Bora Bora, Society Islands, French Polynesia

---

Managed to get ashore at this stop. We were tendered in to Viatape Wharf (Viatape is the main town on this 12 square mile (30.55 sq km island). However, all trips were cancelled as it was tipping it down and continued to do so all day, at least until we were back on the ship when there was a brief respite for about half an hour but then it kicked off again.

We were supposed to be going on a 4-wheel drive tour - but ended up swimming to the local shops where we purchased some Christmas presents and a bottle of hot sauce from the general store. A great pity really because as can be seen, this is a truly beautiful island with a textbook geography of a central volcanic island surrounded by a fringing reef with islands (known locally as motus). The skyline is dominated by two peaks; Mountt Ottemanu and Mount Pahia, which sit on the remnants of an extinct volcano.

Everyone felt both disappointed and frustrated by the day, particularly as we had lost the two stops at Nuie and Rarotonga immediately before Tahiti. For passengers who embarked at Fiji the trip was turning into a disaster!

---