Blogs from French Polynesia, Oceania - page 8

Geo: -16.4993, -151.74After two days at sea during which we won a couple of quizzes and I learnt the alto part to Let It Be, we arrived at Papeete. We were on deck at 7am to watch the approach. This is the first port which is familiar as I had been here in 2013 for the Oceania Championships. Fletcher has visited here many times. It was still interesting to watch as we passed Moorea and entered the harbour to tie up right in the heart of the city.It was a warm sunny day. Our plans were to find the WiFi and have lunch at La Villa, a French restaurant which we had discovered last time. At the dockside we were greeted with local music and the usual display of handicrafts. We then crossed the busy road ... read more

Geo: -17.52, -149.56After 7 days at sea it was great to look out the window thismorning and see land. We went up on deck to watch us anchor in the shelteredharbour of Nuku Hiva, the capital of the Marquesas Islands. The dock side hereis too small for even the Astor so we were to be transported ashore aboard thetenders.We got our tickets for this for 10am and then went tobreakfast. We also had time to do the morning quiz. Then it was down to Deck 3and onto one of the small lifeboats from the ship. The trip in only took a fewminutes and we alighted at the quay to a Polynesian welcome from a tattooedwarrior and a local band. We were told there was not much here but the islanditself is very pretty with tall mountains ... read more

Geo: -8.88507, -140.133Today we reach our last stop on our South Pacific Adventure, Nuku Hiva. Both Herman Melville of "Moby Dick" fame and Robert Louis Stevenson, author of "Treasure Island", spent time on this island in the late 1800s. Although warm, it's partly cloudy today as seen through our stateroom window at 6am. It's another tender port, demanding that we're up much earlier than we'd like. As with the rest of our full day tours, they all start as soon as possible once we are cleared by the port authority which means we need to disembark ASAP. We dress and get to the tender ticket location where a line has already formed at 7am. Mom visits with"MountainMomma" who joins us in line while I go upstairs to retrieve coffee and small sweet roll for myself, a ... read more

Geo: -15.1702, -147.571According to our paperwork, we are going on the Pa'ati Reef Island Tour so we get up at 6:00am. This is a tender port meaning that we have to get a tender ticket for the first tender out this morning. We arrive at the tender ticket location with a half dozen people ahead of us. Since there's chairs for the first few, the Russian guy who we had dinner with and speaks little English grabs himself and Mom a chair while I go for coffee and a roll. It's 6:45am and we don't have a clue when someone will show up with the numbers to pass out. I return with my bounty from the Lido and we hang out. From the Lido I could see the first tenders are out, getting things set up ... read more

Geo: -17.52, -149.56We arrive in Papeete today. Papeete is the capital of Tahiti and houses all the government offices as well as several historical landmarks. Our plan is to wander the cafes, shops, narrow streets and busy waterfront of this Polynesian paradise, which lured artist Paul Gauguin and writer Robert Louis Stevenson to its sandy shores. The heart and soul of the South Pacific, Tahiti is the largest in a chain of islands that make up French Polynesia. The name can either refer to the main island or the entire destination. Commonly referred to as the Islands of Tahiti, French Polynesia is a collection of 118 islands and atolls scattered across an impressive nautical surface area the size of Western Europe. The islands are situated halfway between Los Angeles, California and Sydney, Australia. They are in ... read more