Moorea A pearl in paradise 17:23.450S 149:52.000W

South Pacific Familyadventure 2008
Claes Brodin
Mon 14 Jul 2008 05:22
Moorea gave us more than we expected. In spite of being very near Papeete,
this island was very tranquile and invited for many natural beauties.
We came first to Cook’sBay, a narrow pass bordered by a 800m long green
forest mountain called Rotui, (Captain’s Cook favourite bay). Here, the
”Mutiny of the Bounty” (with Marlon Brando) was filmed.
Actually, appart of being a quite desserted bay, we felt very familiar
just there,, our captain is Bligh, Tarita is also the name of Fletcher
Christian´s (second officer of HMS Bounty) polynesian gilrfriend and
Tarita´s windwane has been baptized as Fletcher. We learned to know that
the real Tarita (from the film) is still alive. Sad we did not met her.
While Claes went to the marina for outborder reparation, we hitchiked to
Opunohu Bay and found out that this was a much nicer bay than Cooks, and
the same evening we moved there and realized that thiswas just another
pearl in paradise: crystal clear shallow reefs, and a lovely white sand
beach with palm trees and lots of polynesian children in a sailing camp or
just playing, polynesian drums on the background and some of our Pacific
sailing companions from Canada (SY O’Vive , Orca III, Malacay) and
american (Imagine).
We spend the days snorkeling, reading, diving, and just relaxing, the
athmophere was very nice among the cruisers and we were helping each
other with easy issues, filling diving tubes, showing the way to nice
spots in the reef, buying grocceries or baguettes early in the morning:
(you have to eat them as soon as possible before they get as chewing gum).
Claes took the children to a diving spot together with other cruiser, and
this was the highliight of their time there.
The sailing school for polynesian children, is an ideal organization,
initiated by a french man called Dudu. It was such a nice athmosphere
there, and they have very good resources. The camp is run every year in a
different island, including the Tuamotus. Handicaped children are also
wellcome. We were impressed.
Carolina is completey obsessed to move to French Polynesia in the future,
she went to the camp and talked to Dudu for a possibility to work as a
sailing instructor next summer.
Claes and me just realize that our children will fly out of the nest very
soon.
We left yesterday evening together with the canadians, americans and two
other dutch boats.
The feeling is difficult to describe: the pacific sunset turning in to
darkness blessed by the full moon comming glimmering behind the mountains
of Moorea , Calm seas with the lanterns of our friends boats glimmering in
the horisont. It was magic.