NEXT STORY: Goodbye Sydney, My Love! – or – Back to South Pacific Cruise page
The final stop on the Celebrity Solstice South Pacific cruise was the Isle of Pines, New Caledonia. This island was hands down the most beautiful island on the trip, which was upsetting, because I was SO SICK! (I had come down with something that felt like bronchitis, but I think it was really allergies.)
Anywho, I almost didn’t leave the ship at this stop because I felt so bad, but then I thought, If I don’t see it now, I’ll have missed it forever! So I pulled up my big girl pants and hopped on a tender for the trip to the island – and I’m so glad I did! Here is what I could see from the ship:
On shore, there was a long, white beach near the dock, where many people chose to do their swimming and sunbathing. It was also a popular place for small boats to throw anchor and stop for a while.
A dirt road ran through the trees behind the beach, and if you crossed the road, there was more beautiful sand and water and gorgeous vignettes for photos, though not the best place for swimming.
There was a little cove just down from there where most of the tourists preferred to swim.
Interesting views here, for sure! The tree on the beach looks like it’s doing the limbo. The other pic looks like one tree is hugging another, or maybe it’s a gigantic slingshot!
And of course there was shopping, as well as some beautiful natural landscapes and flowers!
It was such perfect day, and this was the perfect last stop on a fabulous cruise!
Wikipedia says:
The Isle of Pines (French: Île des Pins; name in Kanak language Kwênyii: Kunyié) is an island located in the Pacific Ocean, in the archipelago of New Caledonia, an overseas collectivity of France. The island is part of the commune (municipality) of L’Île-des-Pins, in the South Province of New Caledonia. The Isle of Pines is nicknamed l’île la plus proche du paradis (“the closest island to Paradise”). It has snorkeling and scuba diving in and around its lagoon. Species of tropical fish and corals can be seen in the transparent water.
NEXT STORY: Goodbye Sydney, My Love! – or – Back to South Pacific Cruise page
Mel Erickson: Writer, Traveler, Observer, Occasional Deep Thinker 
One thought on “Isle of Pines, New Caledonia”