Ouvea - A Beach Paradise

Oh hi! Our first flight in a much smaller aircraft left me clinging onto Wiji as we seemed to be flying at the most extreme angles...landing was like making a complete nose dive, but apparently this was all normal, ha ha! The airport was tiny, a single room in fact, and we felt sorry for the man pushing the luggage cart single-handedly to the desk, across the tarmac. We seemed to have a lot of stuff with us, what with a whole other bag full of Chinese noodles (student living revisited) and dried foods for our stay.

lol folding wonky steps.


Charly our host at Mowague, was there to meet us in his shiny 4x4 and whizz us down the only road that stretched the length of the island to his beautiful beach side place...ideal! On the way we spotted a turtle from the bridge that joined Ouvea with Mouli, a smaller island, that was even more deserted. We were really pleased that we could make it to Mouli after Jaque's recommendations...but we didn't quite realise it would be sooo beautiful!

On arrival we pitched our tent, (at Charly's request), in a beautiful spot that did seem to encroach on the only other guests beach set up, but we got introduced to Tim, from Australia, and he didn't seem to mind too much.

What an amazing view for the tiny tent!


There was a nice palm shade shelter with a long bench near the ocean that we could admire the landscape and indeed the seascape from...this did seem to occupy us a lot while on Mouli...relaxation was a full time activity, oh god yeah!


After taking in the scenery and getting some good recommendations from Tim (Charly was off into 'town' again, a regular feature). We set off to explore the beach, well part of it. There is 25km of it...so just a bit at a time.

Naturally there was a dog...this one an actual pet called Sandier. We called him 'Itchy Booger'. Lol. Ooooh yeah have a good scratch! What could be more romantic that a beach walk with an itchy doog that won't go away?


It was heavenly, and Wiji was super excited, lol. He even asked me if I knew that the South Pacific would be like this, LOL...yes I did, and its why we are here! Lmao.x


We walked down to the rock line at one end of the beach and decided to have a swim. The dog came with us into the water and wanted to swim after Wiji. It was absolutely hilarious, especially when Wiji couldn't out swim the dog and it kept catching up with him. I was laughing hysterically so couldn't make it out of the water to get the camera for a video, trust me it was priceless.


Wiji swimming after the event, dog free.






Looking back down the beach from where we had walked.


Coral impressions made when the lava was molten, and small caves on the beach.


Glad of finally purchasing some real sunglasses...it was blindingly bright and very hot!


Ouvea has a strong Polynesian influence dating back to the 18th century when Polynesians from Wallis Island arrived and settled with the Kanaks.

In the distance, looking inland from the beach a Kanak case.


A child's whittled spear.


From the shelter we watched some fishermen maneuvering a net into the beach and bringing in their catch. Tim was helping them and came back with these. Later that evening we got taste them...cheers Tim, an unexpected delight! And apart from chatting the night away with Tim around his well tended fire that was day one chilled away!


It was amazing to fall asleep listening to the ocean. In the morning we made a plan of going to the shop (turn right at the run aground yacht).


Itchy Booger came too, causing havoc with a poor ghost crab, that he eventually ate, but not before some yelping and a scuffle silly doog versus poor crab. We tried to intervene, but failed. He then kept trying to overtake us on the walk whilst eating part of a dead fish...nice.


Fishing net laid out on the beach.


Arrrgh! Lol, a hermit crab! Just a piccy this time, no touching!


Fishing nets and equipment.


When it rained we decided to take shelter, but looking at the water we thought that a swim would be much better...


The colours of the sea and sky were ever changing...




Soggy.


Wiji, not really doing any strenuous swimming.


Plenty of looking up and down the deserted beach and thinking what lucky people we are, and having to take just one more photo...


Or have one more swim...


And just continue to admire the colours...


High coral and lava rocks at the other end of our walk.




Mmmm, what is she doing?..


Just chillaxing, watching the seascape.


Ouvea is an atoll that has a long strip of sand and a necklace of islets that encircle the lagoon.




Looking back towards Mouli from Ouvea after crossing the bridge at the end of our walk. A walk that we managed to stretch out to a full days activity, with picnic and plenty of swims. Itchy Booger even gave up on us and went off with another couple...they were actually walking rather that dawdling along like us.


Lone shoes all over the world...what happened to the other one? This was just the place to make time to consider such pressing questions....


From the bridge looking at the caves of stalagtites and stalagmites. From Lekine you could do a guided tour...we thought we might, but didn't get around to it in the end...


Looking down into the water we spotted all sorts of large fish including reef sharks, and then this very graceful Manta Ray! It was enormous and flew along effortlessly.


It really was huge, probably 2 and a half meters wide and 3m long...if I had seen it while snorkeling it certainly would have given me a fright!


Wiji with Mouli in the distance, scanning the water for another turtle. We did eventually see one and watched it pop its head up for air.


Looking from the bridge out across the lagoon...


A shoal of small fish...








You can just about make out the caves in the distance.


Checking our new Lonely Planet kindly donated from the Italian lady at the hostel in Noumea.






Itchy Booger spots us from the beach and scares the living daylights out of us by pegging it up the bridge to surprise us! Nice white toe detail.


We made a brief stop at 'Snack Fassy' for a drink and to admire other peoples lunches before wandering down the road with our thumbs out to hitch back to Mowague. The first car that came along stopped, a nice Kanak couple dropped us at our door.


Waking up and looking out of the tent and admiring the view.


Making our way to the shop to buy a french stick (the real deal too). We really loved the French bread...but not the French, lol.


Despite the purchase of muesli, Wiji had to revert to the original camping breakfast that inspired our friend Tania from Chile (of Rapa Nui fame) to email us as 'the egg eaters'...lol. So fried egg sarnie it was then. We really perked these up with some sweet chilli dipping sauce...this took up some of the morning, along with chatting with Tim and all three of us staring at the sea in silence- a real pleasure.


The last of the teabags donated by Owen, in Tahiti, went down a treat too!


Looking back at the beach from Mowague gardens...


After camping and extending his stay (for obvious reasons) Tim moved to one of the huts.


Here's our tiny tent in Tim's lovely camping area. He came well equipped with a hammock...clever. It was in the hammock that he said he was doing his planning for his next trip to Ouvea, that or deciding if he fancied a swim! We were very jealous of his 2 hour flight from home to paradise.


Tim was an expert at the campfire that we enjoyed with him each night. We didn't even collect any wood...sorry Tim. We maybe over chillaxed, no?


The shade shelter, the scene of a lot of chillaxing.


Melanie, Charly's daughter and friend play nicely in front of the dining area.


In the distance the fishermen make another catch and then happily wander up the beach towards us. Total chillage.


Another swim perhaps? Sadly Itchy Booger would never get back in the sea and make a repeat performance of his swimming antics. He was bereft when Wiji went in though...


Come on Itchy Doog!


'No, I just wait here.'


Another stunning view from the shelter...


And of the sea...so many photos of doing so little. lmao!






One of Tim's great campfires where we drank Rum and beers and chatted with the local lads who turned up to enjoy Wiji]s Reggae tunes on the speakers. A bit of carnage in paradise.


Naturally the next morning Itchy Booger was in the usual position, outside the tent, waiting for us to get up...


Can you get up Wiji?


Walking back from the shop along the beach.




Oh hi!








Itchy Booger, never far away...in fact mostly under our feet and under the table. He was always covered in sand.


One evening we noticed that several more yacht's had moored up in the lagoon. How rude! This was our paradise, well Tim's before we arrived...This coincided with watching an older lady look over our tent and then spotting us she ran over and proudly announced that she was Belgian and retired and had been sailing around the world for 6 years, according to her she was half way around! She informed us that there would be 40 yacht's by tomorrow morning! She didn't ask us a thing, but then turned to the shore and recognising a yacht began madly waving her flip flops and shouting 'Woooooh Woooh!' Before announcing that they were her friends from Australia! She then ran off down the beach back to her dinghy and sped off towards the Australians boat! We were nearly speechless!

In the foreground local children play with a surf board and all try to get on it at once. Their laughter was contagious.








Tim and Wiji taking a moment's break from slagging of the French to laugh at the 'Yachties', who incidentally never actually came ashore, apart from that one incident, we didn't see them at all...how mad to stay on your boat and not enjoy the beach! I couldn't believe it! (Don't let that happen to you Callum and Kelston!)


Looking out to sea at the yachties...we were invaded, but according to Tim they were watching DVD's and chatting to each other on radio's...strange, strange people. Wiji assured me that if we had a yacht we would be doing back flips off it before swimming ashore to eat seafood. I reminded him that they were probs all middle aged and unlikely to do back flips. He felt that they had probably lost their sense of fun. True-dat!


Beach combing took up some time and I decided to photograph the results...Tim asked me to leave the collection on the table when we left, rather than throw them back in the sea. We liked to think of him chilling out and looking through them...




It was Cowrie heaven for me!






The dreaded Cone shell! There were warnings at Noumea airport about its pointy extending spear that could extend around the whole shell and pierce into your flesh and cause, amongst other things, paralysis...Beach combing with an edge. lol! Tim assured us that we wouldn't see any live ones away from the reef. We believed him...he is Australian and a diver, after all!




Oh Itchy Booger come in! Try as we might he wasn't game. Booo Itchy Booger!


Tim takes a stroll of down the beach. We really enjoyed his company and hoped that we weren't too much of a nuisance (Wiji!). Tim had a farm near Brisbane and grew bird of paradise flowers, custard apples and avocado's...some of my favourite things! His life sounded pretty exciting and sorted. He reminded us of Wiji's Bendad in certain ways. Tim had a few more days left to enjoy the island...we still wondered if the yachties ever came ashore.




What would happen if I just refused to leave?




Lol, 'world of leather here I come!' I'm wearing my Rapa Nui fish vertebrae necklace...wonder if that will make it through customs again?...


Charly took us back to the airport later in the afternoon and we got a good window seat where we could look back at Ouvea and Mouli one last time. Lucky you Tim!