Tahaa, Society Islands
Sea Topaz
Duncan Briggs
Mon 10 Aug 2009 22:17
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16.34.111 S 151.31.837 W
Another island, this time we did not have to go
very far as Tahaa shares the lagoon with Raiatea.
Both these islands have no beaches, but they do
have nice motu's (small islands on the reef) with beaches and lovely blue
waters. We anchored for lunch at one of those and then spent the night in a very
deep bay, Haneema Bay. The next morning we went ashore and walked over the hill
to the other side of the island. The island is very lush and they grow many
things, but mainly vanilla. This is a plant a bit like an orchid, even the
flower looks like one. We watched an old boy fertilising a flower by hand.They
grow all over the place, in the wild as well as in covered cages. The smells are
wonderful. From there we went to the north of Tahaa where we anchored off a motu
again for the night. It took several attempts, plus hitting a coral head to find
a good spot. But we are here with a splendid view of Bora Bora, which will be
our next island in a few days time.
 
 The road we walk across the
island
Vanilla pods
Fertilizing the vanilla flower by hand
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