Experience the best of Grande Terre

Grande Terre is the largest island of New Caledonia, a long, narrow strip about 400 kilometres from end to end, with a mountain chain along its spine that peaks at around 1,600 metres. Its red earth is rich in nickel, the island's main industry, while the south-west coast, where the capital Nouméa lies, is dry and open, and the east is wetter and greener. A barrier reef and lagoon, listed by UNESCO, ring the island.

Blue River Provincial Park in the south protects a forest where the kagu, a flightless grey bird found only here, still lives. Further north, the Heart of Voh, a heart-shaped patch in a mangrove swamp, is a famous sight from the air. At Hienghène, rock formations rise from the bay, and the west coast, with its cattle stations, is called the bush by the island's people.

Bougna, a Kanak feast of yam, taro, sweet potato, chicken or fish cooked in banana leaves in an earth oven, is the traditional dish. On the west coast, cattle stations and deer farms give beef and venison, and French bakeries and coffee are everywhere. The cool, dry months run from May to October, and cyclones are possible between January and March.