New Caledonia

AN OPTIONAL EXTENSION TO OUR NEW ZEALAND TOUR

New Caledonia, an archipelago halfway between Australia and Fiji, is an extraordinary place. While it has all the features you might expect from tropical islands – white sands, blue lagoons, and graceful palms – it is also home to a fascinating diversity of plants and wildlife. The biogeography of the island chain has been shaped by a complex history. Unlike many of the Pacific Islands, which are of relatively recent volcanic origin, New Caledonia is an ancient fragment of the Gondwana super-continent and is one of the most significant biodiversity hot spots on the planet; over 75% of its flora is endemic. New Caledonia also hosts one of the largest and most diverse reef systems in the world, much of which has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Area.

Primitive ferns, Cook Pines, and the oldest living lineage of flowering plants exist alongside an intriguing diversity of birds – the emblematic, flightless Kagu; the tool-making New Caledonian Crow; and a striking variety of colourful parakeets, parrotfinches, and other species found nowhere else. Towering tree ferns and Kauri stands reminiscent of forests that would have existed in the Jurassic give the island a distinctly primeval flair.

With its unique geological history in mind, we will seek out New Caledonia’s iconic wildlife and flora on this exploration of its southern coastal scrubland, lush inland rainforests, and highlands.