Tahiti

Tahiti consists of two islands. The Polynesian language uses simple terms to describe the things you see. This is why one island is called Tahiti Nui (Greater Tahiti) and the other island, which is located to the south-east of the main island, is called Tahiti Iti (Lesser Tahiti). The two islands are connected by the short arm of land of Taravao. We already know the big island well enough, so it's time to take a look at the smaller of the two. Incidentally, the 2024 Olympic surfing competitions took place on Tahiti Iti. We already know this side of Tahiti Iti, so we'll concentrate on the east coast and the interior.

Southwest coast of Tahiti

So we drive along the east coast of Tahiti Nui until we reach the Taravao estuary. In Afa'ahiti, we turn right from the RT3 onto the RT33 and drive steeply up the mountain. The highest elevation on Tahiti Iti is Mont Ronin at 1332 meters above sea level. Marie Nui is just as high, but is not officially mentioned. After about five kilometers, we reach the Belvédère de Taravao viewpoint. From up here you have a wonderful view of the south-west coast of the large island, the impressive mountains that rise up to 2241 meters out of the sea and the east coast of Tahiti. Before us, at our feet, lies a plateau that is largely used for agriculture. Cattle and horse pastures, sugar cane and large pineapple fields characterize the landscape. 

Pineapple field on Tahiti Iti

The turquoise blue of the outer reef contrasts with the green of the island. Incidentally, I have never seen so many different types of green as on Tahiti. Just above the Belvédère there is an artificial lake, which was probably created to irrigate the fields. A small path leads to one of the huge trees that only spread their foliage at the very top of the crown. The trunks of these trees are enormous. We sit on a bench and enjoy the unique view.

Huge trees that provide shade

Back on the RT3, we turn right towards Tautira. The small headland has a beautiful beach that is perfect for a swim. The backdrop is almost kitschy with its palm trees, the narrow valley and Mont Roniu in the background. Nevertheless, or perhaps precisely because of this, I have come to love Tahiti. It's vacation time and many families are enjoying their day off at the beach. The public beaches always have a place to sit in a small park, showers and toilets. In addition, Polynesians always need something to eat. They either bring it with them or help themselves from one of the many street food carts. We used to say snack stall, but nobody understands that anymore. The fact is that, by Tahitian standards, you can eat well and a lot here at a reasonable price. Today we do without it and prefer to eat what we have brought with us. We also enjoy an ice-cold beer, which has a pleasant drinking temperature thanks to the cooler bag and the ice cubes available everywhere in supermarkets. As always, the water temperatures are pleasant, the only thing you have to watch out for here is the current, which is not insignificant. An eventful day comes to an end and we concentrate on our preparations for departure.

Badestrand Tahiti Iti

The marina is still booked until March 15. We will leave the marina on that day at the latest. If we haven't finished our preparations by then, we will move to the anchor field at the airfield. Otherwise, we will tackle our first leg of the season. So I arm myself with my handcart again and make my way to the supermarket. The supermarket is a good two kilometers away from the marina. By now we've got into the routine of stocking up on food. Nevertheless, I almost fall into a coma several times on days like this. The first time at the checkout when the shopping cart reaches the equivalent of almost 200 euros. The second time when the stuff has to be stowed on the hand truck, and the third time on arrival at the boat, when all the stuff has to be heaved onto the deck. After all, you always discover something new on tours like this. On the way, I notice a kilometer marker that is completely inconspicuous on the side of the road. 

Kilometer marker on Tahiti

Of course, it rains again on days like this, just when you have nowhere to shelter, but that's less tragic given the temperatures in Tahiti. The only thing I'll never get used to is the wet clothes on my body. However, the chaos is perfect on days like this. It takes almost a day until all the tins have been stripped of their labels, washed, labeled by hand and then packed and all the noodles have been filled into plastic containers. At the end of the day, you know what you've achieved.

Me shopping

And that was just the first load. Fiji is a few months away and the islands we want to visit by then will offer few shopping opportunities apart from American Samoa. If we don't want to starve, we'll have to stockpile enough food and hope that we haven't forgotten any essentials. With this in mind, until next week, fair winds and keep a stiff upper lip.