16:08S 152:47W

 

After three blissful days soaking up the delights of amazing Maupiti, we decided we needed to get the Bandit show on the road and keep heading west.  It was with some reluctance though – Maupiti was absolutely beautiful.  We walked the sandy white beaches of the deserted motus, cycled round the enchanting main island running into a local wedding en route and watched the wonderful celebrations including singing and dancing.  During expeditions ashore we filled our backpacks with local fruit and vegetables – some picked from wild trees, others bought from friendly locals who run roadside stalls.  Maupiti, we decided, is definitely the nicest of the French Polynesian islands with a totally unspoilt and natural feel.  Overall it’s a wonderfully sleepy and relaxed spot and we felt privileged to be here.

 

Yesterday – after an early morning walk halfway to the top of the hill (it was just too hot and too far to the top!) – we headed down to an anchorage near the reef entry after hearing there was a manta cleaning station there.  Manta rays feed on plankton and for some bizarre reason, spend time perched on the coral allowing feeder fish to “clean” them up.   We anchored on the sand and leapt into the water to swim the few hundred metres to where other people were snorkelling......but didn’t get far, right underneath Bandit were six majestic mantas.  Some of them were up to four metres across and they looked so regal and graceful as they gently waved their wings gliding through the water.  They did not seem at all bothered about us and we spent ages just following them around.  The further we swam the more mantas we came across.   We also saw several spotted eagle rays and later, during a drift snorkel in the pass, a rather large shark.  It was big enough for me to launch myself quickly into the tender....but David stayed in the water – I did notice he had a good grib of the tender though!

 

This morning we reluctantly upped anchored and headed away.   Maupiti’s pass is very narrow and it was much rougher than when we entered......it was heart in mouth stuff and a relief to be out into deep water.

 

The weather we downloaded looks favourable for the 700mile run to Suvarrow and we’re hoping to have better conditions than our friends who arrived in Tonga yesterday....after being hammered with strong winds, squalls and big swells in the South Pacific Convergence Zone.  Fingers crossed for gentle trades!

 

FYI – we will be updating this blog daily at midday local time which is 10am NZ time.