Stingray attack

Moorea is a beautiful island for walking with grand green vistas over the opal lagoon and protective outer reef. We strolled up the valley past friendly horses and picked fresh limes on the way to a hilltop planted with tall conifers.

Off the village Haapiti lies one of our favourite anchorages in Moorea. It’s great for swimming and offers some satisfying walks ashore where one can buy hand made sarongs, bread and ice-cream.. A day later we made an overnight passage to Hauhine and managed to get the kite up for seven hours. Pat found souvenirs in Fare and we over-nighted at our own private beach, plundered some fruit and drank green coconuts.

Raiatea is the second largest high island of French Polynesia. The main town is named Uturoa and is fairly typical of the Polynesian towns in that the population of cars and pedestrians have outgrown the main street and the other street behind that. We walked and hitched through the flower filled villages twice; once into Uturoa for an ice-cream then the other time to the marina to book a restaurant for Pat and Sid’s last night. We had had a fantastic time with them.