New Caledonia with an infant

Hi

My partner and I are planning to travel to New Caledonia in early July with our one-year old daughter. I have a few questions:

1. We hear that it is an ideal time to hike but is it too cold to swim in the oceans?

2. We normally are budget travellers and usually stay in hostels but with an infant we would like to stay in an apartment. I have looked at a few apartments in Noumea - are there any you recommend? Also, if we were to spend a few nights on an outer island, which one would you recommend and whether it has apartment-style accommodation?

3. We have 2 weeks leave, and if it were just the 2 of us I would happily spend 2 weeks there, however with a child we are debating whether to spend 7 or 10 nights in NC.

Any thoughts/advice would be greatly appreciated.

Can't comment on the water temperatures in July as we were there in September - we found the water to be swimmable at that time of the year. We stayed at the Marina Beach Hotel outside Noumea proper in the Baie d'Citrons area - it is an apartment type building with kitchenettes for self catering. It was very basic and not overly stocked with utensils but made a good base for our stay. There was a store nearby for supplies and a number of restaurants in the area. The only other island we visited was Ile de Pins but it was just a beautiful spot with fabulous beaches. We did not self cater here but I know there are a couple of places on the island that have family type accommodations with cooking facilities - have a look at Kodjeue or Nataiwatch. Check out TA to see if there are reviews for these places. Good luck with your planning.