39 Totegegie,  Mangareva Gambier Islands

"23:05.0S 134:53.00W"

On the 8th of April, we arrived on time just before sunset here
at Totegegie Airport on Mangareva after a 7:30 hour flight
from Papeete.



HB-PON on final approach to Totegegie on the Coral Reef (Motu), surrounding
Mangareva , in the Gambier region, is located in most south easterly part of French Polynesia,
just south of the once French Atomic Test site on Muroroa Athol is again a place to visit and discover.

Simply beautiful!
Extremely nice, friendly and helpful people!



>From the Airport we were transported by boat for 45 minutes to Rikitea, the main
village called RIKITEA on Mangareva by Euthyme Carlson, the Airport Manager-,
ATC Controller-, Chief of the Airport Fire Brigade-, you name it.....



The main street in downtown  Rikitea.



The Islands main’s Cathedral




A nice view to the local harbor with many sailing boats anchored and the main town
of Rikitea in the background.

On Wednesday morning we refueled HB-PON with two brails of AVGAS,
which was especially shipped in for us by boat from Tahiti.

 

At Totegegie Airport building with the Fire truck and HB-PON being refueled with a
hand pump during 2 hours.



Strong south easterly trade wind............

Easter Saturday morning we departed from here at 06:00 local time, just after sunrise
to Easter Island.
What lays ahead for us is a long way to fly over water, with absolutely no alternative, other to return back to
Totegegie in case of need.


We planned to fly over Pitcairn Island on the way, and expected  to reach Easter Island
Saturday in the evening after well after dark.


 
Pitcairn Island, the hidden place well known from the Mutiny of the Bounty