Fai Tira Blog Monday 30th May

Fai Tira in Raiatea and Tahaa 16:43.74S 151:26.89W

A summary of our last week in paradise.

We left Moorea in a rain storm heading for Hauhine.

We arrived there and walked to the beach bar for an early evening beer. These were served to our loungers by a stunning local lass, hence J’s ‘doubled’ thumbs-up sign.

The next day saw us biking around the island and visiting local beauty spots and artisan centres. See Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airman...

We stopped for lunch.. well.. beer. The proprietress (Lolita) was very friendly and happy to sell us pareos

(J bought a discreet yet fetching olive green number to wear on hot sweaty nights instead of shorts), fish, jewellery, beer or anything else we wanted and she had. A fortuitous stop, it transpired, as it positively tipped down with rain about 2 minutes after our arrival, and did so for at least 2 beers’ duration.  Later on we crossed the bridge over to the other island, rode up a dirt road and got thoroughly plastered with red mud. Hinano, by the way, is the ‘local’ (all over French Polynesia) beer, brewed in Tahiti and expensive even there.  Disturbingly, the lady in its PR picture has only 4 toes...

We returned later to the town quay and met up with Susan and David.  The local customs ‘mother ship’ boat was there.  Three customs officers had previously boarded Fai Tira and searched her thoroughly. Seemed like a very cushy number to us: swan about in shorts n T shirts in a fast RIB (‘rigid inflatable boat’ to U landlubbers), harassing a few yachties, in glorious locations all over French Polynesia. Their bosses’ve realised this and limit them to 2 year postings renewable once, i.e. a maximum of 4 years and no re-application within the next 10!

The local reef off the anchorage was a delight.  A group of us went snorkelling. The charming fish in the pictures were so tame,  I think the local dive school must feed them.

Pete and Marg on the left with me on the right.

We left Huahine and headed for the bay where the river was on Raiatea and Tahaa.  We arrived just in time to be invited on Enchantress for early evening drinks with Aspin and Camomile.

Steve and Maria from Aspen, and our friendly Jock couple David and Susan from Enchantress.

The next day saw us heading up the only navigable river.  We stumbled across a botanic garden which had been abandoned but still had some lovely specimens. Two of which are standing right before you.

The adventurers negotiating the river and trekking through the jungle.

We headed for the main town on the island, Utaroa, where a fishing competition had just finished. This is what remained of a 150 kilo Marlin. He looks a tad disgruntled.  The wind was blowing us onto the dock and we all the boats there had a bit of a problem getting away the next morning.  We sprung off from the bow which worked OK.

The very expensive beach resort with Bora Bora in the background and a lovely little puffer fish.

We left the town to visit a small motu (island) Tau Tau.  Here we had one of the best snorkelling adventures of the trip.  Note the gorgeous blue colour round the ‘lips’ of the clam.  They come in all shades in fact, from light blue, through purple to brilliant aquamarine.  Painters would love to know how and why they do it!  The wee puffer fish on the right was quick to inflate him/herself up to beachball size just after Pete took this shot. I tried to shoo him/her out from the other side of the hidey-hole for another ‘inflated’ shot, but he/she stayed resolutely lurking amongst the sea urchins under the rock.  Chicken!!  Incidentally, John put his left hand on a sea urchin the following day, and will probably tell U more about this anon.  There may even be photos!

More to come from John later.