Noumea, New Caledonia on a budget?

[JerseyVics]

Sorry if this is not an appropriate forum for this...

What is the most cost effective way of getting to this French island?

I'd like to go there before I leave Australia and can't really justify spending $550+ on a return flight considering how expensive hotels are there.

With the recent $150 cash back for PayPal purchases on WebJet it seems I could go there for roughly $450... but ideally I'd like to stay under $400 on such a short flight.

Ideas?

thanks,
--Russ

[docjames]

Your problem is anything to do with New Caledonia does not have cheap in the same discussion!

$500 or so is about the going rate last time i looked.

Presume you've looked at www.newcaledonia.com.au ?

And you've looked at prices on aircalin (directly rather than via agent)?

[docjames]

AirCalin listing $399 as "specials" 18Apr - 12Dec. You'll no doubt need to be very flexible with dates!

[JerseyVics]

AirCalin listing $399 as "specials" 18Apr - 12Dec. You'll no doubt need to be very flexible with dates!

$399 is base fare + tax its around $550

I saw it as low as $349 a few months ago and it was just under $500 total.

So it seems $450AU is the best rate so far...

Do you get Qantas points for booking via WebJet (and paying for a Aircalin flight operated by Qantas)???

[ANstar]

It is incredibly expensive once you get there. We went over easter and nearly fell over at some of the prices... even at the supermarket prices were extremely high....

the XPF is tied to the Euro, so everything is priced accordingly and then some....make sure you have $$$$$$$$$$ to spend there.

[lovetravellingoz]

NC is a great place to visit...and I spent two weeks there in March 2008.

However as already noted by another NC is not at all cheap.

You will pay European Prices for most things..food, hotels, tours etc.
Though car-hire is good value.
It's aiport Tax rate is high tow.

Other Islands are cheaper...but NC has it's own flavour and is well worth visiting despite the extra cost.

[JerseyVics]

I noticed that it was very expensive when checking hotel prices the last time Qantas had a sale...

I was sort of hoping it would be like Saint Martin in the Caribbean where they have 1 USD to 1 Euro at most restaurants... so you get a great deal even with the high European prices. I went there last year and absolutely loved it!

--Russ

[Robert Barlow]

NC is a great place to visit...and I spent two weeks there in March 2008.

However as already noted by another NC is not at all cheap.

You will pay European Prices for most things..food, hotels, tours etc.
Though car-hire is good value.
It's aiport Tax rate is high tow.

Other Islands are cheaper...but NC has it's own flavour and is well worth visiting despite the extra cost.

You are right about Nouvelle Caledonie being a good place to visit and not being cheap. We stayed at Novotel Le Surf at Rocher a la Voile. Good restaurants in the Baie des Citrons. On the last night I took my wife to the restaurant Le Roof up the northern (?) end of Anse Vata. What a great place - but it cost XPF12,500. Quel dommage