27 May 2011:

Back at Jérôme's place, a nice view of the mountains (possibly Mount Dore) glowing softly in the sunset. For my last night in New Caledonia, we went to a very cool nakamal (kava club) with lots of dark nooks and crannies to sit in and play board games. Afterwards, we had a drink in a club/restaurant complex on a pier hovering over the water, with underwater rocks and patterns clearly visible.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-14.html

27 May 2011:

If you look closely, you can see Phare Amédée (the lighthouse) in the distance. Apparently some tour companies run jet ski trips out there, where it's a good place to hang out and go snorkelling.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-14.html

27 May 2011:

A view of the Anse Vata waterfront. You can see the tower that Jérôme lives in in the distance.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-14.html

27 May 2011:

I got back relatively early, so spent a bit of time seeing the waterfront of Anse Vata. There seems to be a lot of little resort-like islands to hang out at. There were a few water taxi services servicing these islands.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-14.html

27 May 2011:

My ticket for the museum. They also had a nice collection of artifacts from other Melanesian and Polynesian cultures from the South Pacific, including a good display of masks from Vanuatu and a sampling of tapa cloth work from a variety of areas.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-14.html

27 May 2011:

Wow, what a huge and important-looking roof spire. I wonder what that was originally used for. Roof spires are very important in Kanak culture, and features prominently on the Kanaky flag.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-14.html

27 May 2011:

Visiting the Musée Territorial de Nouvell-Calédonie, the Museum of New Caledonia, I found enough roof spikes to keep me occupied for a long time! There really wasn't a lot of tourists. I think I saw one of two tourist couples at the museum while I was there.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-14.html

27 May 2011:

Another view of one of the spikes of the huts. Man, I'm really getting obsessed with these things. Larger and more important spikes are often decorated with conch shells. Conch shells seem to be an important symbol, and seem to be used at important sites as well, such as on spires by the grave of Jean-Marie Tjibaou in Tiendanite.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-14.html

27 May 2011:

Another view of how well the shapes blended into the trees.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-14.html

27 May 2011:

Barringtonia asiatica, the Fish Poision Tree has quite surprising squarish fruits about the size of a fist. The poisonous fruits used to be used for fishing, but is now outlawed in many places due to reef destruction. There was a nice trail which pointed out many of the native plants.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-14.html

27 May 2011:

View of the pavilions of the Jean-Marie Tjibaou Centre from the side.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-14.html

27 May 2011:

This is the view that the statue of Jean-Marie Tjibaou gazes out at.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-14.html

27 May 2011:

Kind of a surprising statue, considering that Kanak, and many Melanesian cultures, is quite conservative. I'm not too sure what the significance of the penis-looking thing is, but warriors apparently carry it, as seen in this photo. In a museum, I saw a club where the striking head was a ring of boobs. Maybe sex-themed weapons were common in this part of the world.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-14.html

27 May 2011:

I thought this statue of Jean-Marie Tjibaou on the grassy hill overlooking the centre was quite fitting. Dominique and I parted ways here.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-14.html

27 May 2011:

A view of the spires of the centre amongst the trees. For some reason, the sun reflecting off the tip of the tallest spire in this photo makes this look very futuristic to me, and reminds me of Star Wars. A great feat of design to create a building with such sharp shapes that blend softly into the landscape using traditional materials that also seem futuristic.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-14.html

27 May 2011:

Close-up of one of the spires at the top of the huts. This thick decorated spike of wood is the last step of hut construction. A tight fit is vital to seal out the rain where the thatched roof converges. In addition, the spike can also carry the symbol of the tribe or resident.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-14.html

27 May 2011:

The insides of the hut are big enough to support a fireplace too! Must be very cozy on cold nights.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-14.html

27 May 2011:

The door of a hut viewed from the inside.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-14.html

27 May 2011:

The inside of one of the huts. I think this would make an awesome house, if a few open floors were added, with perhaps a ramp or staircase of sorts spiralling up. A few windows wouldn't hurt either.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-14.html

27 May 2011:

Another one of the huts. I'm really starting to like the spires at the top of the huts.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-14.html

27 May 2011:

One of the three traditional Kanak huts in the centre, each one was of a different style.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-14.html

27 May 2011:

The "spires" of the pavilions blended quite naturally into the landscape, even though the shapes are quite jarring in a way.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-14.html

27 May 2011:

A view up at one of the 10 "cases" or "pavilions" of the centre. The design by Renzo Piano is inspired by traditional Kanak ideas of impermanence and blending into the landscape, and incorporates traditional materials. Dominique interpreted the shape of the centre as a grove of tall trees from a distance.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-14.html

27 May 2011:

Close-up of the frame forming the recognisable shape of the centre. Completed in 1998 after 6 years of work, the centre celebrates the indigenous Kanak culture, as well as serving as a showcase of other cultures in the Pacific, both modern and historical.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-14.html

27 May 2011:

A cool plant in the very modern complex, consisting of museums, art galleries, libraries, and rooms for lessons.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-14.html

27 May 2011:

Since Dominique's flight wasn't until the afternoon, we went to the famous Jean-Marie Tjibaou Centre. See? I told you he was famous.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-14.html