v i k i n g c r u i s e s . c o m . a u 29
e lagoon does cast a spell; I've picnicked on a
deserted motu, snorkelled through its coral gardens,
swum with harmless reef sharks and friendly stingrays
– more interested in a free fish feed than me – and
zoomed across by jet-ski.
Back on dry land, I took a 4WD tour into the
rugged interior to see WWII bunkers and cannons
that were left to rust in the jungle after American
troops departed the island paradise in 1945.
Although Bora Bora does grab the headlines, its
near-neighbour Huahine, along with Moorea and
Tahiti, have their charms - from quiet lagoon beaches,
coral-and-lime churches topped with steeples and
market stalls selling sweet pineapples and tropical oils
under frangipani trees.
Moorea is the mountain-lover's and motorist's
delight. After a 30-minute ferry crossing from Tahiti,
I drove my hire car around the 61-km coastal road,
stopping to photograph radical mountain peaks
including the shark-toothed mountain of Mouaroa,
seen on many postcards. High on the Belvedere
Lookout I was awestruck by two bays - Cook's and
Opunohu - the latter, rather ironically, being the place
where Captain Cook anchored in 1777.
Again, I hired a car in Tahiti and walked on black
sand beaches with pounding surf and along jungle
trails to waterfalls. In sleepy Huahine, still untouched
by mainstream tourism, I strolled among the relics of
ancient Polynesia temples called marae and stayed in
family-run pensions. At night as the sun set on Huahine's
tiny "capital" Fare, I could see the unmistakable outline
of Bora Bora bathed in a brilliant pink glow to the west.
Yes, there are many islands to explore and each
delivers the goods.
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Papeete Bungalows Lagoon, Tahiti
