News – August 2008 (Nouméa/New Caledonia, August 22, 2008)
- Website statistics: In July we were able to welcome on our website 30'428 visitors who did 1'057'757 hits.
- (June = 39'072 visitors – 1'194'644 hits)
- The visitors are coming from about 100 to 118 different countries!
- Record day since 12/17/1998 - the birthday of our website: 11/5/2007 = 13'407 visitors and 787'456 hits
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- Since nearly three weeks, we are now in New Caledonia. We used this time to discover the capital of Nouméa and the
- South of the main island Grande Terre. Result: Very beautiful and interesting! Of course, the always sunny and pleasant
- weather makes everything looking more attractive. What left the biggest impression on us in the South however was the
- unique vegetation with many endemic plants, the emptiness and the red laterite earth. Indeed there was at the end of the
- 19th, respectively the begin of the 20th century, plenty of nature destruction due to radical cut down of the jungle as well
- as intensive and reckless mining operations. In the meantime, a lot of plants started to regrow. It's simply overwhelming to
- discover all these species, which in many cases exist only in New Caledonia. Again and again we came across new
- flowers, trees and scrubs thus far unknown to us. The reddish looking earth where they sprout makes it even more special.
- Often we felt like being in Africa when we drove on the dusty red and bumpy tracks in the forgotten bush and were
- looking to set up a lonely camp.
- Nouméa itself is an appealing but expensive city. It is so attractive that on an average, once a week one of the huge cruise
- ships is berthing, what recalls a little the Caribbean – particularly Sint Maarten four years ago. It's believed that about 2/3
- of the island population of 230'000 people lives in and around the capital. The natives – called Kanaks – are very friendly,
- but unfortunately they booze – especially over the weekend – a bit more than they ought to, what might lead to
- aggressions. Thus it is not surprising that during night time sirens of police cars and ambulances are often heard. However,
- the size of the island's hub provides the benefit that the shops carry everything for everybody.
- Although New Zealand isn't yet forgotten and the North of New Caledonia is still waiting for us, we already have to care
- about our journey's continuation. Currently, we have contacts with the authorities of Vanuatu as well as Fiji to clear ahead,
- whether we are allowed at all, and – if yes – to what conditions to enter their islands with our LandCruiser for a temporary
- visit. But one thing is already certain: That the Pacific, our long cherished dream, seems to be really extremely striking.
- Therefore, solving logistical nightmares and financial expenses are well worth the efforts – the more that time is on our side.
New Reports/Pictures
- SOUTHEAST ASIA: mouse over picture shows comments
- click a picture to see details
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| + our New Caledonia Trip, 2nd part | Grand Terre (North) – Aug.+Sept. 2008 |
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| + our New Caledonia Trip, 1st part | Grand Terre (Nouméa + South) – August 2008 |
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| + our New Zealand Trip, 6th part | North Island – June+July 2008 |
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| + our New Zealand Trip, 5th part | North Island – May+June 2008 |
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| + our New Zealand Trip, 4th part | South to North Island – May 2008 |
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| + our New Zealand Trip, 3rd part | South Island – April 2008 |
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| + our New Zealand Trip, 2nd part | South Island – March 2008 |
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| + our New Zealand Trip, 1st part | South Island – Febr.+March 2008 |
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| + our Hong Kong Trip | Hong Kong – Dec. 2007+Jan. 2008 |
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| + our Taiwan Trip, 3rd part | Taipei-Taitung-Kaohsiung – Nov. 2007 |
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| + our Taiwan Trip, 1st part | Kaohsiung-Kenting-Taitung – Oct. 2007 |
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| + our Indonesia Trip, 6th part | Kalimantan – July 2007 |
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| + our Indonesia Trip, within the 5th part | Tana Toraja (Toraja-Land) – June+July 2007 |
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| + our Indonesia Trip, 5th part | Sulawesi – June+July 2007 |
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| + our Indonesia Trip, 4th part | Sumba, West Timor – May+June 2007 |
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| + our Indonesia Trip, 3rd part | Lombok, Sumabawa, Flores – April 2007 |
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| + our Indonesia Trip, 2nd part | Bali – Jan.-March 2007 |
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| + our Borneo Trip | Sarawak, Brunei, Sabah, Kalimantan – Sept.-Nov. 2006 |
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| + our LandCruiser on a "Rejuvenation Cure" | in Miri/Sarawak - the East Malaysian province on Borneo Engine/Body: June-Aug. 2006/Transmission: Sept. 2007 |
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| + added from a earlier visit to the USA: | Las Vegas (Millennium change) |
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| + added from our Arabian Peninsula round trip: | Pictures from Yemen (May-June 1996) |
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| + Flashbacks of our Worldrecordtour: | Pictures from "all the continents" (Oct. 1984 - April 1997) |
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