Pouembout
huge spaces as far as the eye can see

In addition to the Plaine des Gaïacs, Pouembout enjoys beautiful beaches, including Pindaï  and Franco, and is home to the 100m high Ouendé waterfall, although access to this, since it is located in a tribal area, requires authorisation. In October a horticultural show comes to remind us of the deeply agricultural character of the village...

The Plaine des Gaïacs, a huge area which today is almost uninhabited, in fact played a strategic role for American troops facing Japanese forces in the Second World War.

In order that New Caledonia, then still lacking in infrastructure, could play the role the Americans had determined for it, namely to be a giant aircraft-carrier, the construction of aerodromes proved to be crucial.

When Pouembout was an American military aerodrome...

This is how the Plaine des Gaïacs became the recipient of two runways and saw thousands of aeroplanes at this base, mainly from 1942 until the end of 1943.

While the presence of the Americans has left an indelible mark, Pouembout’s foundation dates from 1883, when a centre for the penal colony was created. At that time the penal administration already owned more than 3,500 hectares of land. The black earth of the region is in fact considered the most fertile in the territory. Vestiges do remain from the time of the penal colony: the Grimigni Château (built in 1886 and renovated in 2006) and the Pigeonnier, two symbolic buildings which retrace the history of the village.

From the Pindaï beach to the Ouendé waterfall...

For around twenty years the penal colony remained very isolated from the rest of the territory. It was only at the start of the twentieth century that the mule path linking Pouembout to the village of Koné would be turned into a passable road, and that a landing stage built at the mouth of the river would enable food supplies to be delivered by sea.

In addition to the Plaine des Gaïacs, Pouembout enjoys beautiful beaches, including Pindaï  and Franco, and is home to the 100m high Ouendé waterfall, although access to this, since it is located in a tribal area, requires authorisation. In October a horticultural show comes to remind us of the deeply agricultural character of the village...

The Plaine des Gaïacs, a huge area which today is almost uninhabited, in fact played a strategic role for American troops facing Japanese forces in the Second World War.

In order that New Caledonia, then still lacking in infrastructure, could play the role the Americans had determined for it, namely to be a giant aircraft-carrier, the construction of aerodromes proved to be crucial.

When Pouembout was an American military aerodrome...

This is how the Plaine des Gaïacs became the recipient of two runways and saw thousands of aeroplanes at this base, mainly from 1942 until the end of 1943.

While the presence of the Americans has left an indelible mark, Pouembout’s foundation dates from 1883, when a centre for the penal colony was created. At that time the penal administration already owned more than 3,500 hectares of land. The black earth of the region is in fact considered the most fertile in the territory. Vestiges do remain from the time of the penal colony: the Grimigni Château (built in 1886 and renovated in 2006) and the Pigeonnier, two symbolic buildings which retrace the history of the village.

From the Pindaï beach to the Ouendé waterfall...

For around twenty years the penal colony remained very isolated from the rest of the territory. It was only at the start of the twentieth century that the mule path linking Pouembout to the village of Koné would be turned into a passable road, and that a landing stage built at the mouth of the river would enable food supplies to be delivered by sea.