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2013
30
Jun
2013
29
Jun
Aukena
After leaving Rikitea we briefly visited the low, long island of Totegegie. It’s just a part of the outer reef that sticks out of the water with some pines and palmtrees growing on half of it, the ocean crashes against the beach smashing the corals to pieces. The other half has been cleared to make way for the airstrip. Two days later we moved on… Continue reading »
2013
22
Jun
Ready to explore again!
We got back to Rikitea last Monday, because the supply ship was due. It didn’t show up though until Wednesday, instead yet another cold front arrived, lowering temperatures to 15 degrees this time… We used the week to run some errants (each one involving several splashy dinghy rides in the icy wind), got more Kerosene for our stove, stocked up Diesel, traded some veggies from… Continue reading »
2013
14
Jun
Baie Onemea, Taravai
Today we moved into the smaller and better wind-protected neighboring bay Onemea which we had explored by dinghy already. This bay is also uninhabited and even prettier than the last one. We found a palm tree short enough to reach the coconuts–so today’s sundowner was a coco-rum-banana cocktail. We call it coruba and we’ll have more of it soon!
2013
13
Jun
Up the mountain!
We’re still in the Baie Angui on the little island of Taravai. It’s windy again, but at least we’re partly protected here (some gusts make it over the hills) and it’s been sunny for two days. We’ve learned that the weather changes so quickly here that one really has to take advantage of good weather to go snorkeling/hiking – if you try to finish a… Continue reading »
2013
12
Jun
Our second cruising anniversary
Exactly two years ago we set out on our adventure from Croatia with the aim of reaching the South Pacific as quickly as possible–it took us two years in the end, but now we’re here We celebrated this special day with a picknick on a remote beach on the island of Taravai (Gambier, French Polynesia) with our friends from s/v Irie, contemplating how lucky we… Continue reading »
2013
09
Jun
Underwater wonderworld Gambier
Today the long promised calm weather finally arrived, already in the morning the seas were mirrorlike calm, so we lifted the anchor (the chain was completely overgrown already after 3 weeks) and motored to the mountainous island Taravai in the west of the lagoon. At first there was still some cloud cover and even drizzle, visibility not so great for spotting reefs, but fortunately the… Continue reading »
2013
05
Jun
Winterly Gambier
The weather report keeps promising warmer weather, but it never seems to actually arrive here. Winter’s coming here in the southern hemisphere and it feels like it. Yesterday I caught myself whistling ‘jingle bells’… When the sun’s out it’s hot, but the wind blowing from the south’s just icy cold. During the weekend we had constant wind around 25 knots, gusts up to 35 (that’s… Continue reading »
2013
02
Jun
Polynesian Hospitality
We heard and read about the Polynesian hospitality before we came to the Gambier Islands and were curious, whether people would still be friendly and generous to strangers, or whether they were already fed up with too many tourists taking advantage of them. We were positively surprised how alive the Polynesian hospitality still is. Everybody passing on the street greets with a friendly smile, people… Continue reading »