•
Does
Isle of Pines’ history interest you?
A
new association has recently been formed
aimed at preserving the island’s convict
settlement history. Terre d’Exil
( Land of Exile) plans to promote the
island’s history and create job
possibilities for young people by developing
the tourism aspect of the convict ruins that
date from the 1870s.
Annual
membership costs 2,000 cfp (approx. $16 US).
For
more information contact: terredexil@voila.fr
Postal
address: Terre d’Exil, C/-
Mr. Bruno Lavolée, B.P. 121, Vao, Ile des
Pins, New Caledonia.
•
Humpback whales have been back in Isle
of Pines’ waters.
The
marine mammals escape the Antarctic winter
by spending July to October in
warmer, sub-tropical sea. For the past 10
years, scientists have been studying these
magnificent creatures in New Caledonia.
This
season oceanographer/biologist, Claire
Garrigue, chose Isle of Pines, for the
first time, to start the annual research.
Over 11 days Claire and 4 assistants
recorded whale songs and observed some 15
whales frolicking together, breaching and
slapping.
Claire
and her team then continued their
observations in the south and north of the
New Caledonian Mainland and hope to
establish whether the whales stay around
Isle of Pines during the season or whether
they go further north to mate and give
birth.
Check
out : www.operationcetaces.com
for further information.
•
Not
only do visitors come to Isle of Pines,
but the islanders themselves also travel
and compete favourably beyond their
shores.
15
year-old, Vao high-school student, Rose-Marie
Vakié, did well in French national
athletics championships in Montbéliard,
France at the end of June. She returned home
with a bronze medal for discus, and silver
medals for javelin and ‘quadrathlon’.
…..
Could Isle of Pines have a future
candidate for the 2008 Olympics?
Another
young Kunie girl is also
representing Isle of Pines overseas — this
time in the hotel industry. Zerena
Douépéré, until recently a
receptionist at the Meridien hotel, Oro, is
now with the same chain in Piccadilly, in
the heart of London.
|