It was fabulous to have our oldest son, Edward & his fiancée, Alicia visit and stay with us for just over 2 weeks. We hadn’t seen them since we left in April, so it was so good to catch up & share all our respective news. Not the least of which included details of ‘the proposal’ at Seal Rocks lighthouse a few weeks ago! It was also great to get all the goodies we had organised for them to bring out to the boat! 92kg plus surfboards of which perhaps 15kg was their stuff!
We are in such a beautiful part of the world & having many wonderful experiences, so it was such a joy to share our adventures with family.
We were very much aware that we needed to move quickly to the Leeward Islands whilst the winds were favourable, so the day after their arrival we were on the way!
First stop, breathtaking Moorea – always a magnificent introduction to stunning French Polynesia. We didn’t stay long – leaving the following day for Huahine whilst the weather was favourable, (actually before the wind died completely). Nevertheless, Bill & Edward found the requisite amount of time to savour the famed chocolate cake from Café Rotui in Cook’s Bay! It wasn’t the quickest trip downwind, but good enough, with a decent swell pushing us from behind! It was Alicia’s first night passage & a nostalgic trip for Edward who was whisked back to his memories of our 5 year circumnavigation many years ago.
We enjoyed some time in the lovely anchorage of Avea Bay, on the south side of Huahine & checked out a surf spot around the corner at the Passe de Araara. Bit gnarly in my opinion, but Edward managed a couple of surfs either side of the pass on separate days. Not to be left out, Alicia (courageous young woman), also joined the melee & had a few waves on the inside break. We had a couple of very enjoyable snorkels at Hana Iti, did ‘the island tour’ by car & then had a pleasant sail across to Raiatea.
There we visited our favourite places, snorkelled some pretty reefs & were thrilled to share our encounters with the manta rays again, who put on a special performance for us as their sole audience. We revisited the Pearl Farm – watched them seed the pearls this time & Alicia bought a beautiful 3 pearl necklace as a lasting reminder of the aquamarine lagoons of Taha’a. Edward found a great wave on the south side of Passe Rautoanui & we had the perfect spectator seats in the dinghy in the channel. It was a classic reef break, steep drop, multiple tubes, but shallowing out very quickly. Fortunately Edward escaped injury as his mother & fiancée watched anxiously from the sideline, (Bill remained as relaxed as always of course!).
We finally celebrated Edward & Alicia’s recent engagement over a wonderful meal at Fish & Blue – such a great spot to drink a toast to a very special couple. They plan to marry in October 2026 – phew, we should be back in Australian waters by then!!
Time seemed to fly by & before long we were parting company as they headed back to Papeete via ferry – the winds not facilitating a suitable window for a return sail. We were sorry to see them both go, we had a brilliant time together, but I’m sure that they will join us again in the Pacific before we return to Australia.