Lat: 17 35.4S / Long: 149 37.4W
Lat: 17 30.1S / Long: 149 49.2W
French Polynesia began for
us with the mountains of the Marquesas Islands, and continued with the atolls
of the Tuamotu Archipelago. The next group of islands, which we were now
heading to, was the "Society Islands" - Iles de la Société.
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| The pleasure is always great while cruising when a fish, like this 17,6 pound mackerel, is caught. |
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| And a few hours later, it ends up as a delicious sashimi on our plates |
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| Tahiti was the first destination of our trip to the Society Islands. |
Tahiti is the largest and
most populated island of French Polynesia
And wrote significant
history:
In three great expeditions
between 1769 and 1779, James Cook filled the map of the Pacific so
comprehensively that future expeditions were reduced to join the dots. Among
other tasks Cook was sent to the Pacific by the Royal Society to observe the
transit of Venus as it passed across the face of the sun. On the most Northern
cape of the island he built a lighthouse and named it Pointe Venus.
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| The lighthouse on Point Venus: From there, Captain James Cook observed the transit of the planet Venus. |
It was Cook who named the
island group "Society Islands", in honor of the Royal Society of
London - One of the most respected scientific institutions of the time, still
existing today and acting as an advisor for the British government.
By giving the cape its name
the famous captain maybe also had in mind to honor the Polynesian beauties. As
their exotic looks, their serene, gay, open and welcoming nature made them the
complete opposite of the European ladies of the time. It is said that it was
their embraces and intimacy that the mutinous sailors of the HMS bounty were
longing for…
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| To commemorate this memorable event a monument was set up on Point Venus. |
Tahiti is the economic and
administrative center of all island groups. And Papeete is in every respect a
Western city, with shopping streets, traffic chaos and a large marina. But the
island has more to offer than a return to the supposed civilization.
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| Majestic mountains, covered with lush vegetation,… |
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| …impressive waterfalls,… |
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| …archeological sites of religious worship, … |
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| ….deep valleys falling into the arms of the lagoon, or cradling a damn at their base. |
Our next stop was Moorea,
Tahiti's sister island, 12 miles away, still well within sight. Moorea has
wonderful bays. We decided to drop anchor in Cook's Bay.
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| Already the bay’s entrance indeed is a breathtaking sight. |
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| The bay literally slashes into the island, presenting its green heights in a striking contrast to the clear blue water of the lagoon. |
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Many inns and hotels have settled on the island; the more exclusive ones mostly have bungalows on stilts perched over the clear water of the lagoon.
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We took another long and
exhausting hike, this time to the “Three Coconut Tress Pass” about 3940ft high.
We crossed a creek, walked through a bamboo grove, discovered symbols of
indigenous nature as well as exotic plants and covered quite a distance of
altitude from our starting point. Having reached the top, we were rewarded with
beautiful views of the rich vegetation to the bay.
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| Bamboo forest |
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| Indigenous symbolism |
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| What is to later become a fern bush |
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| View from the “Three Coconut Trespass” |
Our next stop is Bora
Bora. Stay tuned!
