Student Party Returns From Stay In Noumea

Press, Volume C, Issue 29707, 28 December 1961, Page 8

Student Party Returns From Stay In Noumea

A holiday trip by students to French-speaking New Caledonia should become an annual affair because of the great benefit to the students, both in their command of French and in their awareness of the world, Mr D. L. Drysdall, of Christ’s College, said yesterday. Mr Drysdall returned on Christmas Eve from a visit to the island as leader of a party of 11 university and teachers’ college students. The visit was on the lines of one made last year by a party from the University of Canterbury The students found their way round quite satisfactorily. even though few of them had any advanced knowledge of French, said Mr Drysdall. To improve their knowledge, they had gone out of their way to use the language, even when they could have used English. The party left New Zealand on December 6. after a delay of two days through aircraft trouble. When the party arrived it found that the teacher who had arranged the itinerary and who was to act as guide had had to abandon the idea for family reasons, so Mr Drysdall took over. In spite of these set-backs, the tour was highly successful. The students were extremely well entertained, he said, by the teachers in charge of the hostels of the Lycee La Perouse in Noumea. The party stayed at the hostels the whole time except during three days when a trip was made through the eastern part of the island The island Minister of Education (Mr Leborgne) who had over-all responsibility for the visit. was most helpThe economy of the island seemed well founded, shopb? In< 80od if ratherdear. said Mr Drysdall. Most of what was on sale came either from France or Australia, New Zealand having apparently only a vepr small share in themarm * eek * ago. the flrst New Zealand butter apPeered in the shops. . Noumea was an old town m course of being rebuilt, and was very much alive Its mainstay economically was fhe mckle-mining industry. 9" the party went to the huge nickel foundry

in Noumea to see the furnace being tapped. Other places visited included the Museum of Noumea, which gave a good picture of the history of the Melanesians on the island, and the Aquarium of Noumea. which is the only aquarium in the world with live corals. The party also saw the New Zealand military cemetery. Life in the town seemed fairly free and easy. Although the population was a mixture of Melanesian. French, and Chinese, there was no colour bar, and relations between the races seemed harmonious. One thing which struck members of the party was the liberality of the liquor licensing laws. At least two places in the town stayed open all night for dancing and drinking.