Botanical Park & Bird Sanctuary

Ideal for nature lovers, this excursion takes you on a walking tour of Parc Forestier, a wonderfully compact botanical park and bird sanctuary.

Begin your tour with a drive through the city center where you'll notice the splendid French architecture and cosmopolitan atmosphere that contributes to Noumea's reputation as the Paris of the Pacific. You'll enjoy another perspective of the city from a scenic lookout along the way and still another superb vantage point at Parc Forestier, an elevated ever-evolving botanical park that opened in 1972.

While within the city limits, Parc Forestier seems worlds away. Shaded pathways wind through the towering trees with peacocks freely roaming around the grounds. The calls of exotic birds can be heard piercing the air. There are pens with native and non-native animals, but native birds are most prevalent.

During your guided walking tour, you may see the New Caledonian Imperial Pigeon, an impressively sized bird also known by its nickname: the Goliath Pigeon. All sorts of parakeets, crows and friarbirds endemic to New Caledonian can also be found here. Still, no bird captures the attention of visitors quite like the kagu, a flightless bird whose call is often mistaken for a barking dog. With its pale gray feathers and bright red legs, the kagu is easy to spot, especially since it's the national bird and its likeness is on 1000 Franc note and business logos throughout Noumea.