Tahiti, after the wide-open lagoons and turquoise colours of the Tuamotus, was a shock. Papeete, the capital city of the Society islands, was a mass of roaring traffic and pollution so after spending a couple of pricey nights tied alongside the once busy town quay near the busy road we snuck off round the corner and once again found beauty, peace and quiet and those lovely turquoise anchorages. Being a part of France we had good access to a Carrefour Supermarche which was heaven, almost literally, after having no real access to decent food shops since February! Fresh French bread, brie and wine: bliss. Oh, but you pay about double the supermarket prices in the UK.
From Tahiti we sailed to Moorea, an absolutely stunning island, which we were expecting to be overrun by tourists: not so. Our first anchorage on the east side of the island was deserted and we anchored in water so clear that we could see our anchor and chain on the sand in the moonlight. We spent subsequent days in Cook’s Bay and Oponahu Bay where we again found total solitude and scenery that is simply stunning. In Moorea I did three dives beyond the protective reef that surrounds the island, diving with Black-tip and Lemon sharks amongst pristine coral; I even saw clown fish (you know, Nemo) hiding in an anemone, a long term want for me. As a family we swam amongst sting-rays that would literally eat out of your hand! With the people being amongst the friendliest we have ever met we loved Moorea.
Date(s): July 2007. Album by Gerard Coulson. Photos by Gerard Coulson. 1 - 53 of 53 Total. 32115 Visits.
1 Tahiti - Venus point in the early morning after a heavy night of wind and rain at sea
2 Approaching Papeete
3 Tom gets a long overdue short back and sides
4 Me next!
5 Clarabella and Myrdinn alongside the town quay
6 At anchor overloooking Moorea
7 On a 'Le Truck', the public transport
8 Ashore at Venus point
9 The Venus Point lighthouse
10 On tghe wall of the lighthouse
11 At Venus Point we stumble on an outrigger-canoe race
12 Le Truck
13 Moorea at sunset
14 Leaving Tahiti astern
15 and Moorea is ahead
16 Papeete
17 Hills of Tahiti
18 Approaching Moorea
19 The colour of water we anchor in
20 The hills of eastern Moorea
21 A hotel on Moorea
22 A lovely anchorage
23 Leaving through the pass you can see the reef and the quiet water in the lagoon
24 Clarabella at anchor in Cook's Bay
25 Cook's Bay from the shore
26 In Oponohu Bay
27 Clarabella - bootm right - at anchor beneath the towering Mt Rotui
28 Ashore walking in a fruit plantation
29 At anchor in Robinson's Cove
30 What a beautiful anchorage this was
31 M falls in love with some local stray kittens
32 Robinson's cove
33 Anchored, with the stern tied to a palm tree
34 The girls with the kitten - it was hard to leave this little one behind
35 Rebecca
36 another sweetie
37 Mt Tohiea, as seen in the film South Pacific
38 At anchor in Pigs bay, on the other side of Oponohu
39 Picture postacrd stuff
40 Cook's Bay seen from the Belvedere
41 and Oponohu
42 the boys
43 Tahiti and Moorea 43
44 Tahiti and Moorea 44
45 Dolphins at the head of Oponohu Bay
46 Swimming with rays 1
47 Swimming with rays 2
48 Swimming with rays 3
49 Swimming with rays 6
50 Swimming with rays 4
51 Swimming with rays 5
52 Tom leaps from the ratlines
53 we leave Moorea in the setting sun as we head for Huahine
