Today, I wanted to go somewhere I hadn't been before...

Rob pointed me to the kitchen. He's been doing all the cooking while I write.


After the success with the whales yesterday, we needed to take it easy today, as we're still a little burnt (literally and figuratively).

The air was fairly still, so Rob did a quick drone flight. He wanted a photo that included the house and the motu, so we could remember how everything was laid out.

While we were flying the drone, a local on a bike watched us unabashedly over the fence. We waved, he waved back. C'est la vie.

There were no plans for today, so Rob suggests we kayak around the motu. A morning kayak means we will be out during high tide; the water is very shallow, so high tide is desirable. Some quick googling shows that the difference between high and low tide is about 8 cm (3 inches). It probably won't help much.

I'm a little nervous, as I don't know how calm the water will be when we're so close to the barrier reef. Also, the motu is home base to the Lagoonarium, which is a kid-focused snorkeling attraction, and I don't want to trespass, even though the water is public. Close to the motu, it is also very shallow and warm, and the owner has placed a number of buoys and moors, all connected by ropes that a snorkeler can follow to look at fish.

To go around the motu, we have to kayak over the coral gardens.

We give it a go, and try to go outside of all the buoys. When we get close to the Lagoonarium dock, the owner is boating out to pick up people and starts calling out (yelling at?) us. Rob is closer, and the owner is speaking French. It's hard to hear over the water, and Rob asks the guy if he can speak English, and eventually figures out that the owner is giving us permission to swim in the coral gardens! How very nice.

However, we end up just going around the motu as planned. The water is lovely for kayaking, although not as glassy as the other day. We kayak around for a bit, looking at Mo'orea, picking up some trash, getting stuck on the rocks, and then heading back. A couple of photos:

Sailboat heading to Tahiti

Made it around the Motu; heading home

Mouaputa Mountain in Mo'orea. It has a hole in the summit

Even though it was fairly early in the morning, the kayaking was hot, so we both relax at shore for a bit.

We have an early lunch. Rob decides the glasses are too small, so he fashions some larger ones so we can keep our fluids up. It is very hot here, and because we're being pretty active, this helps a lot.

White trash big gulps

Hm. What to do next? Rob wants to see the spectacular Vaioro waterfall, and I'd like to drive around the island and see what happens. We decide to do both, because why not?

You're supposed to be able to see the waterfall from the road near our house. We drive until we see it, but it looks very dry - apparently, it's best during the rainy season. After some discussion, we decide to drive in for a closer look.

Looking pretty dry

The road is rough, but passable.

We're able to drive quite far in, but still have to hike in for another 20 minutes. It's a fairly steep climb, and we have to cross about 3 streams, and part of the path feels more like a dry creek bed, but we make it all the way up. I imagine the falls are very full during rainy season, but they are still flowing feebly today. There's a pool at the bottom, but the water is too stagnant to be inviting. When the falls are full, it is apparently a cool and inviting place for a dip. It was a fun hike.

Some water is still flowing

Looking up from the bottom

The pool at the bottom

As we got back to our car, we were greeted by a chorus of goats and chickens. Ah, the island sounds.

Next, we just drive around the island. I took many photos of boats, harbours, and flowers; however, what I will share are the yards.

Half of a dirt bike screwed to a tree

Giant Polynesian man

Grandma Grave in the house's garden. These were quite common

A Marae (Ancient sacred temple) on private land, that's been turned into a garden. Ironic, because "Marae" in Polynesian means "Free of plants"

They've stuccoed a van and made it into a permanent food truck stop

Plan ahea

Dinosaur!

We stop at Chez Fifi for a snack of crepes and sorbet (so French!). I ask the lady (in French) if she speaks English, and she says sort of. I then order in French, and she tells me that she understands my English very well. D'oh, I'm an idiot.

The food was really good and very cheap. When we're done, we're about to get in the car when I notice a road sign across the street for some tropical gardens that are up the hill. We're not sure if we want to go up, but then Fifi (actually Gwendoline) tells us it is very pretty and free, and only a 10 minute walk. We decide to give it a try.

The walk is very, very steep, and would have been driveable (again, d'oh). Poor Rob is dying with the heat, but is a trooper. We make it up, and they are some pretty gardens with pineapples, chilis, bananas, papaya, limes, avocados, etc. The walk back is much easier.

Mystery Fruit

The Garden Road - poor Rob

We drive for a bit more (hey! there's the be-hole-ed mountain from the other side!).

Found St. Joseph's, the local catholic church. We'll try to make mass tomorrow. Hm. The bell pull is right there. So tempted to pull it. We don't. We want to...

And then the highway is shut down for a music festival. And it's free. And they're playing Brown-Eyes Girl. (Or Brown-Eyed girl. I don't think they were sure.) But they were a great band, very tight, and they sang in four languages: English, French, Polynesian, and Spanish. There were lots of kids around, and everyone was having a good time.

Enjoying the festival

We stay for about an hour, then headed home. The end of another lovely day.