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2013
19
Jul
Mt. Duff
We used the sunny weather yesterday to hike up Mount Duff, the highest summit of the Gambier (441 m). The hike was quite steep, but we were rewarded with incredible views of the whole archipelago. Today the weather’s back to ‘normal’ winter weather with dark clouds, lots of rain and ferocious gusts. We’re finally growing tired of the cold and are discussing moving north to… Continue reading »
2013
16
Jul
2013
13
Jul
Le Juillet–The July Festival
The festival here in Rikitea has been going on for a week. Unfortunately we missed a few days because of the terrible weather, but two days ago the wind died down, the sun came out again and we could go out for activities again. Now the serious competitions start: yesterday the theme for the two competing dance groups was Mangarevan dance–they both danced different stories… Continue reading »
2013
11
Jul
Article on Melilla in Ocean7 Magazine
Our Articel about the Spanish town Melilla on the coast of Morocco has finally been published in the current (July/August) issue of the Austrian sailing magazine Ocean7. The pdf can be downloaded here (in German only). Birgit Hackl, Christian Feldbauer: Melilla — Multikulturelles Spanien an der afrikanischen Küste, OCEAN7 04 (Juli/August) 2013, p. 26–27. download PDF (in German only)
2013
07
Jul
Festival in Rikitea
On Friday we came back to Mangareva for the annual cultural festival. This festival’s the most important event of the year here, it lasts two weeks, there are lovingly decorated food stands and each day some event is scheduled. The two competing dance groups of the island have practiced every day for two months (we heard them drumming every night and checked on their progress… Continue reading »
2013
07
Jul
Photos of Taravai
Taravai is our favourite island in the Gambiers so far, so we put a more extensive gallery together. Though, uploading it took quite some time…
2013
05
Jul
People of Taravai
During our second stay in Taravai we anchored in the southern bay, because we wanted to visit the few families who live here. We did several dinghy excursion, were received with Polynesian hospitality, talked to the people and heard lots of interesting stories. There’s an abandoned village on the eastern side of the island. Only one family lives here als caretakers. Herve and Valerie maintain… Continue reading »
2013
02
Jul
Back to Taravai
The Gambier Islands are an ideal site to overcome the reef navigation anxiety that we’ve developed in the San Blas. With the help of crystal clear waters, accurate charts and GPS tracks from other boats we’re slowly gaining confidence. Satellite images from Google Earth are a great help, too. Despite all that we’re still nervous before setting out to a new destination, we can feel… Continue reading »
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 »