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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Mar 15, 2015 08:00 PM Climbing Mt Panee
Tubuai Island has two nice peaks to climb. The trailhead is on route traverse - the road tranversing island, Morning was clear so I started early - sorry, no signs on the trail so you just follow the path through the fields and later - through the forest. It became steep and overgrown by bush and high grass. After yesterday's rain the vegetation was wet so you can imagine that soon I was wet too. I am sure that since weeks or maybe months nobody went there... But it is worth! Before you will reach the summit (392 m) there are few nice viewpoints which give you aerial views of the northern and southern coast of the island with turquoise lagoon.Just see enclosed picture. It took me 1,5 hour to get there.
Ofergrown path goes from the top of Mt Panee along the ridge to Mt Taita, which is more rocky and 25 m higher. Sorry, I was too wet to continue there... Back on the road I met local people working near their house. Ia orana! They asked me where I am coming from. - From this mountain!- I pointed the distant summit. They looked at me appreciatively. An old man brought for me from the house a can of cold Hinano beer. Very special appreciacion... Maururu! Thank you!
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Mar 14, 2015 08:00 PM Walking around the island
Sunny morning, but humidity is so high that it takes twodays to dry my laundry. I decided to walk around the eastern part of the Tubuai Island. Just after T-junction in Mataura you will find few fruit & vege- stalls, and also a kind of fast food institution, where most of the dishes cost 1000 francs (10 $). Walking east in Taihuaia I passed the nice college - the only one on the island and few churches. On the coast around 15 people were cleaning the fresh fish. On the eastern side there are nicest motus visible along the barrier reef. On the southern part of the island I turned inland to the ancient marae - place of cult. It is not easy to find because of the lack of a good map and nobody is interested to put any markers showing the direction - you have to ask people, They are very friendly - it is good occasion to see how they live in their sprayed-out houses surrounded by avocado and lemon trees. In fact the low part of the island looks like one great garden. Local boys offered me a coconut drink - directly from the palm groving on the roadside. Then I found an old llace of cult. Stone platforms of marae are surrounded by lush jungle. Do not expect any explanation. I returned to the coast to walk again along narrow, sandy beaches before taking the traverse road back to Wipa Lodge. Mosquitoes are main plague of this island. Tkanks God they have good mosquito nets installed over the beds in Wipa!
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Mar 13, 2015 08:00 PM Bloody Bay on Tubuai
One more "Bounty"-related place
I was lucky to visit in the past Pitcairn, then Timor- where cpt. Bligh landed after mutiny, and also Norfolk Is - where descendents of mutineers were resettled... Few people remember that after mutiny guys from "Bounty" initially wanted to live on Tubuai Island. In May 1789 they landed is the bay in the north of the island. 15 local wariors were killed during the fight. Since then the Bay is called Bloody Bay. I was there today. No monuments or signs there, but nice, sandy beach and a mini-pier built just opposite the passage through the barrier reef. "Bounty" after the fight in Bloody Bay sailed away, but returned to Tubuai to land again on the eastern coast of the island. Mutineers did not feel safe they built there little fort - Fort George and lived there till September 1789 when they sailed out to Pitcairn... Nothing remained of the fort - just the site. In the eastern part of the island there are three picturesque peaks called Sleeping Man. I was climbing the pass below them - the path is still passable and took me to to the main road traversing the island - it was lovely walking the complete emptiness. Large pine trees are the main attraction of the landscape. Probably I am again the only tourist on the island :)
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Mar 12, 2015 08:00 PM Madame la Ministre, monsieur le President...
Madame la Ministre, monsieur le President...
Only 2000 people live on Tubuai. The ring road going along the coast is only 24 km long - you can drive around all island in half an hour... So I thought that it is a joke when they told me that minister from Paris is coming to visit little and remote Tubuai. But this become true. Locals built a gate of flower near the "town hall", local ladies prepared the feast of traditional food and there was full mobilization of army forces (12+1 soldiers inclusive 2 ladies). During the ceremony I liked most lovely school children with garlands on their heads. Guests arrived by plane. There were songs and ukulele music for welcome and Madame got as many flower garlands as she was able to carry. She was accompanied by Mr President of French Polynesie. Kids were singing funny anthem of Fr Polynesie and then anthem of France (sorry, no military band!). Then there were speaches and Madame la Ministre Outre-Mer promised to improve the level of life on the island. Then she got as a gift new chapeau made of pandanus (island's speciality). And then we were eating all this tasty food (me too - as the only non-French correspondent on Tubuai) Oh, mniam, mniam! :)
Madame, monsieur, commanders, journalists and all their court departed 2 hours after the welcome ceremony. Lucky me, what a colorful event! Well... Regarding the islanders I saw them there (excluding school kids) maybe only 100 of 2000. What do you think?
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Mar 11, 2015 08:00 PM Buggy ship to Tubuai
"Tuhaa Pae" was build just few years ago to serve Austral Islands (they have monopoly for the service) and is in general quite nice little ship. Travelling in the last expensive class you have to bring your own sheet and blanket (they blow cold air into the room) since the berths are sticky. In the middle of the night I woke up with the feeling that something is walking around on my face... Yeep! 2 cm long bug! On the white-painted walls there were more of them. I did not sleep till the morning - that's budget traveller's life! At sunrise we crossed the pass in the barrier reef entering the lagoon of Tubuai. Tubuai (locals pronounce: Tupuai) has nice mountains, but they rise in the middle of the oval-shaped island - not like on Raivavae. Soon we docked at a little pier. Sun was already very hot when I was marching down the ship's gangway. Friendly local guy gave me the lift on his pick-up to the last expensive pension - Vaiteanui. It is also known as Wipa Lodge. Located some 1 km from the center of Mataura -the "capital" of the island and whole Austral Archiepelago. Lodge, in the big garden is operated by little crazy Mr Wilson and his wife. They have 5 rooms with bath. They charge 4500 CFP just for acommodation in the single. And believe me - for French Polynesia it is very good price! It is time to rest after this buggy night...
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Mar 10, 2015 08:00 PM Tuhaa Pae - my third freighter...
There is no public transport on Raivavae so John was so kind to give me the lift to the pier in Rairua. Ship arrived! It is the important event on the island, celebrated only one or two times every month! Everybody goes to the ship to collect parcels, to meet returning family members, to buy the fuel directly from the ship.
I bought a ticket for the lowest class "deck couchette" on the pier. It cost 2750 CFP. Then the showed me the way to my place. It looks like in the war transporter: 48 or so steel, two-tier beds in one room.
If you want extra also meals you pay extra 5000 per day - ridicoulous!
We left Raivavae in the late afternoon - this was excellent time to enjoy the picturesque mountains ofthis lovely island from the north - all in the sun...
Course: Tubuai
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Mar 09, 2015 08:00 PM No bread on Monday!
The only baker on Raivavae usually in the morning goes around the island offering his bread. But not on Monday! So Linda on Mondays is baking her own bread for family and guests. Very tasty! She is like a good spirit of this island. Seeing that I am on the backpacker diet she brought me a bunch of bananas from their garden. She and John speak English - its rare on this island. Lovely and very hospitable people. In the morning minibus is coming to pick up kids to the school. Kids are waiting on the roadside - ach one with his ukulele! They learn how to play since early years. Blue lagoon and white ring of the reef... Raivavae - Austral Islands - it will be hard to leave this great place. But they say that my third freighter is already on its way from Papeete...
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Mar 08, 2015 08:00 PM Outskirts of Polynesia
It is hard to describe the beauty of the place. Just jump into maps.google and search for "Raivavae" on the satelite view... I took the walk around Raivaivae island enjoying the colors of the lagoon, white beaches, friendly people greeting you with a smile: ia orana! The coastal road has 25 kms. Only 900 people live on this island in the four villages. Protestants. LMS missionariest were first here so no catholics on the island. On Sunday I attended a wonderful mass in the old protestant church. Can you imagine all these wonderful songs, drums and ukulele music? Flower garlands, bells... In the afternoon we went by motorboat to the best known "motu piscine". Let you know - the name is confusing: it is not a pool inside motu, but a shallow part of the lagoon between motu and great sandbar. But it is beautiful! Pine trees instead of palms dominate the vegetation on the Ravaivae's motus. So far from the noisy world, so quite, so remote...
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Mar 07, 2015 08:00 PM Raivavae - the dream island
Do not worry, dear friends! I am doing well, but lack of expensive internet forced me to suspend my messages for few days.
Can you imagine peacefull island with a multi-color lagoon, green mountains and smiling, hospitable people? It looks like Bora Bora 60 year ago - before terrible commercialization. That' s Raivavae... South of Tahiti, in the Austral Archipelago. Few people know this remote place. I stay in the little bungalow, 20 m from the lagoon surrounded by palms, flowers and Linda's family. Warm rain in the morning, I am waiting for the better weather to climb the mountain for the view...
Best wishes for all our ladies on the occasion of International Women's Day!
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Mar 01, 2015 08:00 PM Cargo first, passengers - be happy anyway!
Cargo first, passengers - be happy!
We are again on Nuku Hiva in the previously visited port - to take a load of fresh coconuts, bananas and vegetables for Tahiti. We - the passengers - we have 1,5 hour time - just enough to walk to the settlement and back. So it is not a cruise ship... There is something more important. But they offer here something I appreciate - free laundry 3 times per voyage. So it is laundry day - they already collected nets with our sweaty clothes. There is also ironing room if you want to iron.
In the afternoon we will be again on Ua Pou for cargo - I will run to the village during the short stopover with a hope that I will be able to send this message...
I am already thinking about Austral Islands....
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