Mo'orea

Arrival Pic

Arrival shot

Mt. Rotui

Spires

Welcome to the island of Mo'orea, shaped like a heart and crowned with emerald green spires. The Magical Island, as it is nicknamed, is celebrated for its untamed landscape symmetical side-by-side bays -- Opunoha Bay and Cook's Bay.  Interestingly, Sir James Cook, who discovered the island and even returned but never sailed into the bay named after him!!

Cook's Bay

Opunoha Bay

Mo'orea translates as Mo = gecko/lizard and orea = Yellow, and the island is know for its yellow gecko inhabitants that are all over and help control the mosquitos.  There's a long folkloric story that goes with the island's name.

The island has 18,000 inhabitants, 5 primary schools, 2 junior schools, and one agricultural high school.  If a high school student wants any other course of study, they go to Tahiti which is an hour ferry boat ride away.

We entered Opunoha Bay around 8:00am and tenders took us into Papeotai where we were greeted by the local community.

Welcome Center Sign

Welcome Dancers

We were in Mo'orea before in March 2002 so we spent the morning looking at the local booths in the area and taking a drive around part of the island to Hina Pearl shop.

We are here overnight so we'll do more exploring tomorrow!!

We took the tender in and Robbi and a mah-jongg lady friend did some looking in all the shops the locals had set up on the pier and surrounding areas.  I took the opportunity to buy Robbi's Christmas present (NO TELLING HER!!!!)

And as the sun sets over Mo'orea we head to our next port -- the island of Huahine!

Sunset -- port side

Sunset -- starboard side