Blogs from French Polynesia, Oceania - page 28

Arrived in Melbourne early evening. Met Caroline who was to be our leader for the rest of the time in Australia. By the time we had got to the hotel and found our rooms we were hungry and set out in search of food. Very surprised at the location of the hotel as where we had come in looked like a nothing area but walk in the other direction and we were in the middle of Melbourne, next to the Yarra River and full of bars and restaurants and really lively. Great skyline and really good feel about the place. Next morning, city sightseeing and they seem to operate the same as NZ in that the driver does all the talking - tour guides amongst you reading this will be shaking your heads! The driver was ... read more

We arrived in Papeete (Tahiti), near to Midnight on the 8th December and our first impressions of the place were: "oh my god, it's HOT!" We were taken to a small Pension/b&b for our first night in paradise, there had been a bit of a drought in the region and rains were hoped to clear the stuffy atmosphere. The following morning we had a quick look around the town (well, not much to be said about it other than the fact that the price of Nutella almost gave us a heart attack! We later found out that Nutella wasn't the only expensive thing there). We hopped on a ferry to the nearby smaller island of Moorea which is supposed to be much nicer than Tahiti island itself. We had read that the cheapest stay option is ... read more

MOOREA We enter Opuhon Bay and anchor. To port, the Sheraton is in view. The towers of white smoke give us pause, but it seems that locals rake their leaves and burn them. Given the dry conditions, I’m surprised they still do it but they do. Hope the hotel is here tomorrow when we arrive for two nights. Our tour today is the shark sighting, ray feeding, and snorkeling adventure. We arrive to the site and a group of black tips swim by. The stingrays gather for a snack. The water is about three feet deep and we stand there petting the rays as they gather for food. They feel like plush velvet and seem to enjoy our caresses. They also like the food. Small reef fish gather for the crumbs and the sharks keep their ... read more

man hoert ja so Einiges ueber Tahiti. Aber dort musste ich dann erstmal einiges Neues dazu lernen! Tahiti ist nur eine Insel von ueber 150 oder so. Papeete ist die Hauptstadt und scheisse. Dreckig, viel Verkehr, alles Ueberteuert und nix mit Traumstraenden und dem Paradies... Aber nunja, man kommt Abends an und weiss nicht wohin. Da gibt es ein Motel gleich beim Flughafen und da kostet das Zimmer ohne Fruehstueck 106Euro... Tja, ist ja nur fuer eine Nacht. Das Internet kostet 8Euro die Stunde... und Essen gehen 20Euro... Ich hab fuer die naechsten Tage eine Couchsurfing Unterkunft. Ein Maedel aus Frankreich, die hier als Krankenschwester arbeitet. Da war ich dann 2 Naechte. Hab ihr Fahrrad ausgeliehen und bin zu nem Wasserfall geradelt... Die Leute hier, verleihen naemlich keine Raeder oder Mopeds, weil es zu gefaehrlich wegen ... read more

Rangiroa - Day 5 Today we visit the coral atoll of Rangiroa in the Tuamotu Archipelago. Next to Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands this is the second larges atoll in the world. The lagoon could comfortably contain the whole island of Tahiti. An atoll is a high island that over time has eroded and subsided to all that is left is a ring of coral reefs surrounding the point where the volcanic mountain once rose above the surface. We will be entering through Tiputa Pass one of the largest of more than 100 small channels (Hoa) that separate more than 240 coral motus. The sea is dark blue and there are clouds in the distance indicating our destination is near. Rangiroa is so large that it has it’s own horizon. You cannot see the islands across ... read more