Nowhere to go

La Orana!

Our high hopes of a getaway received a knock back this week when a very large crane arrived in our marina fairway last Wednesday.  I should explain.  The crane isn’t a new thing.  When we first got here it was out of action, parked in the water at the other end of the marina awaiting new parts. These finally got delivered about a fortnight ago and without exactly springing into the action it was being used quite regularly but far far away.  Looking back, they were happy times! On Wednesday afternoon as if by stealth it quite unexpectedly migrated up through the marina to our channel.  As it got closer and closer our escape route became smaller and smaller finally disappearing altogether as it parked itself right behind Paul and Flore’s boat 2 boat lengths away.  The width of the crane was such that it filled the space between the line of boats attached to the hard harbour wall (including us) and the new set of pontoons opposite.  We were completely trapped.  

Quiet days before

The crane arrives

How this information had escaped the Capitaine who I had spoken to only that afternoon remains a mystery.  All he said was that we were paid up until Monday and our departure would be on Monday unless the big boss in Tahiti gave us another reprieve. Thursday moved into Friday and then through the weekend till Monday and still that crane remained, stubbornly parked across the channel.  We were going nowhere.  The men were arriving to start work at 6.30am and would often keep going until 5pm at night including a good shift on Saturday.  Where was that laid back Polynesian spirit we had grown to know and love? This was insane! The task was to secure the ends of each new finger pontoon opposite with a steel post and fill it with concrete.  

The crane at work

As you can imagine it has been noisy, smelly and nerve wracking watching them day after day, sink those 20-25m hollow rods of steel from heights that would destroy us if one of them was dropped. Our fears were clearly not shared by the workers.  Apart from the welder who did have a face mask I don’t think I saw a gilet jaune or a hard hat in use the whole week - just a bunch of guys chatting and laughing in shorts and T shirts for 11 hours straight as they manoeuvred those unwieldly objects into the ground.   Health and Safety Polynesian style is completely nuts.  The boys finally retreated on Wednesday.  We were exhausted but what a relief it was to see them go!

So, what did we do instead? Well as luck would have it Paul and Flore had a car for 3 days while their friends were visiting Papeete so we lucked out and were treated to a round trip of Raiatea over 2 days.  The first day started murky and we drove down the west coast of the island.  Here the lagoon is much narrower, and the coastline broken up by a series of small bays.  Everywhere small boats are hoisted up out of the water but there were very few yachts possibly because navigation in this part of the lagoon is challenging.  Yachts prefer to bypass the area leaving through the northwest pass and returning through the south west one. I think it’s possible to stay in the lagoon all the way through but you would certainly want much calmer weather from the east and not the brisk north westerlies that we were still experiencing.  

Pearl farm in the lagoon

Lunch stop in the wind

Once we left Uturoa there was very little in terms of habitation – a few very modest settlements, some vanilla farms, the odd church and a lot of rusting vehicles.  Rubbish disposal is a huge problem here and the west side of Raiatea was no exception.  We drew into a Marae (sacred sight) thinking there was something on only to find that the carpark was actually just full of old cars rusting away gently in the breeze.  I’m not sure what the answer is.  Clearly the cost to remove them would be excessive.  From this side of the island you are treated to stunning views of the interior mountains.  They rise almost vertically from the coast and are covered in trees and lush foliage right up to the top with waterfalls cascading down crevasses on the face whenever it rains.  The highest was ringed with a very visible crater – more evidence of the volcanic origins of this place to complement the huge twisted and bizarre gabbro rock formations lying under the forest canopy beneath.  It is an amazing landscape. 

Crater shrouded in mist

Gabro rock

Mountains in the interior

Day 1 of the tour ended with drinks at a bar that came straight out of a Hollywood film. It was hidden behind a wall and sat right on the beach– all palm trees, lanterns and fairy lights with tables out into the sea along an extending pier.  People come here to watch the sunset.  It was quite beautiful. We will definitely be back! 

Day two was a trip down the east side of the island.  This is the more fertile side of Raiatea.  There is an agricultural college and a botanical gardens each with large areas of experimental crops/plants cultivated on the intensely red soil.  

Breadfruit - Artocapus altilis

Banyan tree marking the Marae

Agricultural college experimental fields

It feels wealthier than the west coast but maybe not.  Houses and land prices are apparently cheaper here.  I’m not sure what the explanation is except that incomers drive much of the housing market and perhaps incomers want sunsets and to escape the prevailing winds.  For me it was the prettier side and definitely more inviting for cruising with its deeper sea lochs and coves. The east side is also the site of “Taputapuatea”– the most significant Marae of the ancient Maohi people and the one that gives Raiatea or “Sacred Island” its name.  It was here that the Maohi people gathered to make political and cultural decisions (and the odd human sacrifice!).  

Marae Hititai	Marae Hauviri
Archery platform	Close up of the slabs

Their immense journeys, made by canoe, were directed by Tumu-Ra’i-Fenua, the great mythical octopus of the primal period.  Her arms extend from Taputapuatea to New Zealand in the South, Hawaii in the North, Tonga in the West and Easter Island in the East. 

Tumu-Ra’i-Fenua

Marae

Taputapuatea is now a world heritage site but very much Polynesian style: no barriers, no tickets, virtually no carpark  as the tours arrive by boat and 4-5 attendants sitting around the visitor centre chatting in the shade.  We virtually had the place to ourselves.  What a privilege. Afterwards we climbed the hill behind and were treated to spectacular views back down to Taputapuatea and the Te-Ava-Mo’a Pass where all the canoes would enter the lagoon after their epic journeys over the Pacific Ocean.  It is quite sobering to think how they achieved this and certainly puts out our seafaring adventures firmly into perspective!

Te-Ava-Mo'a Pass	Maraes of Taputapuatea below
The motu Atara marking the pass	Pearl farm in the lagoon at Opoa

Our day at Taputapuatea was the last sunny one we had in a while. From Friday night the heavens opened and it was rather dreich for the next 5 days.  One good thing was it was cooler so we were able to check out our anchor, flip our chain around and measure it all out.  I also taught myself how to splice and yesterday our newly purchased 50m of 16mm 3 strand nylon was firmly spliced onto the end of the anchor chain.  It doesn’t look as pretty as the youtube video but it will definitely hold us in a strong wind and adds another 50m of rope to our existing 88m of chain.  Over the weekend during a rare dry spell, we also managed to squeeze past the wretched crane and take a dinghy ride out to the Motu to explore anchorages.  The shortcut to our neighbouring island of Tahaa runs through a pass close to the Motu. Beyond the pass are shallow coral heads but beyond them is the most perfect sandy spot for testing out our new anchor configuration. It felt good to be able to have a look in advance.  On our way back as we skirted round the Motu the sound of music drifted across the water: drums, ukuleles and voices singing in harmony.  Around the side of the island drifted a raft complete with roof, flower decorations and a huge, if silent, outboard on the back.  Aboard were 6 people sitting on bright plastic chairs making all the music and two ladies on their feet dancing to the beats.  Much laughter and waving all round – it was just another Polynesian Saturday afternoon!!

Sea lochs on the East Coast

Investiture Rock at Taputapuaqtea