Huahine is one of the lesser visited islands, but
it is significant in Polynesian history. It is called Huahine (fruit of
woman) because the image when looking back from Bora Bora is one of a pregnant
woman. However that is just the most recent name. In the past it was
known as Gentle Breeze (or the equivalent name in Polynesian) because it had the
status of being a neutral island where the families could meet up to settle
disputes, Because of this, each family would have a morae (sacred area
paved with rocks) where they could meet and settle disputes in a setting where
all parties were on neutral ground, but all still bound by their beliefs to
speak the truth and honour their agreements.
Today we went on a round island tour with an outfit
called Huahine Explorer. Daniel, our guide, gave us a lot of information about
the island and its history.