Raia'tea
Sea Topaz
Duncan Briggs
Sat 8 Aug 2009 00:36
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16.43.739 S 151.26.607 W
Where has the week gone. We have motored from
Huahine to Raia'tea. When we are at anchor we seem to have wind, but when we are
at sea there is none.. bad planning?? We have had another horrid wet and cold
day, not what we joined for. Fortunately that day we had got up early and went
by dinghy upriver before breakfast. After breakfast we were ready to leave when
the heavens opened and it did not stop raining till nighttime. The trip upriver
was very peaceful and quiet, not a lot of wildlife. We rowed until one of the
oars broke, then we paddled until we were out of the river again and into enough
water to use the engine.
That was in Faarao Bay, from there we went to the
south to Opoa Bay where we anchored in 30 m of water with 80 m of chain out. We
visited marae Taputapuatea, the most sacred site in French Polynesia. We motored
around the southern part of Raia'tea, mostly inside the reef, but the last part
outside. We were amazed to see dolphins inside. We stopped for lunch and a swim
in blue waters and ended up on the town quay in Uturoa, where we are now. Duncan
went diving in the pass and on the Nordby wreck, a three master that sank in
1900. Both interesting dives.
Tomorrow we go to Tahaa, the island next to
Raia'tea.
   
Sooo....
still up the river
One broken oar, what
now...
Another marae, sacred site, the biggest one
yet
A canoeist in our slip stream
  The views on the south side of
Raia'tea
Dolphins inside the reef
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