7:00am is an early start when you are on a cruise.  The Photographer’s workshop group left the ship by Zodiac to do a field trip to some of the spots our facilitators had chosen.  The reason for the early start was that they had gone to a lookout location at 3pm last year and the light wasn’t suitable for taking great photos.  They were right.  One of the facilitators has an iPhone app that when you point the phone in any direction it will show you where the sun is going to cast shadows at any chosen time of the day.  Very helpful!

One of the locations took us up some very hairy roads and hairpins to the top of a knoll looking out over the lagoon where our ship was anchored.  Well worth the Tahitian style of driving.  However, they say that Tahitian ladies are better drivers than the guys.  She did well.  One of the locations was at the Agricultural College where we could photograph fruits and beautiful tropical flowers.

While I was on this venture, the others either stayed on the ship or went ashore to visit the Hotel Les Tapaniers where they snorkeled and lay on the white sandy beach.  Not a lot of fish but colorful coral.

As we were leaving the ship at 4:00am and our baggage need to be outside our room by 11:30pm, we spent the afternoon packing ready to go for the morning.  There was a Captain’s Cocktail Party at 5pm, dinner at 7pm and a Tahitian concert at 9:30pm so we had to keep out ‘dress-up’ gear from our luggage – have to follow dress protocol on board ship, they tell me.  At the Captain’s Party, they auctioned off a navigational chart.  The raffle proceeds go to the crew welfare fund, which has enabled them to install DVD/TVs in all the crew quarters, bikes to use on land and various other things to help make their time off more eventful.

Our wake-up call happened at 3am and we were here at the airport at 4:30am for our 7am departure.  This has to be the slowest airport to exit – and we are only tourists!  Our group has been a good group with no one giving anyone problems.  The only real problem was that our transfers from ship to airport hadn’t been included in the fare.  At Auckland we start parting ways; Leo and Darlene to Sydney, Rod & Earlene to Brisbane, I stay in Auckland for 2 days and the other 7 are back to Melbourne.

All have had a great cruise; the food was great, the crew was perfect, accommodation was A1, no complaints at all.

I hope you have enjoyed these blogs each day (the pictures will be online within a week), so until next trip (have you made your booking with Lyn?) Au Revoir!

We arrived at Moorea at 7am this morning after a rather rough rolling transfer from Bora Bora.  Lyn made quite it well through the storm with me having to put up with her puffing and snoring during the night; lucky devil.  I lay awake for 5 or 6 hours.

Upon arrival to Moorea Island in the heart of French Polynesia, you will immediately be awestruck by its natural beauty.  Its jagged peaks, cloaked by lush greenery and encircled by the deep blue of the ocean and sky are everyone’s dream of Polynesia.

Over millions of years the island has eroded into cliffs and jagged peaks.  Perhaps the most famous peak to be seen on the island is that of Mouaroa, better know to many at Mitchener’s “Bali Hai”.

After Tahita and Bora Bora, Moorea received the greatest number of visitors, not only tourists but also inhabitants of Tahiti who enjoy spending their weekends and vacations on its white sand beaches.

Moorea is delightful!  We stayed on board during the morning and enjoyed the deck next to the pool.  I went to sleep while I had my left arm up around my head and ended up with some burnt flesh under my arm.  It is rather tender now.  Those who didn’t ‘do the deck thing’ managed to get in some trivia, American style.  Would you believe there weren’t many correct answers?

After another delightful lunch, we took a ‘yellow bus’ ride around the island.  The colors of the ocean were just glorious.  It is interesting that so many resorts have closed down since the Global Financial Crisis.  So if anyone wants to buy into the Tahitian Resort system, quite a few are on the market.  It is a pity really because these islands have so much to offer tourists.  Let us know if you wish us to organize another group next year to do a similar itinerary.

This evening was Polynesian night and so the meal had a Polynesian style to it and the evening show was performed by some of the locals from Moorea who provided lots of hip movement and drum noise.  It got a bit repetitive after a while.  We were nodding continuously and so when the end of the show arrived, it was straight off to bed with no dancing and skylarking.

Some of you have asked, “where’s the photos?”  Well, both Lyn and I have been taking lots of photos but the cost of the internet on the ship is $35 for 100 minutes and it gets used up quickly.  While I am in Auckland for a couple of day on my way home, I will try to set up a bit of a slide show for you and post it as a blog.

Slept well and woke to a grey day.  Not worth getting up at 5:45am, as we have on the earlier mornings, to take sunrise pictures, so stayed in bed until after 7:30am.

Bora Bora is a little jewel of an island set within a wide barrier reef.  It is part of the Leeward Islands, and is the eroded cone of an extinct and extensive volcano.

Captain James Cook was the first westerner to sight Bora Bora in 1769.  The London Missionary Society arrived in 1820 and most of the islanders converted to Protestantism.

During WWII. 5,000 American troops were dispatched to the island (poor things) to establish a supply base for materials enroute to the Solomon Islands.  During that time they built a wharf at Farepiti and the airstrip on Motu Mute.

“Anyone who has ever been there wants to go back”, James Michener wrote of Bora Bora.  The first glimpse of Bora Bora is love at first sight.  Countless sailors, poets, adventurers, honeymooners and other romantics have claimed this little island as their own.

Today has been a rather slow relaxing day, with Sharlee, Lorraine, Brenda & John taking a ‘le truck’ tour of the island; a group played scrabble with Darlene winning hands down.  I sat in the sun on the pool deck taking in some more sun while reading the Australian and New Zealand news sheets which we receive at the door each morning.  Each nationality receives local news sheets of their location.

In the afternoon, some of us went out to an island to enjoy a dip in the ocean in some teal/turquoise water.  Very relaxing and to be in warm water is a treat after Melbourne’s cold winter.

As we departed Bora Bora for Moreea, the captain announced that the 15 hour trip will be quite windy with 3 metre waves between 12 mid night and 2:00am with high winds of force 10 (whatever that means).  Lyn has taken sea-sick tablets to combat the rolling effect – she hopes.

Tonight at 6pm, I had another photographers’ workshop.  The subject was using photoshop to ‘do’ up your photos after ‘a day out’.  Interesting!  One of the teachers has a business where he takes the photos and his wife, Helen, does graphic arts and design for corporations who need to re-do their ‘look’ and maybe all the upholstery needs upgrading or whatever.  I think they do VERY well.  We all had dinner together on the pool deck.

Tonight, we were entertained by the ship’s crew.  They are made up of mainly Filipinos with a dozen or so Tahitians and a few French who are the officers of the ship.  It was good.  The juggler had trouble with the leaning ship and ended up giving up trying his skills.

The ship is rolling around now, so I had better sign off and get to bed – try to sleep through the storm.

The entertainment last night was the piano player.  He is from Argentine and with the band from the ship, Filipinos who do a really good job, he sent both Lyn and I to sleep.  So we choofed off to bed very early.

With beautiful sunshine and warmness in the air, our group separated for the morning; some to a small island, some for a walk up the street of Bora Bora, others on a truck ride around the island.  I went on our first photographers’ four-wheel drive excursion up into the hills around the island, looking for that perfect shot that all photographers admire.  We found a few and have been given hints on what sort of shot makes a good black and white and how to make the picture more appealing by where the subject can be located within the frame to make a ‘different’ shot.  One tip which I picked up was to take a landscape shot in a portrait frame with the subject down the bottom with lots of say, blue sky and cloud above.  Rather inviting shots turn up.

After a great lunch we sat around the deck getting more sun waiting for our jet boat ride into the sunset.  It was a jet boat but there were no seat belts and so we new it wasn’t going to be the jet-boat ride which you get in New Zealand.  It turned out to be a gentle ride to the outside of the reef with a chance to feed fish with bread, and along came numerous sharks.  The guide dived in and a guest from Italy followed.  The sharks are so well fed, they are not interested in the humans that often invade their territory.

We have had some great comments from the group about the cruise:

“The trip has been brilliant, the weather has been perfect and the food has gone on well.  The staff ratio of 1 staff to 1.5 passengers has been quite obvious with the service at the top of anyone’s list.”  Darlene

“I would agree with my wife – it pays to.  Everything has been very professional.” Leo.

“It’s been good to have so much ice-cream”, Rod.

“Absolutely fabulous, the small ship is much more personal than a large ocean liner”, John & Brenda

I have to say that we are all having a great time.  Except for Lorraine leaving her camera at the Radisson at Papeete she is also enjoying a different type of group trip that we have done together.

Tonight’s show was a fabulous event with our Tour Director performing her night-club act; great songs and great band backing her.  At the end, the band wasn’t allowed to stop playing, as the guests that stayed on wanted to dance to some great 1960’s rock-and-roll.  So we had a late night after our evening ‘sitting on the deck’ wind-down.

It’s great not to hear much about the politics of Australia.  The Tahitian way of life is a much better replacement.

Yesterday afternoon, while I was at the Photographers’ workshop, Lyn and a few of our group joined an organized tour to a Pearl Farm.  It was a good thing Lyn forgot to take her wallet as the pearls were also for sale.  We had had problems with our credit card in Papeete as we had forgotten to advise our bank that we would be overseas for a few days and to allow charges from overseas to our card.  It is a good thing we get on well with our Bank Manager in Yarra Junction.

It was organized for us to go to a smaller restaurant for the evening meal for Lyn’s birthday party.  Of course, the meal was another ‘over-the-top’ affair but enjoyable.  To say “No” to the desserts is very hard so we all obliged with the waiter’s suggestion.  Almost all the waiters and room service persons are Filipino and they do a very acceptable job.

In the afternoon, the children and youth of Raiatea put on a traditional dance show.  The youngest was 6.  And then in the evening, the older Tahitians performed for us.  Colorful headpieces, wobbling hips,and yes, James, boobs in coconut shells. (I bet James is the first to ask to see the video).  Truly a great performance.

This morning, Lyn and I were up on the top deck for 5:45am to enjoy the tropical sunrise.  It did not disappoint us.  Breakfast on the deck at 7:00am and then Lyn enjoyed a 90 minute massage which the ship gave her a discount on being her 60^th birthday.  Lots of other good gifts came to her, including a lovely picture book of Lyn’s group tours that Lorraine had been on with her – it brought a tear to the eye.

At 11:00am we went over to an island that the shipping company owns for ‘a day at the beach’  – delightfully warm water and full sun all day.  For lunch, we had a BBQ.  Now we are showered and ready for the evening activities.  I have another photographers’ workshop before dinner at 7:00pm followed by another evening of entertainment.

This cruise is by no means rushed; so relaxing with hardly any travelling.  Each day, the ship is anchored and you are given at least 5 options to enjoy.  Last night was spent in port at Raiatea, and we moved for 90 minutes to the island of Taha’a.  Taha’a is enclosed within the same barrier reef as Raiatea.  Only 4,470 inhabitants live tranquil lives, fishing and raising livestock.  Taha’a is often called the “Vanilla Island”, for its numerous plantations of “black gold”.  The main tourist attractions is the string of beautiful motus (islands) along the northern reef edge.  In 1822, the first missionaries arrived in Taha’a, at which time the island came under French control.

While we were at Motu Mahana today we enjoyed a Grilled Buffet Barbecue Lunch, snorkeling, Local Mamas and Papas selling their trinkets, souvenires and local vanilla.  The young Tahitian girls showed us how to tie on pareos or sarongs, and also how to paint on the fabric for a pareo.

Yes, we are still enjoying this great cruise – save up and come join us next year about the same.

We are on Board – our first cruise on the ocean together.  Lyn has done a few cruises over the years and last year we did the River Cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest.  So this is a new experience.

After a ‘day at the pool’ yesterday, we were collected at 3pm from the Radisson and transported to the ‘Paul Gauguin’ by bus.  Luckily, we were amongst the first to arrive at the ship to fill out forms and become regular cruisers of the ship as it does take some time.

We had a very sumptuous dinner in the main dinning room while awaiting the final guests to arrive from USA.  A large number of guests come from USA but there are a few from Australia, New Zealand, and Europe.  We departed Papeete at 11:50pm and watched the lights of the town as we left for a great cruise in the islands of Tahiti.

We have travelled overnight to Raiatea.  Raiatea means bright sky.  It was the starting point for all the migration to the Hawaiian, New Zealand and Easter Islands.  Raiatea was famous thoughout the Polynesian triangle and long double canoes came from distant Hawaii and Aotearoa, the old name for New Zealand, to pay their respects.  It was here that Captain Cook first had a glimpse of Polynesian navigational acumen.

The surrounding reefs and motu offer excellent diving and great snorkeling opportunities.  The chief town on Raiatea is Uturoa, administrative centre for the Leeward Islands.

We were having breakfast as we arrived at 9:00am so we had a great entrance to the port from the dining room.  There are 5 places to dine on the ship  Our program today includes Tahitian Legends, and “Children of Raiatea” Show.  This is a traditional show of the color of the Tahitian Islands.

While most of the guests are out snorkeling and experiencing what Raiatea has to offer, I commence a Photography Workshop taken by a couple of famous photographers who have exhibitions at Smithsonian and the Louvre in Paris.  I am looking forward to it as it is my birthday present from Lyn and I do enjoy photography.  I hope the workshop will improve my presentations – somehow.  We do 2 field trips, one on Bora Bora and the second on Moreea.  Included is a photo shoot of a model – wowowowow!

It is Lyn’s 60^th birthday today, which is why this cruise idea was first mentioned.  She had a special birthday cupcake at breakfast brought to her by the Filipino waiters.  Lyn forgot to do the most important thing before leaving – apply for her Seniors Card, but that can come I suppose.

Must get going and enjoy the day.  All the best to all.  If you want send an email, please send to spain@cdi.com.au

 

To celebrate my 60th birthday, I am inviting you to join me, and others, on a Tahitian Cruise for 7 nights.  If you want to stay before or after in Tahiti, thats fine.  For more information on details and prices, get in touch with me during business hours.

Paul Gauguin was inspired by them, Rogers & Hammerstein immortalized them in song, and James Mitchener wrote, “Anyone who has ever been there wants to go back.” Explorethe verdant peaks, crystalline waters, and pristine beaches of these magnificent volcanic islands, from dolphin-watching at Moorea to snorkelling off Bora Bora. Discover the “Garden Island” of Huahine, with its lush rain forests and dramatic terrain, and experience the Polynesian antiquities of Raiatea. Then enjoy an unforgettable day on our own private motu(islet) off Taha’a.