Where are the ducks on Duck Island?

22nd December and we are off to Noumea. The boat docks in Noumea so no tender boats are needed which made leaving the ship a lot more simple.

As we exited  I saw a sign for Duck Island and a lady was quick to help us order a Hop-on Hop-Off Bus ticket which included the Duck Island pass as well. This cost us a total of $24 each. Great considering the tour I had looked into doing was $70.

As soon as my husband and our friend entered the water at Duck Island they saw a turtle. An experience I missed out on. I did however get to snorkel once I got my mask sorted and wow the sea life there was amazing. I could have stayed in there for the day if my mask was ok. Take note – the sun beds on the island are at an extra cost of approximately $45.

Once we were finished snorkelling we jumped back on the bus and decided to visit the aquarium. I highly recommend this if you have a stop in Noumea. We bought a family pass for the equivalent of $38aus. We had to pay with credit card as they did not accept foreign cash.

Seeing the Nautilus were breathtaking for myself. Among the many other amazing animals they had on show.

While waiting for the bus to take us to our next stop we couldn’t help but notice how many Porsche’s drove past. Clearly this is an island with more money than others. The kids wanted to head to Maccas (Macdonalds for my overseas readers) for lunch, naturally, so we ate there. Blurck. Not enjoyable for me at all. I know how cultured of us. I did make the statement we are in another country where we can try new food and you guys want to eat Maccas. But of course that fell on deaf ears.

I had to do wages this day so after lunch we wandered the streets until we found an internet café. I know it’s a holiday and I’m still working. The joys of owning your own business I guess. I finally got the wages done and had a lovely chat with the French man who ran the store. He stated that the French on the island are not real French like he is from the mainland. I found that interesting.

We found a French patisserie and of course had to try some of their delicacies. Unfortunately I found them too sweet for me and was unable to finish my deliciousness. I had the Banana Chantilly shown below. You can probably understand why I couldn’t finish it. Yum!

The smell on the streets was a bit unpalatable, it smelled like sewerage, but not on every street. Strange.

I really loved hearing the language and seeing the currency. Oh and realizing we had sea legs! Haha.

We finished our day relaxing on the grass before boarding the ship again off to our next destination.

Next stop – Lifou Island

Xo S