Need Some Help - leaving in 3 days!

(second time lucky, goodness knows where the first post went...)

I normally spent months (often years) planning my holidays but now I really need the help of others that know NC. Today my Mum found out that she stomach cancer (prognosis not great) and in 14 days she starts agrressive chemo. I want to give her and my Dad (both sixties) some special memories as her health is unlikely to be this good again. She is in otherwise perfect health and able to travel well / active etc.

We arrive Tues 13th and leave Tues 30th so only a short trip.

Mum loves wandering, looking in nooks and crannies, scenery, shopping (but not too much or Dad'll go spare), wandering, great food. Dad likes sailing, wandering, reading books, seeing stuff, swimming.

Can you please recommend great NC spots:
- Special places to stay (doesn't need to be the ritz but charming is good)
- Great adventures / places where special memories can be made.
- Do we have time to get to an outer island? would any be better given interests above?

Is NC like French Polynesia where most people recommend getting off the main island relatively quickly to outer islands??

I'd be grateful for any help you can offer that might help me cut down research / booking time.

KiwiKJ

Unlike in French Polynesia, the main island of NC is simply HUGE by South Pacific island standards - by far the biggest of all if you exclude NZ and PNG.
As such it has lots to offer, and a trip up its NE coast to Hienghiene would be basically obligatory for the things you want!
Accommodation in Hienghiene includes a relatively small and low-key Club Med.
Even Noumea itself is fairly nice for a Pacific "city" and deserves a day or two - definitely don't miss the excellent museum!

Getting to the outer islands is easy, especially by plane.
The Isle of Pines offers perhaps the most unique (and stunning!) scenery, but Lifou tends to get highest marks for diversity and adventure.

Best wishes for your Mum - unless the illness spoils it, this trip should give her some very special memories!

Many thanks for the reply (& warm wishes). Am sitting down with the guidebook now and will look up all your suggestions. Actually, just finding a guidebook was a mission - I had to visit 7 bookstores!

Laszlo has summarized it very well. Also read previous posts on here re NC and , after reading the book that you bought, come back with specific questions.

My wife was diagnosed with cancer 7 years ago, and after much treatment is now in remission. I hope your Mum does as well.

BTW whilst I did love Highengene, for mine mum will especially love Noumea - as a city , for shopping and dining and also Isles of Pines for stunning scenery on a very small island - wonderful to relax on - it also has great food.

We booked a package tour to Ile de Pins through Air Caledonie which included air transportation, accommodation(they offered several places in different price points) and transfers on the island. The pirogue tour on Baie D'upi(sp?) with a visit to the 'piscine naturelle' (great snorkeling) was super - you can easily book through your accommodation. The island has lovely beaches and is not crowded but English is not widely spoken so a little French will be helpful.

You can easily walk the beach at Anse Vata and take a water taxi out to one of the offshore islands to spend the day - take a picnic lunch with you. The views from the top of OverToro( I think that's the name ) is worth the trip up. Noumea has a couple of nice parks and the church is worth a visit as well as the market.