It's my final full day in French Polynesia. This journey has been truly magical. Tahiti, Mangareva, Pitcairn, and Mo'orea have all lived up to their expectations. Last night I was thinking of walking up Mount Aorai, or possibly cycling round Tahiti Nui. Still feeling mentally tired from climbing Mouaputa, I wasn't up for Aorai at more than twice the height: 2,066 meters versus Mouaputa's 830 meters. Cycling round the island is a distance of more than 100 km and, combined with stops for rest and sightseeing, would take the better part of several hours. This morning I decided to thumb it around Tahiti Nui. For my final days in Tahiti I'm staying with a CouchSurfer named Guillaume, and his girlfriend, Claire, in Mahina. They're just round the corner from Pointe Venus, where I rode Bernhard's bike on my first day. For my final full day I wanted to go sightseeing and geocaching on my circumnavigation of the largest island in French Polynesia. Guillaume planned to go surfing, so he would give me a lift on his motorscooter to the Arahoho Blowhole.
Whilst not as spectacular as blowholes I've seen in places like Tonga or Samoa, the view was lovely. In one particular area I could sit and listen to the sound of the water come up through a small hole. Only a short distance away is Fa'arumai Waterfall. Getting a lift there was easy and I took the short stroll to the waterfall.
During the wet season, I'm sure it'd be much more spectacular! A lovely sight nonetheless. My circumnavigation of Tahiti would continue as I headed south along the eastern coast. I should add that Tahiti Nui and Tahiti Iti aren't separate islands but are joined at an isthmus. Another lift would get me to the Twin Cascades.
A geocache here was rather difficult to find, but I eventually found it. Geocaching sure brings you to some interesting and lovely places. I was nearly tempted to jump into the plunge pool to cool off! I'm good at noting out the little differences when I've been to several countries in a region. Unlike in Samoa, I'm not charged an entry fee at each blowhole, waterfall, or other site. Free, all of these are! I'd get picked up by someone driving to Taravao. This is the only other "town" in Tahiti, or perhaps in all of French Polynesia. It's large enough for stoplights and a Carrefour, where I called in for lunch. From here is the turnoff to Tahiti Iti but I'll have to save it for a potential future trip.
It was then recommended I go to the botanical gardens, just west of Taravao. Whilst not the most spectacular gardens I've ever visited, they're definitely worth a wander.
Getting a lift was tricky afterward as I waited more than half hour. Two more lifts would get me to Pana'auia on the western coast of Tahiti Nui. Many people who say they're going to "Tahiti" actually mean French Polynesia and are going to either Mo'orea or Bora Bora, but those who spend time in Tahiti often stay in Pana'auia. A long day it was already, I gave my feet a well deserved soak at the beach.
French Polynesia suffers from a huge dearth of geocaches; there certainly could be more. In Pana'auia I managed to log three different types of caches, including a virtual that led me to a museum. With six finds today, I found a grand total of 15 geocaches in French Polynesia. Today is All Saints Day, a public holiday, and alcohol can't be purchased beyond noon. That meant I couldn't get a bottle of wine for Guillaume and Claire as a gift. The only highway in French Polynesia goes from Pana'auia to Pape'ete, and after a supermarket meal of sweet and sour chicken, I was back in the big smoke. Due to the public holiday, no public transport was operating. Trying my luck at a red light, a family picked me up, and they were headed straight for Mahina! Wow!
It's my final night deep in the Pacific. Guillaume and Claire both work overnight at the hospital, so I had a quiet one this evening with dinner of pizza topped with basil and fresh parmesan. As I sit here on the veranda I'll recap another awesome journey: I arrived nearly a month ago from New Zealand, and spent a couple of days in Pape'ete before flying to Mangareva. From there it was the 32 hour voyage to Pitcairn. 11 days there would allow me to see the island in all its captivating splendour. 32 hours would get me back to Mangareva and then a flight would place me back in Papa'ete for another night. Had I arrived earlier in the day I would have jumped on the ferry to Mo'orea straight away. Unfortunately I had to spend a night in French Polynesia's ugly capital but I got to meet Jay and Carol Warren and have a delicious steak lunch before jetsetting up to Mo'orea. Dazzling as it was, Mo'orea was justifiably worth the nine days I spent there.
Tomorrow I'll be setting out early in the darkness to Faa'a Airport to fly to San Francisco, and then I'll be hitchhiking to LA to do some filming for Fearless Journey. Another fabulous journey is in the books, and another big one shall happen soon...
