Tahiti

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After another 8.5 hours on a plane, we arrived in Tahiti at 5am and was picked up by our friendly hotel owner, Steve. Tahiti is incredibly beautiful and the scenery is breathaking. However, we were not quite prepared for the spectacular prices here and how much french we had forgotten since school! We ate a lot of baguettes and cheese and spent our first 3 days on Tahiti mainly snorkelling and swimming in the lagoon and reading books (yes, Rich does read). One day we hired a car and drove around the entire island which took about 4 hours. We went to Teahupoo (where the Billabong Pro Surf Tour is held every year) and watched 2 blokes get barrelled in probably the most powerful wave in the world. Rich was going to have a go but didn't want to show up the locals!

Then we caught a ferry to Moorea which is smaller island with a beautiful lagoon and white sandy beaches. We went on a boat trip and swam with stingrays, turtles and reef sharks. We also went out of the lagoon in search of humpack whales wich migrate here every year to give birth. It was absolutely amazing - at one point we must have been surrounded by about 20 whales and loads of dolphins. The whales were rolling around and showing their tails really close to the oat. At one point when we had our legs dangling over the edge of the boat, a mother and her baby swam directly beneath our feet. That evening whilst we were eating our dinner in the communal kitchen at the backpacker's, we got chatting to an Irish guy about our trip. We were telling him about swimming with the rays which come right up to you when he told us about Steve Urwin and his tragic encounter with a ray. If we had known that before, we probably would not have swam with them!

We went back to Tahiti for 4 days and Rich went surfing. It was like watching Kelly Slater on crack!! Eventually Rich came out of the water after a big set came through and he looked like he might have soiled himself!! We stayed quite near a little beach (there are not many on Tahiti) where everyday we sat in the shade (not under a coconut tree as all the locals keep telling us about the dangers of falling coconuts) watching humpback whales swimming past the reef. On the last night we saw a massive spider in the backpackers, the size of a starfish - this time I think Rich did have an accident!!! But it does not matter because we put in it a box with some food and sent it to Kate. Enjoy!!

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Photos

Teahupoo
Mark & Justin - fancy popping over to catch some big waves?

I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts!!!
Big ones, small ones......

Where's Bungle?
Up above the streets and houses, rainbow flying high...

Another day on the beach
It's a hard life!

Comments

[Jackie S]

Have the pair of you washed yet?
Kerry, from the photos it looks like the pair of you have not washed since you left home! Did you take any soap with you? Also I like the new home. Darren said its a step up from the pixie cottage in Seaford!

[Texan Twat]

Chipmonk
Looks like you are having fun, toooooooo much fun. I agree with Jackie a bar of soap and a haircut would not go a miss When are you guys coming over to Dallas, AKA third rock from the SUN. Summers over, still blue skies and yes the temprature has droped to a barmy 90 degrees. Take care