toowongman
Active Member
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2006
- Posts
- 591
So here we are back in Noumea, on day nine of ten. The local Kanaks have been very unhappy
www.nzherald.co.nz
Yesterday while driving home from the Dumbea river swimming spot (Le Trou Des Nurses) local drivers were a lot more ... aggressive to us on the road. Heading back down the main expressway into the centre of Noumea, lots of people were burning up rubbish and whatever they could find on the side of the road, and also waving sticks at cars driving past. Quite dangerous for the protestors really. They were setting looted car wheels on fire and rolling them down the motorway.
So we just sped up and head over to our next stop which was to try and look at the cannons past the university, big mistake there. The car copped a few flag poles as we drove through the melee out and back.
Rest of the night in the hotel room; and the town was a lot quieter.
Wake up this morning, old mate at reception tells me not to leave Anse Vata or Citron Bay, and there's a curfew tonight. First world problem, but the bakery down the street was closed and the airport, etc., is also closed.
Hopefully the airport re-opens tomorrow. We've been told to ... drive faster to the airport if something happens on the road tomorrow and report to the gendarmes that will be posted there. Interesting times ahead. Hopefully the situation can be sorted out, however over the long term I doubt it.
Burning tyres, gunshots and explosions: New Caledonia rocked by riots and unrest
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has cancelled his planned trip to the island.
Yesterday while driving home from the Dumbea river swimming spot (Le Trou Des Nurses) local drivers were a lot more ... aggressive to us on the road. Heading back down the main expressway into the centre of Noumea, lots of people were burning up rubbish and whatever they could find on the side of the road, and also waving sticks at cars driving past. Quite dangerous for the protestors really. They were setting looted car wheels on fire and rolling them down the motorway.
So we just sped up and head over to our next stop which was to try and look at the cannons past the university, big mistake there. The car copped a few flag poles as we drove through the melee out and back.
Rest of the night in the hotel room; and the town was a lot quieter.
Wake up this morning, old mate at reception tells me not to leave Anse Vata or Citron Bay, and there's a curfew tonight. First world problem, but the bakery down the street was closed and the airport, etc., is also closed.
Hopefully the airport re-opens tomorrow. We've been told to ... drive faster to the airport if something happens on the road tomorrow and report to the gendarmes that will be posted there. Interesting times ahead. Hopefully the situation can be sorted out, however over the long term I doubt it.
