French Polynesia

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Day 159 Friday 21 August

At sea calm seas

27c scattered clouds



Had breakfast then did Zumba, Gail walked and I did some work on the computer. Gail went to choir practice and I read for a while then I we had a cup of coffee. We went to watch Trevor Knight talk about his horses and then at about 3.30 we went up on deck to go to Marie's birthday party. Paul had organised it all and they had quite a crowd there. It was a good afternoon and we met some new people.



After about two hours or so we went back our cabin had a shower then went to dinner. We did not go to the show as it was an entertainer we weren't interested in watching.



Day 160 Saturday 22 August

Papeete, Tahiti 1000Polynesian Franc = $A1 sort of.

27c cloudy, some rain



As Gail had coverage for the first time for a long time she rang Shani and had a good talk. After breakfast we went ashore. Contrary to what we had been advised there were plenty of groups there offering tours so we signed up for one to take us around the Island for $50 as compared to ship's tour which was $99. We had a female Tahitian guide who was very good. We also signed up for a catamaran tour in Bora Bora for tomorrow.



The first place we went to was Point Venus where Cook anchored when he arrived to observe the transit of Venus. Bligh also anchored in this bay when he came on the Bounty before setting off on the leg of the voyage that led to the mutiny. One theory is that they spent too long in Tahiti and the crew became too fond of the Tahitian lifestyle and the Tahitian women. There is a lighthouse at this point that was designed and built by Robert Louis Stevenson.



Echo point was originally the harbour for Tahiti but they built the present harbour in Papeete to give a more secure landing place. Echo point is now the most popular beach, despite the fact that it is a black sand beach.



Next were the Mara grotto and the drip that waters the vegetation and fills the bottom of the grotto. We stopped at a little grocery store and bought a baguette and some cheese which we ate on the bus. It was good. Tahiti is French after all.



Next stop was a botanical gardens that had some spectacular flowers and a lovely little waterfall and ponds with water lilies of various colours. On the drive back it began to rain and we saw some large waterfalls back in the mountains. The growth was very thick and very green.



When we got back to the port we had a bit of a walk around town but there wasn't that much to see so we we found a bar and I had a Tahitian beer and Gail had a maiti. We went upstairs for the sailaway, had dinner in the bistro and went to the early show Strings Alive which wasn't very good. Had an early night.



Day 161 Sunday 23 August

Bora Bora French Polynesia

33c cloudy early then clear and sunny



Up early and had breakfast on deck looking at Bali Hi except that the top was covered in cloud, as it would be all day. After breakfast we went down to the lounge to wait for our tender tickets. It was pretty quick this time and we were onshore well before 9.00am. Found the Tourist Office where we were supposed to meet for our tour. The Polynesian guide, Max, was there and he directed us to the catamaran. We sat on the top deck as it was a lovely day and the water colours were just spectacular. We set off and went out through the harbour next to where the tenders were coming in. The catamaran was crewed by Mumu his sister and his brother.



We went out into the lagoon and cruised for about 40 minutes just marvelling at the views of the Island and the colours of the water. Magnificent. We arrived opposite one of the hotels where the over the water cabins stretch out into the lagoon. There we were issued with masks and snorkels and all of sudden there were stingrays and sharks swimming all round the boat. So what did we do we climbed down the ship's ladder and into the water with them. Gail went in well before I did, now there's a surprise. I took some photos with Gail and the sharks in the same frame. The water was a really nice temperature and the stingray's skin was rough like sandpaper. Don't ask me what the shark's skin felt like. Gail got very close to the sharks. Good on her.



From there they took us to a reef area where again they gave us masks and snorkels and we looked at the reef and the fish. They were nice but neither the reef nor the fish were as colourful as the Barrier Reef. There was a bit of a current running so they put out a line with floats on it for people to use to stabilise themselves or use as a pull rope to get back to the ship. Mumu was really good in the water and helped a lot of people as did Max.



The next stop was a little spot on the shore where the owner of the business came to collect the money from those who had not paid cash at the beginning and wanted to use credit cards which included us. She also gave us each a T shirt and the women a Mu Mu . From there we went to an island inside the reef which belonged to their grandfather. There we swam with some more sharks and rays. After we had finished swimming they gave us a lunch of a fruit that Gail said tasted like a mixture of grapefruit, orange and lemon along with bananas and coconut. Then Max showed the traditional method of opening coconuts and how to tie a Mu Mu for both women (2 methods) and men (1 way). Then we got back on the cat and did the 40 minute cruise back to the Harbour. On each leg they played the ukeleles and sang.



We arrived back in the harbour at about 3.00 having been on the water for almost 5 hours. After a quick walk around town we boarded the tender and went back to the ship. Everyone on the tour agreed it was one of the best day tours they had ever done. It cost $100 each and the ship's tour was $199 and I bet they did not have as much fun as we did.



When we arrived back on the ship we felt like a drink so I went down to the Wheelhouse Bar where they have Happy Hour (2 for 1 drinks) and got 2 beers and 2 champagnes while Gail had a shower to get the salt off. We had a drink then I had a shower and we took the other drink up to the open deck for the sailaway. It was made special as there were two separate pods of whales being very active in the bay.



We had dinner on the outside deck at the Bistro, then went back to our cabin and tried to Skype Shani but could not connect so went to bed early.



Day 162 Monday 24 August

At sea sailing west on a 276 degree course. Seas a little choppy

33c humid



We woke up early so Gail went for a walk then came back and had a shower. As they were taking photos of all the Round the World cruisers and those who went to Machu Pichu, Zumba was later than usual and shorter so we had a leisurely breakfast then did Zumba.



Later Gail went to choir and then we went to see the movie "Cinderella" with Kate Blanchett which was good. From there we went upstairs to play 500. We had a pre dinner drink in our cabin then went to watch an early show by a pianist, Ashley Carruthers from Newcastle who was quite good. Then we went upstairs for the Captains Circle cocktail party, then dinner then back up to the open decks for a deck party.



At 10.30 we went back to the cabin and contacted Shani on Skype and talked to her and Jemima and Erin for quite a while.



I finished "The Bird That Did Not Sing" by Alex Gray

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