Great South, New Caledonia | New Caledonia Tourism NZ

The Great South, comprising the Mont-Dore and Yaté municipalities, is the most symbolic region for New Caledonia’s three main colours: blue, green and red. From the rainforest to the mining lands there are a thousand shades of green, while the ocean offers a dazzling palette of blues. But if one colour dominates the Great South, it is the specific red of its ground.

Today

While the Great South is hardly lacking in cultural or heritage sites, such as the ancient village of Prony, the Ouen Island or the Yaté dam, it is first and foremost a destination dedicated to green tourism and the practice of sporting activities in one of the many natural or equipped spaces in the region.

The Great South is also home to the biggest park in New Caledonia, the Blue River Provincial Park. In addition to its natural wealth (giant kaori, the drowned forest...), the park is perfectly suited to VTT, hiking or kayaking, and offers an ideal setting for bathing in the clear waters of the Blue River.

From the Blue River Park to the N'Dua Reserve...

In addition to this immense park, the Great South is brimming with other nature reserves. The Madeleine waterfalls include one of the most beautiful botanic trails in the area, while the loops of nearby Netcha offer the most stunning mountain biking trails in the country. On the front of the western coast, the N'Dua reserve offers visitors a colourful spectacle and allows remote observation of the humpback whales reproducing in the area between June and September.

The Needle of Prony: a unique under-water chimney!

Generally speaking, the Great South is a hiker’s paradise. Whether climbing Mont-Dore, whose imposing mass dominates the lagoon at the entrance of Nouméa, or taking on the GR1 trail from Dumbéa to Prony, every walker will find their perfect trail!

On the East Coast, several fringing reefs offer a rare setting for diving straight from the beach. But it is at Prony that divers can have the most incredible experience exploring a unique site, the Needle of Prony. Hot water from the depths of the earth flows out of this astounding underwater chimney, discovered in 1979.

Practical information

A great many humpback whales come to the Bay of Prony each year to reproduce. These magnificent cetaceans perform spectacular jumps which have become a choice subject for ‘whale watching’, particularly appreciated by tourists in the winter season. Studied in New Caledonia since 1996, humpback whales are, however, subject to necessary protection. All of the service providers associated with this activity have signed a charter of conduct, allowing whales to be observed without disturbing their movements.