Mont Panié, Mountain summit in Grande Terre, New Caledonia.

Mont Panié is the highest point in New Caledonia, located in the northeast of Grande Terre where its eastern slopes fall steeply toward the Pacific Ocean. To the west, the terrain opens into deep river valleys that drop gradually away from the main ridge.

The peak was a landmark for Kanak communities long before European explorers mapped it in the 19th century. During the 20th century, the surrounding area was set aside as a protected reserve to safeguard its high-altitude forests.

The mountain is called Taaluny in the local language, while Panié (or Panyé) is the name of a mound on the coast east of the summit, the founding element of a traditional Kanak tribe. The massif has been protected since 1950 within a 5,000-hectare wildlife reserve co-managed with a Kanak association, the Dayu Biik association.

The trail to the top is long and steep, so solid footwear and enough water are worth preparing in advance. Starting early in the morning helps avoid afternoon cloud cover that often rolls in at higher elevations.

The massif's forests hold 13 palm species, but only 3 are endemic to this mountain massif itself, not to the whole planet. Among them are Basselinia, Brongniartikentia lanuginosa and Chambeyronia lepidota, growing between 900 and 1,200 m alongside the dayu biik kauri.