This article is part of a weekly series on cruising in The Sun Herald, Sydney. If you have done an interesting shore excursion and are interested in being featured, please send an email to jane@janeefraser.com.au.
WHO Ken Glover, of Port Macquarie, on his sixth cruise.
WHAT Segway tour of Parc Forestier (Forest Park), a nature park and zoo in Noumea.
WHERE Parc Forestier is about four kilometres north of the centre of Noumea, capital of New Caledonia. Passengers taking the shore excursion were picked up from and returned to the ship in Noumea.
THE SHIP Ken cruised with his wife, Kristine, on P&O’s Pacific Jewel (pocruises.com.au), on a nine-day itinerary from Sydney to various New Caledonian ports and back to Sydney.
“Having a go on a Segway had been on our ‘bucket list’ for some time, so that was the big attraction of doing this excursion. We wouldn’t have gone to the park on a normal tour; it would have been too time-consuming when you’ve only got a day,” Ken says.
“On the Segways we were able to cover a good bit of ground in a short time – what would normally take half a day we did in a couple of hours.
“Forest Park is a zoo and botanic gardens in the hinterland just outside Noumea. We started with 10 minutes of orientation, getting to know the Segways, then we set off in a line with two instructors, one at the front and one at the back. Our group was just eight people and ranged in age from early 20s to a lady who was 81 years old, although I think she found it a bit nerve-racking.
“Segways are self-balancing; if you lean forward they go forward and if you lean back they slow or go into reverse. We were able to get the hang of it quite quickly and by the time we got back we were experts!
“I believe that we were some of the first… (click here to keep reading)
