Drive yourself.
If you’re staying in New Caledonia for longer than an extended weekend, renting a car can be handy to explore the areas that surround Nouméa, providing driving European style on the right hand side of the road doesn’t deter you. Holding an international driving licence is not a necessity, as long as you have a current Australian driving licence, are over 21 years old and have minimum of one to two years experience. There are plenty of options for car rental either at Tontouta Airport or in Nouméa.
For those taking a shorter break you can easily explore Nouméa using local transport. Apart from being much cheaper it’s also present an opportunity to rub shoulders with the locals and spend more time soaking in the tropical atmosphere.
Take a Taxi.
Taxis are a convenient way to get around. You can request a taxi with an English speaking driver, however most drivers have a command of English that will enable you to easily get around. If you do find a driver with limited English a handy tip is to ask your hotel concierge to write down your destination in French before you set out. The main taxi rank in Nouméa is located on the corner of Austerlitz and Antole France Streets in the city centre. There is also another at Anse Vata. Your hotel can naturally arrange for a taxi to come and pick you up. Taxis can take a maximum of four people and, as in Australia, prices are charged at fixed rates. Prices vary depending on the traffic, as a guide from Anse Vata to the city centre is approximately 1,200 XFP ($16.80).
On the Buses.
Nouméa has an excellent and reliable public bus system, which operates from near all major hotels to the city and major tourist destinations. Operating from 5am to 7pm weekdays, buses run every 15-20 minutes. On weekends the schedule starts a little later and finishes a little earlier, with up to 30 minutes between departures. There are eight routes which are numbered and colour-coded for convenience. The green bus goes through the city centre to the main beaches and through to Kuendu beach in Novelle, while the blue bus goes north the Magenta Airport and the Tjibaou Centre. Tickets can be purchased on board or at the main bus stations for around 170 XFP (A$2.40) one way.
