Life in Lifou

Lifou, the largest of the Loyalty Islands, was our final port of call today. Our cruise ship anchored offshore in Santal Bay. After a leisurely breakfast, we caught a tender to shore and spent a couple of hours exploring the village of Easo. Initially, misting rain sent the humidity soaring making for a rather sweaty, steamy walk.

Our first stop was a small chapel called Notre Dame de Lourdes. It sits high on a bluff overlooking the bay and is crowned by a cast iron statue of the Virgin Mary. A sign at the entrance says the statute weighs more than two tonnes. Despite the humidity, the sweaty, 800-metre walk and final hill climb were well worth the effort. The views of the coastline were spectacular, including a rather Instagram-worthy view of our ship.

According to a sign in the vestibule, the roof of the church, statue, and all, lifted off during a cyclone in 1880. The roof was eventually located on the floor of the bay by divers and hauled back to its rightful location which must have been quite a feat. The statue, which fell into the chapel, seemed to survive the ordeal unscathed. However, the salty sea air is taking its toll as sections of the Virgin are covered in rust.

We then made our way in the opposite direction to an impressive white-rendered Catholic Church called Eglise Catholique ne Drehu. A bilingual sign outside explained the history of the building. Apparently, the stone used in its construction comes from stalactites and stalagmites extracted from nearby caves more than ten metres below ground. Unfortunately, the church doors were locked so we made our way back to the landing pier. 

The heavens opened up shortly after returning to the pier. For almost 15 minutes it bucketed down. Garry and I briefly debated abandoning our pre-booked excursion to Luecila Beach on the opposite side of the island. However, we decided it was worth the drive if only to see more of the island and its local life. I’m glad we didn’t let the weather beat us as the rain cleared during the thirty-minute trip to the beach.

Luecila Beach was another spectacular destination. Its crystalline white sands arc around the vibrant azure waters of Chateaubriand Bay. We spent a couple of hours swimming in the warm tropical waters and resting in the shade. It really was the perfect way to finish our cruise through the Coral Sea.

While we were at Luecila Beach, I took a walking tour with one of the locals through the neighbourhood village of We. He explained that Lifou is home to about 10,000 people, who belong to 37 tribes led by a local chief. The largest of these is in We with approximately 700 members. The island’s tribes are also grouped into three administrative districts, each led by a Grand Chief.

Our local guide shared some fascinating stories about tribal law and the administration of community justice. He also explained how most families still build and maintain a traditional, conical thatched hut alongside their modern homes. 

Likewise, many families still sleep overnight in them, especially during the warmer months. However, our guide’s family doesn’t use his hut as much as they used to. As his kids have grown older they want their privacy and prefer spending time on the internet.

The building of each family’s traditional hut is a community affair. Our guide told us that he’d recently rebuilt his own hut. The work was undertaken by the entire community and took five days to complete. In return, all he and his wife had to do was keep everyone fed and hydrated. 

One final fun fact. You can always tell which hut is owned by one of the three Grand Chiefs. Their hut has an entrance with a twin doorway. One door is for the exclusive use of the chief and his family. The second is used by visitors and local villagers coming to pay their respects. We saw one of these double door huts from the bus while driving to the beach.