We spent our first 3 nights in French Polynesia on the main island of Tahiti at the Taaroa Lodge, on a small cliff directly above the water. After a comfy 8.5 hour ride on Air Tahiti Nui, we arrived in Pepeete just after 10PM where our host Ralph was waiting with the van to take us back to our lodgings, Taaroa Lodge. Our "dorm room" was in a mid-sized beach bungalow above an outdoor kitchen with 6 low sitting, futon-style beds lining a sloped roofed loft. We shared it with two guys called Ben and Dan from Switzerland "don't use the [View Full Entry]

---

---

Well, I made it to Tahitit albeit 12 hours late but was promptly picked up by the Hostel owner along with a nice British couple (Deb and Tom) and taken to Fare Suisse. Now this accomodation was one of the cheapest I could find in Tahiti and it was fantastic (but still $70 a night) - Beni (the owner) actually gave me a private room for the first two nights and it was so clean and lovely. The temp in Tahiti was hot and muggy so a change from Sth America. After settling in I headed out to see a bit [View Full Entry]

---

---

Tahiti Tahiti equals relaxation, particularly for someone escaping winter in Toronto We arrived early January 5th 2009 and relaxed for the next two days in Papeete before boarding the Paul Gauguin. Todate we have visited Moorea, Bora Bora and today we are visiting Taha’a. Tomorrow we are at sea all day arriving next at Aitutaki in the Cook Islands. Then it is another two days at sea before we arrive at Vavau, Tinga. After another day at sea we reach Fiji stopping at Savusavu and Yasawa. Back to sea for another two days before we arrive at Noumea, New Caledonia. Finally [View Full Entry]

---

---

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 [View Full Entry]

---

---

After we dashed out of Christchurch we had a couple of days to kill in Auckland including Christmas Day, the strangest one we have ever experienced. After various web cams and phone calls bridging the 13 hour time delay to the UK we were jealous of the mounds of turkey, stuffing and roast potatoes being prepared back home (and damnable Brussel Sprouts for Shabana). Our Christmas lunch was a buffet consisting of various foods from around the world, nice but deffo not the same. As luck would have it on Boxing Day we were heading for Tahiti and then Moorea and [View Full Entry]

---

---

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 [View Full Entry]

---

---

Sun Sun Sun, [View Full Entry]

---

---

Le but de l'expédition Melville 2008 est de mettre en place un parcours touristique basé sur l'histoire racontée par l'auteur américain dans son premier livre "Typee", publié en 1846. Pour cela des panneaux ont étés imaginés et réalisés sur des supports adaptés à l'environnement climatique des Marquises, dans des matériaux renouvelables. Ils seront par la suite intégrés aux paysage traditionel de Nuku Hiva grâce au concours des sculpteurs locaux. Le Parcours Taipi entre dans un concept de mise en place de parcours touristiques intégrés au patrimoine historique et culturel de l'île. The Te [View Full Entry]

---

---

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 [View Full Entry]

---

---

MOOREA - YET AGAIN After disembarkation and shopping in Pepeete for last minute necessities, we broad the Moorea Ferry for an hour trip to Moorea. The vessel is older and the trip takes an hour rather than the ½ hour by fast ferry but we’re in no hurry. A contingent of firemen from Moorea are returning home after fighting wild fires on Pepeete. Now they have fires to fight at home. Joe sits and reads while I look for photo ops and there on the top deck are a group of musicians. They obviously enjoy playing and singing together and provide [View Full Entry]

---

---