We have been back in the marina in Noumea for a week now and besides some sightseeing, Bern has been busy with a few important jobs on the boat..replacing toilet pipes that have become clogged due to salt water flushing!!! (the worst job on the boat) and repairing the water-maker, a vital part of life on board once we are away from marinas. Bern was able to order a new part online from Trinidad and picked it up from the FEDEX office in Noumea yesterday, it is now almost installed. We spent last Saturday afternoon with friends Shauna & John visiting the Tjibaou Cutlural centre which is a bus ride out of town. The contemporary architecture of the building is amazing and worth visiting for that alone and cost 50 million Euros to construct! It is set in beautiful gardens which tells of the Kanak creation myth,with the cultural centre giving an insight into Kanak culture and showcasing art from New Cal. and the Pacific region. On Sunday Bern visited the Maritime Museum ...his favourite type of museum and we both had an interesting wander around the Museum of New Caledonia. On Tuesday we hired car with Doug & Sandra off Freycinet II (also from Melb) and took an overnight road trip from Noumea, over to the east coast and back over a mountain range to the west coast, then back to Noumea..about 600 kms. We spent the night at a little coastal town called Poindimie and stayed at a very nice resort that overlooked the Pacific Ocean. We all appreciated the comforts of a large bedroom and a full sized bathroom. We woke to a beautiful, sunny day and wondered why such a modern 'no- expenses spared' resort in an idyllic setting, had only a handful of guests ..most probably the GFC! We then drove over a spectacular mountain range and were treated to panoramic views of forests and mountain streams. The tropical vegetation is so lush and fertile here, a perfect climate to grow vegetables and fruit. We noticed many stalls along the roadside with fruit and vegetables for sale. Travelling back along the west coast, we passed through many small country towns and concluded after much searcing, that there is a niche market for a good coffee place along this part of the world! Our plans for the next few weeks are to clear out from Noumea early next week weather pending, and head for Vanuatu via Lifou in the Loyalty Islands. Our first port of call in Vanuatu will be on the island of Tanna, where there is an active volcano!