The main land mass of New Caledonia is Grande Terre, an elongated island east of Australia. The Isle of Pines, the Belep Islands, Mare, Tiga, Lifou, and Ouvea surround it to form the rest of the chain. At the southern tip of Grande Terre is Noumea, a decidedly French town with fine restaurants and shopping. Its waters are popular for yachting and windsurfing. New Caledonia's barrier reefs are trumped only by Australia's famous Great Barrier Reef, and the coral can be seen either from the shores of the Loyalty Islands and the Isle of Pines or by taking a boat out from Grande Terre.
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