Hiring a motorcycle in New Caledonia

On one of my trips in 2013, I happened to be headed through New Caledonia and had my international drivers license. I arranged before I arrived to hire a motorcycle for a few days to tour the island. I went straight from the La Tontouta International Airport to Noumea Rider by taxi, watching the traffic and road rules carefully on my way.

The first and most obvious thing to note is that New Caledonia drive on the wrong side of the road (at least compared to Australia) and this sure made things interesting a few times on my trip. I specifically recall an instant of driving around a round about and completely missing the exit twice because (to my eyes), there were oncoming cars on it. It then dawned on me, that I was trying to exit on the wrong side of the road. Once this adjustment was made, things went much smoother.

Noumea Rider is down a little one way lane and up a long driveway on the right. But once you get there, you are in the right place to hire a motorcycle in New Caledonia. The Dude there is a big jovial chap. He and his wife are motorcycle enthusiasts with a shop full of interesting bikes (including a Spider) and paraphernalia. If you didn't bring something, they have it all there for you.

Noumea Rider and Triumph Tiger 800

I had wanted to drive a BMW, like my own GS650, but the only BMW bikes there were huge. I had difficulty with my legs reaching the ground and although I probably could have done it, I decided it was best to have more leg control in a strange country. I didn't want to save myself from doing something stupid only to drop the bike when I needed to stop suddenly. I also didn't know what the roads were like outside Noumea and I felt I needed the ability to use my legs if the road became a little rough. As it happened, this was a smart move. In light of this, I decided the new Triumph Tiger 800 would be better suited to me.

I paid my deposit, plus a per day rate and any additional kms over a cap that was negotiated due to the length I was hiring (about four days). We both checked the bike to make sure there was no damage, but the bike was like new and had low kms on the clock. I had brought my own helmet, gloves, boots and jacket, but if you needed anything, you can get it all there.

Putting my feet up at one of the small bays

The roads are not in good shape, but most of them are covered. Some of the dirt roads are tidal, so be wary of the tide times before you try your luck. These roads are often troublesome as the creeks flow across the dirt (mud) roads and you can come across them around sharp corners. You can usually tell you are approaching as the ground becomes wet and the 4WD tracks are deep.

Dirty boot - a sign of good times

The people are very friendly although I was warned off a specific area of the island by the Gendarme (police). They told me it was violent and not safe for white guys. I initially took their advice, but then chose to ignore it, as this is specifically why I go on these trips - to see the places others do not. Again, I had no problems. Sure, it was a bit rough and you could see the poverty clearly, but the people were very friendly and I shared meals with them, speaking in my limited French and their limited English.

There is no reason why you could not cover the entire island in four days, but take a week to make it leisurely, so you can enjoy some of the magnificent sites. There is a point in the northern part of the island where you can clearly see both sides of the island and it is quite a site. Be warned, though, it is an expensive location and although the place is beautiful, you pay for the luxuries. The bike hire, however, was at good rates.