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The crew and owners of the 48 metre long superyacht Slojo watch the sunset after a day of fun and sun in the great southern lagoon of New Caledonia. Anchored in the lee of Ilot Kouare, the superyacht settles down for the night - the gourmet cook in the galley preparing a delicious fish dinner - the owners on the top deck hoping to see the "green flash" that appears just as the sun vanishes below the horizon. They were not disappointed - there was a green flash just after this image was taken.
The captain of the Slojo used our cruising guide to New Caledonia to plan his voyage through New Caledonia's lagoon and the owners invited us aboard for dinner to discuss taking aerial images using a kite. We took this sphere image of Superyacht Slojo from our dinghy as we approached the vessel at the appointed hour.
Superyachts are the new "Castles" - with very broad moats surrounding them - and the owners live like royalty in their private floating estates. The Superyacht Crew must undergo special training and certification before they can become a part of this magnificent lifestyle. All of them must have a safety training course mandated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the captain, first mate, engineer, first stewardess, second stewardess, deckhands and even the chef all need to take special courses and pass both practical and theory examinations for their ratings in order to get their "tickets".
We ate our three course gourmet meal in the spacious dining area on the afterdeck watching the stars come out and talking about photography. Both the owner and his wife were avid photographers and they encouraged the crew and guests to participate in photo contests. So I had a captive audience as I explained how to take aerial images with a kite and how to take sphere images. In the evening, after dinner, everyone uploaded their best images and videos into the ship's entertainment center and then gathered in the lounge to watch them on the giant plasma TV screen. This was a great finale to every play-day and stimulated a serious interest in photography aboard the superyacht.
It's not all just fun and games, however. Slojo and other superyachts also participate in the Yacht Aid Global programme, delivering supplies and medicines to schools, medical clinics, and cultural centres in very remote locations thoughout the world.
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Une Nation du Pacifique Sud, la plus proche de l'Australie et de la Nouvelle Zélande. Une chaîne de hautes montagnes, d'impressionnantes cascades et de nombreuses rivières avec une flore et une faune variée et souvent unique au monde - C'est le paradis de la randonnée pédestre ou équestre ainsi que de l'excursion en véhicule tout-terrain.Le plus grand lagon du monde, peuplé d'une faune tropicale endémique particulièrement riche, avec des récifs et des populations de poissons rares et protégées. Des centaines d'épaves sous-marines, des îlots, de nombreuses plages de sable blanc. La population calédonienne est issue d'un large brassage culturel : Mélanésiens, Européens, Polynésiens, Vietnamiens, Chinois, Japonais, et la langue et culture française. La Nouvelle-Calédonie est dotée de très bonnes infrastructures médicales et sociales. Une infrastructure touristique qui offre un large éventail de types d'hébergement allant de l'hôtel 5 étoiles au camping aménagé en passant par l'accueil en milieu tribal, les chambres d'hôtes, les refuges et l'auberge de jeunesse.