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Giant sea creature kites soar above the lagoon with comic book eyes looking down on the crowds of people, a hundred windsurf sails glit like swarms of triangular butterflys, while hundreds of happy children demonstrate their expert stunt-flying kites to the beat of funk music. This is the 2009 Festi'Vent in noumea.
There was just barely enough wind to lift the big sea creature kites made by kite designer Simon Chisnall in New Zealand and not enough wind for the demonstration of kite surfing and flying wings. But the wind was just perfect for the small children flying their little kites nearby.
The kids and their parents had a wonderful time flying an estimated 500 kites on the day of the Festi'Vent. In the evening, just as the wind died to a perfect calm a fireworks show filled the skies.
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Noumea is the capital and vacation centre of the Islands of New Caledonia in the South Pacific. Noumea is a "French" city, but the 91,000 inhabitants are a very mixed cultural group with French, Melanesian, Polynesian, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and lots of mixtures of these. Over 60% of the population of New Caledonia lives in Noumea.Noumea is a peninsula on the southwestern end of Grande Terre and the central business district (Centre Ville) is next to one of the best natural harbours in the South Pacific. The lagoon side of the peninsula has two picturesque bays with white sand beaches and is called Anse Vata and Baie des Citrons. These twin bays are the international tourism capital of New Caledonia with hotels, restaurants and bars on the landward side of "La Promenade".First settled by the French in 1854, Noumea retains close political ties with France. It has excellent schools and public facilities - parks, recreation areas, exercise paths, schools and medical facilities. Today it is the fastest growing city in the South Pacific. There are 23 hotels in Noumea ranging from one to five stars and over 100 Restaurants.
