The Tales of the South Pacific Islands -- 02 October to 22 November 2023

The crew went crazy overnight and we awoke to a zoo menagerie of towel animals at poolside!!  What fun!!

Taiohae, Nuku Hiva, Marquesa Islands is our last port of call on this legendary voyage.  We were here in March 2002, and it was nice to return, as we saw sites that we didn't get to see last time.    On the way into the bay we had a beautiful sunrise over the island.  An interesting fact is that the Marquesas have their own time zone and are 1/2 hour ahead of Tahiti!! We arrived and anchored in the bay around 7:30am and had some nice photo ops as always.  Robbi said it looks like a puppy dog    We tendered in and had a nice welcome from the locals. The island has a population of under 3,000 and serves as the capital of the Marquesa Islands and its largest island. After a tour of the local produce market, where Robbi bought some "apple bananas" that she loved in Brasil, and artisan stands, Robbi headed back to the ship and John went exploring. The building below is the government house for the Archipelego Marquesas and the French Government that still c...

Fakarava is a tiny atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago consisting of 177 atolls.  Fakarava means "beautiful" and it really is.  The atoll consists of only 9 square miles of land and has a population of only 837.  Fakarava has no fresh water and all drinking water is collected via rainfall. We entered the atoll at the northern passage at around 6:30am and had some great photo ops! Lighthouse in the distance In 2006 Fakarava was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.  This proteced coral atoll is a natural reserve for many many rare species of birds, plants and crustaceans.  It's often called a natural aquarium!  You can see its shape on the map of the atoll below. We had a  short  t ender ride in and were greeted with the customary band and dancers.  We  were here in March,2022 and thank goodness not much has changed.   We were also treated to a primary school group of local children on a field trip and they couldn't wait to say "HI"...

Papeete is one of the largest urban centers in the South Pacifc and lies on the southwest coast of Tahiti.  By the 1830s, its excellent deep water harbor made it a place of trade and a favorite port of call for whalers.  Papeete means "water basket" in Polynesian and has hundreds of underground springs which are connected to make the fresh water drinking systen for the island. We docked around 8:00am under cloudy skies, that gave way to sun by the time our tour left the port. Leaving the ship we were greeted by the Polynesians playing and singing and welcoming us. Over 200,000 inhabit the island of Tahiti Welcome Committee Boarding our bus, our local tour guide, Lydia, explained  a lot about the Polynesian history of Tahiti and their gods and culture.  Our first stop was  Arahurahu Marae -- sacred ground for the Tahitians.  What a fascinating place that has been restored to its nearly original condition.  It's one of the largest and well kept Maraes th...