Troubles in Noumea

[toowongman]

Thanks for all the updates. Glad you are home safe and sound

Thank you. Yes, home. First stop was the coffee club at arrivals. Unfortunately, upon entering the terminal we were all shepherded straight into passport control, no duty free. Many people disappointed.

Various estimates have shown that at least 80-odd people are scattered around New Caledonia without the ability to safely return to Noumea. That is the next challenge for DFAT.

Trip report to follow next week. Thank you everyone here for following along and your comments and feedback.

 

[FlyboyAl]

Welcome home. Looks like you missed the upgrade to F!

 

[toowongman]

Welcome home. Looks like you missed the upgrade to F!

Thanks. Nobody was across from me on the herc so I had plenty of leg room. And the crew gave me a second sandwich and biscuits. I suspect that's about as good as it gets.

 

[SYD]

Thanks. Nobody was across from me on the herc so I had plenty of leg room. And the crew gave me a second sandwich and biscuits. I suspect that's about as good as it gets.

“Business Class” on a Herc is the forward seats, starboard side (no one needs to climb over your heading back and fourth but it’s FILO and just as noisy as every other seat .

But welcome back. Sounds like it was a tad more eventful than my trip last year!

 

[AIRwin]

Thank you. Yes, home. First stop was the coffee club at arrivals. Unfortunately, upon entering the terminal we were all shepherded straight into passport control, no duty free. Many people disappointed.

Various estimates have shown that at least 80-odd people are scattered around New Caledonia without the ability to safely return to Noumea. That is the next challenge for DFAT.

Trip report to follow next week. Thank you everyone here for following along and your comments and feedback.

Hope you're less Misérables! Anyone noticed my references above to various songs from the musical?

 

[love_the_life]

Hope you're less Misérables! Anyone noticed my references above to various songs from the musical?

Couldn’t miss them!

 

[Mwenenzi]

Another NZ Air Force flight today

Fourth repatriation flight bringing New Zealanders home from New Caledonia

A Defence Force Hercules has left the New Caledonian capital and is heading to Auckland with about 57 people on board.

www.rnz.co.nz

http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=c%3Ablue%2CNOU-AKL%2C+NOU-BNE%2C+mel%2C+wlg%0D%0A%0D%0A&MS=bm&PW=3&DU=mi

 

[AIRwin]

Just noticed Aircalin is operating a NOU-BNE-SIN flight today

 

[GrahamBRI]

Antonov AN-124 just landed in Noumea (from France, via Cairns). Not sure it is there for evacuations. Must be bringing in some big hardware.......

 

[JohnK]

I've been reading with interest and glad you're out of there safely @toowongman.

Luckily New Caledonia was never on my to do list. Sounds too volatile for my liking. Hope they can get this sorted quickly.

 

[drron]

I've been reading with interest and glad you're out of there safely @toowongman.

Luckily New Caledonia was never on my to do list. Sounds too volatile for my liking. Hope they can get this sorted quickly.

But you go to Thailand which is pretty volatile. We have had 3 incidents. An Army coup in the 70s on the day we arrived. The Red Shirts taking over a couple of buildings and we were due to fly when the yellow shirts took over the airport.

 

[toowongman]

I've been reading with interest and glad you're out of there safely @toowongman.

Luckily New Caledonia was never on my to do list. Sounds too volatile for my liking. Hope they can get this sorted quickly.

Thank you. Give them a year, you'll be fine.

 

[N860CR]

Thanks for sharing. I was there a week before and hadn’t even put any thought into such drama before the spontaneous visit!

There was a fairly large protest happening which I never expected to escalate to such a level



To be honest, given the number of Palestinian flags being waived, I figured it was just a large group latching onto the latest fad!

Glad you made it hope. Hopefully things settle there. It’s such a lovely island so close to home (and I love flying AirCalin on the 330 for such a short flight).