On the sidelines of the events which continue to agitate New Caledonia, 7,000 Caledonians are currently stranded abroad. According to the company AirCalin, this is due to the suspension since May 14 of all commercial flights to and from Tontouta airport in Nouméa. In Australia, solidarity is being organized between Caledonians, like this Sunday, May 19, in a park in Sydney.
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With our correspondent in Sydney, Grégory Plesse
Several hundred Caledonians are in Australia, and they have been able to count on the solidarity of the Caledonians who live there, some offering them shelter, a meal, or simply some practical information to get by in a city that is sometimes unknown to them. After a week of hardship and anxiety, several dozen of them met this Sunday, May 19 in a city center park for a picnic and to warm their hearts.
“ Sir ? Grape ? Ah, thank you, that’s nice… Take the grape, take the grape! » There are nearly sixty of them, on this sunny day, gathered around a casual picnic. Whether they are residents or stranded in Australia, they all share the same anxiety. Like Teiki, who arrived in Australia three weeks ago for a year-long stay.
“ When you’re at a distance, it’s more complicated”
“ When you’re remote, it’s more complicated. Because you know there’s family there, you wonder how they’re doing. And then sometimes, they are not necessarily available to answer you. So you say to yourself: “Do they have a problem?”So, it’s a bit complicated from a distance, I wanted to come back just to be there. »
So this little moment of conviviality is a moment of relief that feels good. Christine arrived yesterday from Paris, where she went to see her daughter, but her husband and son and her parents are in Nouméa. “ It’s especially good for morale. And then this solidarity, I frankly admit that being there, it’s comforting, we’re with Caledonians, it’s a bit like family! » In support of the spontaneous outpouring of generosity from the Caledonians of Australia, the Consul General of France today launched an appeal for solidarity to the French community in Australia.
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