We decided to take the day off the boat projects and drive around the island of Tahiti. Our first stop was the Vaipahi public gardens and caverns right on the side of the main highway Tahiti – Society Islands – French Polynesia
Right on the side of the highway are these fresh water caverns which you can swim in. The water is really cold as it comes from the top of Mount Orohena at (7400 feet) less than 8 mile inland from the coast. Tahiti – Society Islands – French Polynesia
Tahiti – Society Islands – French Polynesia
The gardens are a delightful walk insight of the lagoon and surrounding reef. But think hot, really hot….it’s the middle of summer down here. Tahiti – Society Islands – French Polynesia
Tahiti – Society Islands – French Polynesia
Tahiti – Society Islands – French Polynesia
Tahiti – Society Islands – French Polynesia
Next stop was a walk through the Harrison Smith Botanical Gardens. Brought here in 1928 on the sailing vessel “Mary Pinchot”, this Galapagos Tortoise is 200 years old and weighs about 440 lbs. As we had just made the trip, we knew how far a boat ride this guy had to make. Tahiti – Society Islands – French Polynesia
The colors are quite breath taking. Tahiti – Society Islands – French Polynesia
Tahiti – Society Islands – French Polynesia
This is the largest and perhaps best preserved “Marae” on Tahiti. Marae, the stone platforms used for social, cultural and religious events by the ancient Tahitians remind one of a small version of the pyramids of Mexico and Central America. Tahiti – Society Islands – French Polynesia
These very well preserved Tiki’s are really of unknown origin. Thought to be made by the ancient polynesians of Tahiti. There is no lore of their ability to carve stone. These “Gods” were respected and worshipped for many reasons, including fertility, luck, weather, war and good harvest. Tahiti – Society Islands – French Polynesia
From the sign in French, English, Chineese and Tahitian, one gets a feel of the large mix of locals and tourists here on the jewel of the Societies…. Tahiti – Society Islands – French Polynesia
Tahiti – Society Islands – French Polynesia
Our next stop was “Tahiti Iti”, the smaller side of the island beyond the isthmus. Tahiti is shaped much like Catalina and Maui (for those familiar). Here we are at Alex and Heike’s house, friends who we knew in Los Angeles. Tahiti – Society Islands – French Polynesia
Alex and Heike live in an area where all the original homes were built right into the mountainside. This was to prevent a “surburban” appearance and to avoid blocking the view of one’s “uphill neighbors”. Tahiti – Society Islands – French Polynesia
Very interesting in it’s concept, the idea was eventually abandoned as leaks and mildew became an unforeseen consequence of this otherwise interesting and novel concept. Tahiti – Society Islands – French Polynesia
Looking “up mountain”, you get a feel for the original idea and see how it lessens the impact of the development. Tahiti – Society Islands – French Polynesia
From the side, you can see the roof with it’s lawn atop the structure and the floral gardens again help reduce the impact of feeling like one is in surburbia. If you can imagine that such a thing exists in the middle of the Pacific. Tahiti – Society Islands – French Polynesia
Needless to say, here in the tropics where the daytime temperatures are WARM (read that as HOT), the plumage is amazing. tahiti – Society Islands – French Polynesia
Here, looking over the isthmus of Tahiti and Port Phaeton, the houses seem to disappear from view. I felt a bit like I was in “The Shire” in the book, “The Hobbit”. Tahiti – Society Islands – French Polynesia
This is the world famous surfing beach at the literal end of the road. You can see the kilometer zero sign with Yann, Heike and Alex. We made this drive in 10 minutes from Alex and Heike’s house. Alex has a wholesale Aquarium business in both French Polynesia and Los Angeles. Heike used to be the manager of “The Boat Yard” in Marina del Rey, California. Yann, born in Tahiti is a tri-national with Passports from France, Germany and the US. (Alex is a US citizen, his Mom an American living in Oxnard, California!). Tahiti – Society Islands – French Polynesia
Scott loves to tell the story of how in 1977 he was ALMOST (but not), the first (at least non local) to surf here. He was surfing out at the inner break and asked his local friends why they weren’t going out to that wicked fast left on the outer reef? They told him that NO ONE had ever surfed it as it was too dangerous. The water in front of the waves rushes along the reef so fast that it makes the sea level dramatically lower in front of the wave creating an unusually fast, heavy, thick wave which breaks over a razor sharp shallow coral reef. Scott ALMOST went anyway. But at the urgings of his friends, he missed either dying or making history…….We’ll never know which, but he lived to tell the tale!…. Tahiti – Society Islands – French Polynesia
Despite the spelling, the name of the beach is pronounced “Che-a-po”. The surfboard that marks the town is also the perpetual trophy of the champions who have surfed here. Most of them either current or former World Champions including Kelly Slater from the US. Tahiti – Society Islands – French Polynesia
Just a few hundred yards from the roads end is the waterfall en-route to entering one of the worlds most powerful big wave beaches. Tahiti – Society Islands – French Polynesia
The small side of the island near Alex and Heike’s house has a stunning view of both sides of the isthmus of Tahiti. Here we are looking to the North, Northeast on the less populus side of the island. Tahiti – Society Islands – French Polynesia
The West side the isthumus with the Gauguin Museum and Harrison Smith Gardens on the far point. Tahiti – Society Islands – French Polynesia
Tahiti Nui in the back ground with the 7500 foot peaks of the island shrouded in the clouds. Despite the 95 degree daytime temperatures on the coast, it can get quite cool at altitude. This causes a constant cloud bank to linger over the high islands of the pacific. Tahiti – Society Islands – French Polynesia
At the overlook, the end to a perfect day……Cindy and I finished it off by driving around the island on our way back to “Beach House”. Tahiti, about 45 miles long and 18 miles wide has lots more to see, but all in all a full and great outing. Tahiti – Society Islands – French Polynesia