16.26S 152.14W Monday 26th May And we finally
made a move – bye bye Bora Bora and bye
bye internet connection so no photos until we find another one!
We stayed longer than we meant to really…… initially
for a Rally gathering at Bloody Mary’s which was fun and then for
Jeremy on Hakuna Matata’s birthday when Pat hosted a cocktail party for
the whole BWR anchorage which was an amazing feat………and
Heidenskip’s dinner party catching up with Robert and Wendy,
Maryanne and the Zippies again which was great too and a very funny
evening……but today we set off for Rarotonga in the Cook Islands
– then side tracked off to Ile Maupiti. This island’s only
pass has a very poor reputation because in rough weather it is particularly
hazardous with many vessels having come to grief. However, today in
glorious weather, without a breath of wind, the pass was benign and we entered
– gracefully with only one knot of current against us!
Maupiti
Island
Sizing up the pass…….
And through………..
In fact the write ups in the pilot books are so scary we are the only
boat in the huge lagoon – with the towering volcanic remains of Maupiti above
us - a wonderful respite after overcrowded Bora Bora.
Bora Bora a distant memory!
You can just see Anahi on the horizon in the lagoon – we are
alone……..
We ‘kissed’ a coral head on the way to the anchorage, but
no damage done and the peace and serenity here is overwhelming. We have
already trickled around the lagoon in the dinghy and seen huge manta rays, wild
birds on the sand spit, coral heads everywhere but not so many fish –
with the sea temperature at 71 degrees I suspect it is too warm? There are few
tourists here and no hotels – only pensions.
Sand spit with birds in the evening light
Isn’t it glorious here?
The radio net is back on since yesterday so we are all in touch, each
doing their own ‘free sailing’ before meeting up again en mass in Tonga.
I made the Niue flag today (as we shall be going there after Rarotonga)
– this isolated island is one of the smallest independent nations in the
world and is affectionately named ‘The Rock’! We are
also planning a visit to Mopelia, weather permitting, a little visited Society Island, and its good to be off the
beaten track for a change. Here, it really is back to nature in the real
sense of the word, not much has changed since Paul was here 15 years ago with
Hans-Henning and Mazelle on a Moorings charter holiday and it is the better for
it…. miles of unbroken sandy clean beaches on the motus around the
lagoon.
Next morning, up at 7.00am and off the boat to explore – we had
run down our Pacific Francs but had just enough to hire three bicycles (fixed
wheel – no brakes!), buy five red bananas, one egg roll, one homemade
chicken and potato takeaway and a large bottle of water!
Cement roads circle the island and it took an hour to ride around
Everyone who was anyone was up and about, ladies in their finest flower
decorated hats waiting for the bank to open, the post office busy (two people
in the door and it was full) much cleaning of steps and watering down of the
café floors and verandah, one aeroplane’s passengers arriving, workmen
widening the cement road to double its size, cockerels crowing, dogs with
puppies, the Maupiti express catamaran’s arrival all contributed to a
busy, happy community going about its business. Gardens adorned with
flowers, fruit trees and vegetables growing in every spare patch of rich earth,
children at school, choirs singing in the church – really it is
enchanting.
Maupiti express arriving – trading between the islands plus
passengers
Colourful living – typical house on the water’s edge
And all their boats hoisted up out of the water…
The local town hall was buzzing – posters outside depicted
problems they may encounter with yachties’ pets
Loved ‘the dog and the pussy cat set out to sea
…….’
We also understand that sadly there is an ongoing problem with
elephantiasis, a disease I ignorantly thought to be isolated in Africa…..
Poster warning of the dangers of rubbish which can provide the habitat for
the carriers of the disease………
By 12.00 today we had cycled around the island, drunk our water, eaten
our picnic, collected some gifts from a hotelier who asked us to deliver them
to his friends in Mopelia if we get there, bought a T shirt with our remaining
francs and exited successfully through the pass…….
Holding my breath……..the reef seemed so close and spirited!
This was a great interlude and we wouldn’t have missed Maupiti
for the world…….
