Apologies to all for the lack of reports in recent days - we have simply been having too much fun in the South Pacific! Rosie & Nick got engaged on Rosie’s Birthday - he even had a ring! (Been hidden away onboard since St Lucia apparently) – so followed a lovely evening champagne dinner and birthday/engagement cake -
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Diana & Rebecca arrived safely without delay and with their all important baggage , containing all sorts of boat goodies ( including new fleet 33 dome J ,and new fruit cake form David’s Mum, just in time as the last one was just been finished and thus we set off from Tahiti for what was planned to be some picture book cruising - skipping the WARC rendezvous at the town quay .
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First Moorea to Opunohu Bay – much nicer then Cooks Bay , shared only with Maltese Falcon –( seems to be following us around) - and briefly a huge cruise ship - Lovely clear water , good snorkelling , lots of Rays and some sharks in shallow water, and lots to explore including an evening at Tiki Village also easy access to Papetoai – a good place to start island tours We went with Albert Tours – Albert very informative about local life as well as the visiting ships We started off at an innocuous inland stream but on producing a tin of mackerel, he was surrounded by 3 large fresh water eels.Apparently they had blue eyes but we didn’t get that close to see! Onwards and inland to Belvedere- spectacular views of both bays. Visited Marae (take your mosquito spray) where they used to sacrifice males to feed the village and keep the skulls inside the temple as momentoes, agricultural school to learn about all the fruit they grow, especially pineapples and sample freshly squeezed juice and marmalade. Further inland we stopped at the heart of the volcano for more great views – where they filmed The Bounty with Mel Gibson. En route back one further stop at a place to sample the local tipples – variations on coconut/ pineapple liquers.
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Briefly to Cooks Bay which seems positively crowded - mostly with BWR ( blue water rally) yachts - so with the onset of rain we decided to head off for the overnight 90 mile leg to Huahine – a great island with lots of anchorages as the reef circles a lot of the island – again clear water - not so much fish activity - and wait for it…. 2 days of solid rain, with squalls of up to 40 knots - so we will remember this place for different reasons – that said Fare is a nice small village, as ever filled with friendly locals ( great supermarket - looked cheaper then Carrefore ! - Post office for stamps and postcard for the traditional writers ) – if somewhat geared up to the cruise ship business ( there were none in port while we were there ) although a great little beach restaurant, Te Marara where we had a wonderful fish lunch, we got to raid the games locker and eat like kings courtesy of Jens magic in the kitchen and we got to use our newly fixed washing machine (well done Adrian – no more $100 laundry bills!) And view some our newly acquires DVD’s along with some old favourites..(How can you not like “The Breakfast Club”??? ) - we would have stayed longer but looking at the weather, figured if the unsettled phase did not pass we needed to have more options on land – and frankly after 2 days of rain it felt a little like a wet Sunday in Yarmouth
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So after card games, dice and rain watching - we finally pushed off to head for Raiatea, as we left the sun came up for what looks like a lovely day – so maybe it was not meant to be - we all feel sad for Diana & Rebecca - to travel over halfway round the world and get 2 days of rain - who would have believed it - some say they bought the British weather with them.
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We are now focused on landing big fish so Rebecca can outdo her husband Mark who could not join us and upping the fun factor: so out with the toys, doughnuts & water skies.