New Caledonia was only ever supposed to be a stopover, a pause on a family sailing trip around the world. “But we discovered,” a French national, Xavier Decramer, says from his boat in the Nouméa marina, “a very nice place to stay and to live. The infrastructure was amazing as far as the roads, the libraries, the schools … and also a very peaceful place.
“It’s small, people are kind to each other … say hi to everyone … It was a very courteous place, and, and we really enjoyed that.”
