New Caledonia is a French territory in the South Atlantic. It is an island nation with beautiful tropical waters, and was the setting for “The Island Closest to Heaven.” But how is it different from France? Here, we will introduce the differences between France and New Caledonia that we noticed after spending some time there.
For tourist information on New Caledonia, please click here.
Different Points from France
Climate
New Caledonia is in the Southern Hemisphere, so the seasons are the opposite to those in France. The New Year is midsummer, and it’s cold in August. It has a subtropical climate, so the seasons are not as clear as in France. Even in the cold months of June to August, it gets cold in the mornings and evenings, but it’s warm enough during the day to go out in short sleeves. Therefore, it doesn’t snow and you can wear short sleeves all year round, so it’s easy to dress.
On the other hand, cyclones often come from January to April. There are no typhoons or cyclones in France, so this is another big difference. Also, because it’s in the Southern Hemisphere, the constellations that can be seen are also very different from those in the Northern Hemisphere.
Residents
Although New Caledonia is a French overseas territory, the people who live there are different. Of course there are many French people, but there are also many indigenous Kanak people. Many of the Melanesian women wear colorful and beautiful robes that are typical of the tropics, called Popinée. The Popinée is called Robe mission in France, and is said to have originated from monk’s robes made from local materials when Christianity spread to this area. Also, while in France you can see immigrants from Algeria, Africa, and China, you rarely see these immigrants in New Caledonia, and most Asian immigrants are from the Philippines.
Streetscape
When you think of France, you think of rows of typical European buildings, but New Caledonia is completely different. Unlike Europe, where there are many old stone buildings, there are many white concrete buildings. Perhaps because of the cyclones, there are not many high-rise buildings like skyscrapers, and there are few modern buildings either. Therefore, if you come here expecting the same atmosphere as in France, you may find it to be different from what you expected.
Currency
One of the big differences with France is the currency. New Caledonia’s is called the Pacific Franc (XPF) compared to the French Euro. From 2021 onwards, the minimum coin denomination will be changed from 1 XPF to 5 XPF, and the last digit will be rounded up or down when paying in cash. By the way, since it is a French territory, the exchange rate with the Euro is constant.
Price
The next big difference from France after the currency is the high cost of living. I was surprised that even just eating spaghetti at a restaurant cost about 2000 xpf. Therefore, if you eat every meal at a restaurant during your trip, it will be quite expensive. In particular, the prices of electrical appliances are quite high. For reference, if you look up the same model of Nintendo Switch, it is 32978 xpf (tax included) in Japan and 58347 xpf in New Caledonia (see exchange rate in June 2023). Even including fluctuations in the exchange rate, there is a difference of about 25000 xpf. This is because it is an island, so there are few goods, but it is also possible that customs duties are added. It seems like the resale prices are nationwide, so it would be difficult to live there.
A year at school
How does a school year differ in France and New Caledonia?
France: September to July
New Caledonia: February to December
In France, like the rest of Europe, the start of the school year is in September, but in New Caledonia, it actually starts in February. This is easy to understand when you think about vacations, but in France, summer vacation is from July to August. On the other hand, in New Caledonia, because it is in the Southern Hemisphere, summer vacation is from December to February. Because of this, the year in New Caledonia is very different from that in France.
Transportation
In France, there are trains, buses, and in some towns, trams (streetcars) and boats for transportation. However, New Caledonia is a small island nation, so there are no trains or trams. The main means of transportation is buses and cars, and it is a car-based society. Also, there is no drive-sharing service like Uber, so if you want to go sightseeing, you will have to use a bus or taxi. As an aside, there is only one escalator in the capital, Noumea, and some people who have never left the island have never seen an escalator.
Mobile phone companies and communication environments
If you want to sign a contract to use your mobile phone in France, you can choose from companies such as Orange, SFR, Bougues Telecom, and Free. However, in New Caledonia, there is only one post office called OPT. OPT also has a monopoly on telephone lines, and since home networks are connected through telephone lines, you need to go to a post office to sign a contract to use Wi-Fi at home.
Same Points as France
Next, I will introduce some places that are similar to France.
Official Language
First of all, French is the official language. The language spoken and the written language seen are basically French. However, since it is a French territory, the indigenous language remains. Although French is understood, if you listen carefully to conversations between locals, you will hear that they are speaking the island’s language.
There are also some unique expressions that are not used in France. A typical example is Casse pas la tête. The literal translation is “Don’t split my head,” but it is used to mean “Don’t worry.” By the way, because the island is “closest to heaven,” the number of Japanese tourists has increased, and you can see Japanese in the city. There seem to be many students taking Japanese classes at local universities, but not many of them can speak the language.
Sockets
The plugs for electrical appliances are the same as in France, type C and type SE. Basically, as long as you have a type C plug, there’s no problem. The voltage is also the same as in France at 220V, so check whether you can use your existing electrical appliances as they are, and if they are not, prepare a transformer.
National Holiday
Basically, New Caledonia’s public holidays are the same as France’s. Just like in Paris, they hold a military parade on Bastille Day on July 14th, and they also hold similar events such as chocolate hunting at Easter. However, while France has 11 public holidays a year, New Caledonia has 12. In fact, New Caledonia has its own public holiday on September 24th, which marks the day the country was annexed by France. It feels like a good deal to have more public holidays than France.
Work
The work system is the same as in France. The employment status and paid holidays are the same, so it seems that there is no problem for French people to move here. This also means that the opening hours of shops are the same, and they are closed on Sundays and holidays, and some shops have a lunch break, so you need to be careful about the days and times when sightseeing. However, most restaurants close around 10 pm, so you can’t have a leisurely meal in the evening, and it was also a hassle that many restaurants are closed on Sundays.
Shops
Since it is a French territory, some of the shops in France are also in New Caledonia. To give you an idea of what is familiar, the supermarkets and some banks are the same. There are supermarkets such as Carrefour, Casino, and Auchan, but there are also local supermarkets such as Johnston. I am an Auchan member in France, so I tried to use it in New Caledonia, but I was told that it was not supported. It seems that the services are different even for the same supermarket.
There are also French chain stores such as Fnac and Picard. When you think of France, you think of wine and cheese, and since it is a French territory, the selection is good around here. By law, you cannot enter the liquor section of a supermarket after the evening, but you can buy alcohol at a wine specialty store, as there is a unique rule in New Caledonia, so please be careful.
Summary
These are the differences between France and New Caledonia. Although it is in France, there are some differences between France, such as the cityscape, residents, and currency, so if you think of it as an extension of your trip to France, you will be surprised at the differences. If you have any other similarities or differences, please write them in the comments section.
Useful Links for Travel
【Hotel Reservations】
ExpediaThere is a lot of great hotel deals listed, and you can read comments from people from all over the world. You can also book these together with your flight.
Hotels.comThere is also a lot of hotel information here. Another great thing is that many of them offer no cancellation fees.
This world-famous hotel booking site has a huge number of listings, so you can find the hotel you like. If you become a member and stay many times, you can get discounts and get even better deals.
【Flight Reservations】
ExpediaIt is a world-famous travel site. It is convenient because you can also purchase domestic air tickets.
【Attractions and Tours】
klookThis is a convenient site where you can book tickets and tours to tourist spots around the world. Be sure to check it out as they sometimes offer discounts.
Check out the Information in New Caledonia here!
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