Ile Puen and south – July 2019.
02 August 2019 | New Caledonia
Paul Dickinson
Our next stop on our journey south was Ile Puen, a short, 16 nm, passage within the reef. As usual we balanced an early start to avoid the building SE wind with the need to be able to see to navigate; always a consideration when entering or leaving Ouano due to the narrow slalom between the navigation marks. We therefore weighed anchor at 0815 and slowly cruised past our friends Patrice and Pierette. After much waving, shouting and good wishes we headed out of the lagoon. The wind was a light easterly and we were just about able to make a sailing angle. The wind was too light to be able only use the sails and keep a reasonable speed. However, using all our sails eased the load on the motor and enhanced fuel efficiency.
As the day progressed the wind moved southerly and dropped in strength, meaning we were motor sailing with only the Main as a steadying sail for the last 5 nm or so. As we turned to head to the anchorage the wind increased, but we were soon securely anchored off the beach. As it was still early afternoon (we had anchored at 1410) we headed ashore.
Ile Puen is a fairly small island, some 1.8 nm by 1 nm. It is within the reef and lagoon, but still some 2 ½ nm or so from the mainland. The island is hilly, with peaks of 100m or so, and largely covered with scrub. It has a fringing reef to the south and east Indeed, the reef to the west joins Ile Puen to the adjacent Ile Lepredo some ½ nm or so to the south east. We had anchored in a small bay on the north of the island. The bay is edged by a crescent of sandy beach. Behind is flat land, largely grass with occasional short trees, a cluster of buildings and assorted farm machinery. There was one other boat in the bay, a black hulled steel ketch that was in a rather sad state. Patrice had told us that this used to belong to Jackie and Babette, the island’s inhabitants. However they had sold it a year or so ago. The boat provided useful assurance that the bay was a good anchorage.
As we headed ashore we saw a thin figure on the sand. We approached and said hello. It was Babette and she warmly welcomed us. We headed to the small house and had a cup of tea. A few minutes later Jackie arrived. Jackie cuts quite a figure with grey bushy hair and an equally bushy beard and moustache. He was as friendly as Babette and we were soon in amicable conversation. Much to Helen’s relief both Jackie and Babette could speak some English. Still, at times the conversation resorted to French and arm (waving). Jackie and Babette had cruised extensively, including right around the world. Their friendly personality and love of sailing meant we bonded well and the afternoon soon passed. We found out that there were actually 4 human inhabitants of the island. In addition to Jackie and Babette, there were two WFFAs (Work for Food and Accommodation) French people in their early 20s, Fabian and Solette. They were on the island for a few months. We learned that the island was owned by someone else who occasionally visited and stayed in the larger house. The island had been farmed. However, it was very dry with little rainfall. As a result the farm was not productive and had been effectively abandoned. The island was thus, like almost all the other lagoon islands, left to return to nature. However, there were still some 50 or so head of cattle, a dozen or so horses, and a great many (several hundred!) deer roaming the island. Jackie explained that he was quite a horseman and had spent much of his life caring for horses (at one time he had a ranch with 40 or so horses). The owner had taken Jackie on to manage the ‘farm’ and Jackie occasionally ran horse treks around the island. The day finished with Jackie showing us the ‘farm’ which included a good flock of chickens, and saying that we could walk around the island the next day before joining them for lunch.
The next day, Sunday 28th July, we were ashore at 0900 ready to walk. We stopped by Jackie and Babette to put our lunch contribution (salmon pasta salad, coleslaw and soft drinks) in the fridge. Jackie told us that some hunters were on the island to cull some deer, and provide useful meat. However, he had told them we would be walking around so we were safe!
We started our walk on farm tracks. These were in reasonable order and kept to the flat land. We could see where the large paddocks had been fenced. The fences were still in reasonable condition, with all the gates open. There had been water troughs, but these were all either dry or contained nasty stagnant water. The cattle coral was still there but significantly overgrown. As we walked we could hear the cattle, in particular the bulls bellowing. We could also hear large animals moving through the extensive bush. Looking closely at the slopes we could see the occasional deer. A little further and we encountered a herd of a dozen horses. They held their ground and let us pat them. We walked past them , keeping to their front; these were ‘sauvage’ after all. We had only gone a further 50m when something spooked them and the herd took off, thundering through the scrub. A little further and we saw several cattle in the scrub. Around a headland and we rose a few metres above sea level. The tide was out and we could clearly see the fringing reef extending a couple of hundred meters from the shore. There on the sand shore was a herd of perhaps 55 cattle. We walked on around the west side and then the south side of the island. As we headed up the east side we heard shots. The hunters were active. A little later and we saw a couple of them climbing the slopes; hard work. More shots and a loud crashing through the scrub. It sounded like an express train, but was in fact a dozen or so deer rapidly making tracks. Moving on we came to the remains of what would have been an extensive farm with accommodation, toilet blocks, sheds and water tanks. All was dilapidated and deserted. The curse of no rain had clearly struck hard. Another headland and we saw a local boat with two crew pass slowly. We waved and were rewarded with smiles and waves. And so back to Jackie and Babette’s house for a well-earned lunch.
For lunch we started with a spread of pigs cheeks and spices on fresh bread. This was followed by a marinated venison dish prepared by Jackie with rice and our dishes. The soft drinks were followed by local red wine (which was passable), and coffee fortified with the local whiskey. Jackie then bought out his cheese mix (left over strong cheese mixed with spices and fortified with whiskey).The strong aroma meant Helen politely declined but Paul and Jackie tucked in, accompanied by the whiskey (an interesting spirit with a slight vanilla flavour). All in all an excellent lunch, with the 4 island inhabitants and us enjoying the food, drink and conversation. As the afternoon passed we watched a yellow catamaran come into the bay and anchor. ‘Ah Bernard’ said Jackie. Bernard came ashore. He was French but spoke good English. He had also cruised extensively. He was a documentary film maker and was soon to make a film on New Zealand!
As the afternoon wore on the hunters joined us, including the two from the boat we had seen. They had shot 8 deer, and it was time to collect he venison. Off to the tractor to fit the large front bucket. Jackie drove, a hunter held onto the side of the cab, and Paul climbed into the bucket with the two from the boat. And off we went along the tracks, across the bush and around the slopes to the kills. The hunters had used a 0.22 rifle and so had to be accurate, and close, for a good shot. They proudly showed the bullet holes. One good head shot, the rest in the neck of chest; all effective. Paul complimented them and received broad smiles. Six deer on board and we returned to the farm. The hunt had been a family affair with brothers, uncles and cousins involved. A deer was hung and a young man (a cousin) and his girlfriend proceeded to skin and butcher a deer; Jackie’s share was a quarter deer. Jackie joked that it was tough on the island with only piles of fresh venison, beef, fish, chicken and eggs to eat! We departed at sundown; it had been a good day.
Monday 29th July and we weighed anchor at 0810 to continue south. Noumea was about 40 nm, but we would break the trip with a stop at Tiare, some 26 nm away. The passage was uneventful with a light wind meaning we motor sailed and anchored at 1410. The nice fact about heading south was that the lagoon opened out allowing more sea room. Further north the navigation was not difficult but often involved having reefs ½ nm or less either side so we needed to be precise. The entry to Tiare did involve going between a couple of unmarked, but charted, reefs; however according the chart and Google Earth these were not steep to and so the depth would allow some warning. As it was we easily negotiated the ½ nm wide gap and turned to anchor. Tiare was interesting as there was a canal development nearby. This involved houses backing onto a man-made canal system with associated wharves. Paul hopped into the dinghy to investigate. The entrance to the canals was marked by posts which were lit. Just as well as a shallow reef came right up to one of the posts. The entrance also had the usual speed limit signs (3 knots) and the large words ‘Prive’. OK, the land is private, but the sea is not. Paul motored on slowly. The development had several dozen plots of land surrounding the canal system. Some 2/3 of the plots had houses on them. These were clearly holiday homes, and very nice at that. All were extensive with nice gardens and, of course, a private wharf. Many of the wharfs had the ‘toys’ attached; smart motor cruisers of 30 odd feet, catamarans, smaller centre console ribs, and jet skis abounded. But very few people; the vast majority of the houses were securely locked and shuttered. It was clearly exclusive and private here; no roads to the water, apart from one slipway near the entrance, and certainly no shops. There are similar developments in New Zealand and Australia (think Marsden Cove and Cleveland) but these often have marinas, and associated shops and cafes attached; not here. Still, some people had fun. Back on board we enjoyed a glass of Bordeaux as we watched a group of young people water-skiing behind a sizeable rib on the flat water of the anchorage.
We stayed overnight and made the short 13 nm trip to Noumea without incident the next day. As usual we anchored in Baie de l’Orphelinat. Our friends, Jan and Lyle, were due to come aboard the next Saturday. Before then we had some jobs to do.
The picture. Fresh venison delivered to the door!