airport), and Magenta, on the north east outskirts of Noumea itself.
La Tontouta was the prewar airfield (though no signs of that now remain) and during WW2 was heavily used by American aircraft transiting from the US to Australia. As well as civil airliners, from time to time there is French Naval aviation activity at La Tontouta.
Magenta, a wartime field, is home to local airlines and general aviation, including an aero club, parachuting activity and helicopters. This is also the departure point for tourist flights to the Ile de Pins (Isle of Pines) using ATR42 aircraft.
The only aviation relic that I could find around here was the tailgroup off a DH89, the original commuter plane to the island
Although the Japanese forces were not able to invade New Caledonia, the area was right in the front line of the war and was a major base for American, Australian and New Zealand forces. The population was and still is grateful for their presence, and there a number of well maintained memorials throughout the country commemorating this part of their history. Right in the centre of the Noumea waterfront there is an elaborate French - American friendship memorial:
We stayed near the Baie des Citrons in Noumea, and just back from the waterfront there is a small area with several streets named after French aviation heros - Breguet, Bleriot, St Expury, Nungesser and others:
Heading north up west coast of the island, just before the town of Bourail, there is a New Zealand military cemetery maintained by the Allied War Graves Commission:
The cemetery is located on a ridge, and runs from the access road down to a memorial wall. There are about 240 grave plaques, plus a large number of names of those who have no known burial site on the memorial wall. A nice touch was the lisiting of a considerable number of pacific island natives, who's efforts are usually forgotten, on this wall.
Continuing north, 300 km north-west of Noumea, just before the village of Pouembout, there are the remains of a huge American air base at Plaine Des Gaiacs. This remote field is now completely deserted, but there is a memorial erected by a service club.
Looking down on the airfield site, the layout of the runways is still visible:
This airfield was used by the RNZAF during the 1940s, and the wreckage of Hudson NZ2023 is still on site
There are local air services from Magenta to up country towns, and airfields with sealed strips to accommodate this activity. This is the terminal at Kone:
But there seemed to be little GA activity outside the Noumea area. At Kone there was just one light aircraft, a TB20
The last town of any size heading north is Koumac. Beside the main traffic circle in this town there is a Catholic Church which was moved to the site in 1950. Prior to that, I am told the building served as an aircraft hangar:
Looking at the interior of this building, given the location of the supporting pillars, folding wings would have been a prerequisite!
Koumac airfield is again based on a prewar field, but now seems to be fairly derelict. Outside the tiny terminal there is another memorial to the allied forces:
Tracking back down the island through the east coast, there a a couple of abandoned small airfields in the area and some WW2 Quonset huts at Poindimie.
My general impressions of New Caledonie is the very high prices there (NZD8.00 for a coffee, NZD16.00 for a cheeseburger, NZD455.00 per person for a day trip to the Island of Pines) and the lack of any tourist infrastructure outside the Noumea/Ile de Pins axis. The place basically survives on the nickel mines.