A Brand New Adventure

Moorea

CharliExplores3 Comments
These are the islands we are visiting on this voyage.
These are the islands we are visiting on this voyage.
Moorea Harbor
Moorea Harbor

On November 9, we were on the lovely island of Moorea. This was more what we expected in the Polynesian islands. There was just a peaceful beauty about the island.

Tom meditates in the beautiful and quiet harbor of Moorea.
Tom meditates in the beautiful and quiet harbor of Moorea.

We anchored in this tranquil harbor at about 8:00 AM. Tom and I stood for a while just soaking in the atmosphere.

Sea Village
Sea Village

This is actually a resort, but the concept is taken from local sea villages. The difference between high and low tide is less than 12 inches, and the people who live in these huts eat mostly fish, so this lifestyle works well for them.

A couple of the Moorean men in their outriggers came to greet the ship as we anchored in the harbor.
A couple of the Moorean men in their outriggers came to greet the ship as we anchored in the harbor.
More Greeters
More Greeters

At 9:00 we headed for our excursion of the day – “Hike Three Coconut Trails”.

This was our guide who was very knowledgeable about the culture, fauna, and flora of the island.
This was our guide who was very knowledgeable about the culture, fauna, and flora of the island.

This one was also advertised as “strenuous,” and it surpassed its claim! We drove to the launch point gathered our group and set out. Our young guide set a pretty quick pace and we all scrambled to keep up.

All of these trunks belong to the same tree.
All of these trunks belong to the same tree.
We crossed several streams and were very careful not to get wet on the first one. By the second we were already soaked so it didn't really matter.
We crossed several streams and were very careful not to get wet on the first one. By the second we were already soaked so it didn’t really matter.

The trail was not well maintained and got worse shortly after we started when – not surprising in a rainforest – it began to rain and continued to rain throughout the hike.

All of that having been said, the forest was dense and the trail was beautiful with small streams singing along the way.

There were fiddlehead ferns all along the hike.
There were fiddlehead ferns all along the hike.
We hiked through a rain forest and it lived up to its name. It rained throughout the hike.
We hiked through a rain forest and it lived up to its name. It rained throughout the hike.

Useful Tree    The trail was wet, steep, narrow and scary in places, but we helped each other and eventually made it to the end of our trail.

The views were breathtaking.
The views were breathtaking.

The views were awesome and well worth the significant effort.

This is our group at the top of our climb looking at Bali Hai - the mountain in the song from South Pacific.
This is our group at the top of our climb looking at Bali Hai – the mountain in the song from South Pacific.
Another view of the beautiiful Bali Hia
Another view of the beautiful Bali Hia
The light aqua water is the coral reef that surrounds the island.
The light aqua water is the coral reef that surrounds the island.
This is a view of the harbor from the mountain we hiked. That's our ship.
This is a view of the harbor from the mountain we hiked. That’s our ship.

The misty mountains were ethereally beautiful.

After a quick breather, we headed back sliding our way back down the mountain. The whole trip took just over four hours.  We were muddy, soaked to the bone, and pretty happy with ourselves. It was a great hike, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We headed back to the ship tired and happy.

Bora Bora
Bora Bora Harbor

The next day we were in Bora Bora.

We did a little snorkeling and I got a couple of good shots.

Trigger Fish
Trigger Fish
The small oval shape just below the arrow is a flounder. He is camouflaged to hide among the sand and rocks. The arrow is pointing at his eyes which are both on the same side of his body.
The small oval shape just below the arrow is a flounder. He is camouflaged to hide among the sand and rocks. The arrow is pointing at his eyes which are both on the same side of his body.
Little fish
Lots of little fish.

Mostly we relaxed and recovered from yesterday. Bora Bora is surrounded by lagoons, coral motus and tiny islands.

Bora Bora Lagoons
Bora Bora Lagoons

Bora Bora Harbor

 

 

Okay, three posts in one.  Last night was Tuesday November 12th. When we got up this morning, it was Thursday November 14th. No, we did not sleep for 24+ hours but we did cross the international dateline. Pretty cool! Looking ahead to the trip home, we leave Sydney on December 17 at 6:15 PM and arrive back in the US that same day at 6:45 AM – how weird is that?

Next stop Fiji.

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