Avocado Festival - "Fete de l'Avocat" at Nece (pronounced Netchay) on Mare Island in the Loyalty Islands attracts lots of visitors from overseas and from Noumea.

The people of the village organize treks through the forests and sea coasts of Mare. The Asicen Forest Walk is a two to three hour reasonably easy and level trek that follows an ancient hunting path. On one side of the path there is a cliff - part of an ancient coral reef, with the occassional cave. On the other side of the path is the forest of Mare's central plateau. The guide, Pen Jo'on, from the Tribu de Nece, tells stories about the plants and the caves and of the spirts that live in the forest. He points out enormous natural bee hives hanging from the cliffs and tells how people used to harvest the honey (they don't do it anymore because it's much easier to use sugar).

The walks are fun and challenging and, as Pen Jo'on says, it is more than a tourist activity, it is an oportunity to find out more about their culture and lives on this little island in the south Pacific.

You can get the latest information on the festivals of the Loyalty Islands from the official Destination Loyalty Islands Tourism website

For general information about travel to New Caledonia and tourism in the Loyalty islands check out the Rocket Guide to New Caledonia.