New visitors and fresh perspectives

 

Ia Orana!

Visitors on board always bring fresh perspectives and from Duncan and Jenni  it has been our newfound respect for cocktails and ice cream.  Why we have never thought to try either before probably says more about our puritanical upbringings than their ability to party, but it has certainly been fun.  Mojitos and Daiquiris to accompany beautiful sunsets and ice creams to cheer up the saddest of deserts have been a revelation.  We will never look back.  

Manuia!!

Visitors arrive

For Duncan and Jenni, it has been a whistle stop tour of the Society Islands starting in Huahine, circumnavigating Taha’a, Raiatea, Bora Bora and Maupiti before finally picking up our mooring back in the lagoon last night.  The weather has been exceptionally kind, perhaps not so good for sailing but certainly excellent for exploring, making for an amazing fortnight with them.

So many highlights but this time I am only going to list ones that were new for all of us.

Overnight passage to Mauptiti:

This was completely unplanned, but with settled weather developing the opportunity to return to Maupiti was just too tempting.  Our jet lagged visitors were persuaded of the fact and a circumnavigation of Raiatea abruptly ended in favour of a 55nm overnight passage over the Pacific Ocean to Maupiti in the northwest.  Skipper and I were committed to doing all the watches but our visitors had other ideas and took the helm for 4 hours between 10pm and 2am.  The moon had risen by then, and the winds strengthened enabling them to sail most of the way - not too shabby for a first overnight passage.  Skipper and I slumbered through it all knowing Papillon was in good hands.  12 hours later after a glorious sunrise and with the engines now fully engaged, we entered Passe Onoiau into the beautiful lagoon that encircles Maupiti.  For even the weariest of travellers this anchorage never fails to impress.

Dawn ovew Bora Bora as we head west to Maupiti	Passe Onoiau from Mt Te'urafa'atiu
Beautiful Maupiti gardens	Tiger shrimps being caught in the lagoon

Snorkelling:

I know I said it would be new highlights but every time you go snorkelling it is a new highlight.  Duncan and Jenni took this homily very seriously and were rewarded with multiple sightings.  I give you two videos of their wonderful Go-Pro-ing efforts.

better music @: https://youtu.be/F75wRy-a9sI

Sunsets

With settled weather comes beautiful sunsets and this past fortnight has been a feast for the eyes.  For me my favourite one was at the north end of Taha’a on Motu Tehotu.  Suspecting the colours were going to be beautiful we all went ashore with beers and cameras at the ready. Watching a beautiful sunset from a deserted tropical island has to be a bit special even when the Noseeums are biting.  I certainly knew about them the next day, but the itching was a small price to pay for the crimson and orange colours the sky turned behind Bora Bora that night, broken up only by the vertical cloud masses you always get here lingering over the horizon and then a rising full moon. These are not the sorts of sunsets we see in Scotland and have to be savoured.

Toasting the sunset	Coconut crabs on the beach
Motu Tehotu	Duncan and Jenni on their desert island

Sharks in Bora Bora

Sharks had proved elusive for our two intrepid snorkellers but an evening trip to Motu Fareone on Bora Bora was rewarded with a fantastic sighting. This was the same spot where one had been spotted with Mairi and Rob inducing an adrenalin rush in Mairi that had her making for shore like an Olympic freestyle swimmer.  It was a very different outcome with Duncan and Jenni.  Both remained calmly in the water to acquire some amazing video footage of these gentle creatures swimming around them. After an eighth one appeared, I believe they did retire to the dinghy, but the videos speak for themselves. 

Sunset in Maupiti

Sunset in Bora Bora

Drinks ashore

These are always a pleasure but particularly in good company.   My favourite this time was a drink at the Rum Boat in Taha’a.  This establishment is part of the largest Rum distillery on Taha’a but had until recently gone walk about presumably to escape cyclone season.  Luckily for us it had returned to its mooring and after a tortuous weave through the coral heads we arrived to enjoy rum cocktails and delicious tapas on board courtesy of Duncan and Jenni.  Not another guest appeared all evening which makes one wonder about the economics of this enterprise but for us it was a perfect night. 

All aboard the Rum Boat

Drinks and the view from Opoa Beach

Meals on board.

We have enjoyed several meals out with our visitors, but I can honestly say some of the meals on board have been my favourite.  The BBQ has come into its own again and despite # Grill Master Rob setting a pretty high bar on his visit, Duncan has risen to the challenge – the fresh tuna steaks being a complete knockout.  Added to this Jenni showed us how to make pesto pasta with brazil nuts no less which was delicious and skipper prepared marinated Mahi Mahi steaks that were better than restaurant standard.  Despite Duncan’s concerns at the beginning of the holiday after subtly inspecting the contents of our fridge I can honestly say we have eaten (and drank!) very well.  But most of all we have enjoyed some really lovely company on board.  It’s not all been sweetness and light, tempers always get frayed on a boat at some point but for the most part it has been a blast so thank you both so much for coming.

BBQ to be proud of

Shaking those cocktails!

So tomorrow our visitors leave to go to Moorea for a few days before their return flights to Scotland. We will come down to earth with a bump particularly as we still need to repair our recalcitrant dinghy once and for all.  Poor Duncan has spent more time pumping and baling the blessed dinghy than he has snorkelling and that’s saying something.  We have a week to do so.  On April 4^th we fly to New Zealand for a month to celebrate a certain birthday.   I’m not sure how much time I will have for the blog on our travels, but it will certainly resume on our return in May.  Meantime enjoy the spring wherever you are and if it hasn’t arrived yet I hope it does soon!

In Raiatea	Pumping the dinghy
Mt Te'urafa'atiu	Happy days