La Foa

La Foa is a pleasant little town in the Southern Province of Grand Terre in New Caledonia.

See

• 1 Fort Teremba, Moindou (Take the signposted left from the main highway about 10 minutes west of La Foa), ☏ +687 44 32 71, assomarguerite@canl.nc. 09:00-16:00 daily, closed 23 Dec-1 Jan. About 20 minutes out of town, the fort was built in 1871 to house convicts sent from France and its colonies. It survived following its conquest during a Kanak revolt, but was later abandoned in 1898 following the end of convict deportation. There is a small museum inside describing the history of both the fort and the convict colony. A spectacular sound and light show is held a couple of times a year. 800 CFP adults, 500 CFP seniors, 400 CFP students/children, under-6s free. (updated Aug 2015)
• 2 Margaret Bridge (La Passerelle Marguerite), Route Territoriale 1 (RT1) (On the right as you enter the town from Noumea, adjacent to the highway bridge). Completed in 1909, this cable-stayed suspension bridge was shipped out in pieces from France after being designed by students of Eiffel and was assembled on-site by convicts. It replaced an earlier timber version built by convicts in 1893. (updated Aug 2015)