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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 17, 2015 08:00 PM Around Rurutu Island
The ocean is thumbling all the night on the barrier reef just nearby, but I sleep well to this monotonous music. Sun is rising around 6 on the other side of the island so we eat our continental (included) breakfast in the shade, enjoying the silence of the tropical morning. Then I take my camera bag, the bottle of water and I start my walk around the island. Our host offer free bikes but only the north of Rurutu has flat roads and in general I like to walk: to stop wherever I want, to go to the local's houses and do not care about the bike... So I walk, greeting the people: ia orana! I turn to the cliff to visit "grotte Mitterand" (French president once was here). This hugo open cave in the cliff with many stalactites and solid stalagmites is worth a visit. Then I walk onward to Moerai - the sleepy island's capital. The pickup overtakes me and stops ahead: ia orana! Do you want a lift? People are lovely here... In the "city" there are three (!) Chineese shops and little market near the tiny port. They sell bananas for bunches not for pieces, but it comes to 10 francs for banana, 25 for huge papelmouse... South of the port they have medical center and school and thenthere is picturesque cliff with grottos on the upper level. I walked the ring road as far as village Auti with nice protestant church. Then started to climb the ridge to the other side of the island passing banana and taro gardens. Sweaty, 4x4 only road! No traffic at all. Village Avera on the other side of the ridge is very picturesque with nice sandy beach and jetty. Ladies in the bar refilled my water bottle (Rurutu's tape water is safe to drink!) And I started to climb the cliff road going north to Vitaria. Hardcore climb, bot the view of the Avera Bay from the cliff view point was great!
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Mar 16, 2015 08:00 PM Rurutu - island without lagoon
No ship Tubuai to Rurutu during next two weeks. One flight per week - I was lucky to get a seat. We were already seating in the turbo-prop of Air Tahiti when captain announced that the fire brigade car on Rurutu airstrip has technical problem. And our flight will probably go directly to Papeete. Wow! We turned back from runway to parking - so if anybody wants to stay in Tubuai...
Fortunately after 20 min captain got next, good message: they managed to repair the car so we can fly. After 40 min in the air I saw new island: Rurutu. Hilly, green, but practicaly with no lagoon - barrier reef is here just 20-30 m from the coast. But Rurutu has high, picturesque cliffs instead and interesting caves. .
They took me to cozy Pension Teautamatea (try to remember this name!) on the western coast. Run by friendly Welsh-Polynesian couple is located in the garden under coconut palms just 30 m from the coast. No mosquitoes! (almost). They charge 7600 CFP ber bed with two meals if you stay longer then 3 nights. Lovely, sunny weather. Another paradise discovered!
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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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