We would have visited Raiatea and Tahaa anyway but our main reason for getting there is that there is a boatyard with a travel lift big enough to haul out Gryphon II so we booked in as the boat badly needs antifouling. These are two islands which share a lagoon but are quite different in character. Tahaa is the Vanilla Island where the air is often fragrant with the scent of the vanilla grown all over the island, it is said to be special as it has a very faint whiff of liquorice - gorgeous. Raiatea was the first island in the Societies to be settled and was full of ancient religious sites 'Marae' but these were destroyed by missionaries and now only the most important have been restored as the polynesians attempt to claw back their history. 

We arrived a few days early so that we could do some lagoon sailing around the islands before being exhausted from boat work in the heat. We checked the location of the boatyard when we arrived then anchored out near the reef where it is shallower as most of the anchorages in the bays and close in to the island are very deep so if the anchor is fouled it is probably lost as it is too deep to dive to sort it out. We managed to circumnavigate Tahaa as unlike many of the islands the surrounding lagoon inside the barrier reef continues unbroken by banks of coral blocking the way. We spent time investigating the picturesque bays where the waters plunge deep and the hills rise steeply after the margins of the shoreline where people live and work on their land and beautiful gardens.

 Nearby there were some rather more pretty fish....possibly part of his evening meal.

After investigating the underwater wildlife we had a hard working week of antifouling in a helpful boatyard on the west coast of Raiatea. Of course we had to live on board which meant the joys of a bucket at night but at least the luxury of a (very cold) shower after the day's work. We launched again after 4 days ashore and now have a nice smooth black bottom to our boat instead of our previous black and blue one with its fetching grass skirt.

Also whilst on the island we explored French Polnesia's only navigable river.

This winds about 2 miles inland before getting too shallow. However it passes the site of an abandoned botanical garden, where we were told it was possible to land and explore. This proved to be true but the exploration was enhanced by a local man (called James) who offered to show us around.

James ahead of our dinghy in his outrigger canoe.

Just as in Panama when we explored inland with Romelia and Jessica, James spoke quite good English and was able to tell us the names of most of the plants we saw in Polynesian, French and English. He also gave us various fruits to try including what looked like a large purple plum but  is a star apple. Chris liked it but I found it rather slimy.

James climbed a coconut palm to cut us fresh green nuts for the juice which is delicious. He challenged Chris to climb up but it didn't work out!

The range of flowers was as ever staggering as these photos show.

The Cats' Tails                                                       and the Cats' Whiskers

Tahitian orchid                                                      One of many unusual ginger family plants

Another ginger                                                     Cashew nut tree

And many others.....................

  James also showed us some party tricks with local plants!

 

 

And then......

 

The final highlight of the day for Chris was a go in James's outrigger canoe. James was very surprised and suitably impressed by his canoeing skills!

 

 

 

 

Chris and James ........................... outrigger canoeists.