If you look at a map, we had to get from the top of the Vanuatu island chain down to the southern tip of New Caledonia. This generally means sailing against the prevailing conditions (not nice), but we had a weather window with a wind that would help us but it was not for a couple of days so we motored back down to Port Vila again where we checked out, re fuelled, re stocked at the amazing market and had some internet time. Once the wind was obliging we set off. It was a little frisky at first but it was a very pleasant 2 day, 2 night sail with a bit of engine power to help us into the pass. New Caledonia, so named by Captain Cook because it reminded him of Scotland. I could see that, it was mountainous with a reddish tinge amongst the green ( iron ore has been mined here). If a proud stag had appeared on the horizon it would have looked quite at home. We carried on through the pass and into the woodin channel and up to the capital Noumea. This was the biggest city we had seen for a long while and looked very European from the coast. We called up the port and asked for a berth in Port Moselle for a few nights and became city dwellers for a while .