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San Francisco: Jan 14 -Exploring Tasmania |
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South Pacific Islands :
Tahiti to Cook Islands – Tall Ship Soren Larsen (EPW) - 18 days
An ideal synthesis of seaborne adventure, exotic exploration and timeless romance, the tallship remains for many the ultimate form of escapist travel. The authenticity of the Søren experience - from the natural camaraderie on board to the virginal beauty of the South Seas - makes this the holiday of a lifetime. And we'll never claim that going back home is easy...
Itinerary
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Day 1. Join Tahiti
Starting our journey at the Tahitian capital of Papeete, we may see preparations for the annual Heiva I Tahiti festival, the
largest of all yearly celebrations in Tahiti, held each June and July. |
Cross the Sea of the Moon to Cooks' Bay
From Papeete we will sail the short 10 mile passage across the Sea of the Moon to the outlying island of Moorea. Staying
overnight in beautiful Cooks' Bay beneath the volcanic peak of Mt Rotui this will be our first taste of the stunning lagoons
and anchorages of the Society Islands. |
From the Windward to the Leeward Isles
Sailing north west downwind from Moorea we leave the Windward Isles and reach the Leeward Isles about 90 miles
away. This should take us around 24 hours and we first enter the reef-protected islands at Huahine. Of all the islands that are
frequented by travellers, this is the least affected from such contact. Adjacent to Huahine is Raiatea. For the Polynesian Maohi, ancestors of today's Tahitians, Raiatea was known as Sacred "Havai'i", and was the centre of royalty, religion, culture and history. It is also the home of the ancient Polynesian navigators whose sailing 'waka' once traversed the Pacific. There are several passes through the lagoon, which also encompasses the neighbouring island of Taha’a. At the shallow anchorage at Taha’a one can occasionally smell the aroma of vanilla grown in plantations here. Locals lead a simple, tranquil life of farming or fishing and outside influences on the island are minimal. |
Bora Bora
Navigating out of a pass in the reef we sail across open water to Bora Bora, the most famous of the Leeward Islands. The spectacular pass at Vaitape is the only entrance through the barrier reef surrounding the island's lagoon. We will certainly spend a couple of nights here, enjoying the hospitality of Bora Bora Yacht Club, hiring bicycles to explore the island or snorkelling in the lagoon. Ocean crossing to the Cook Islands Leaving French Polynesia here we set out on our 550 mile ocean crossing towards the Cook Islands. The prevailing south-east trade winds should give us great sailing and after 4 or 5 days we should arrive at the low lying atolls of Aitutaki. Here is Cook Island life at its most relaxed. The palm fringed white beaches may even be, as some have claimed, the best in the Pacific, and the impossibly vivid blues of the lagoon that stretches away to the horizon are stunning. There are some shops and a few tourist resorts here but development is unobtrusive and has not detracted from the overwhelming beauty of the place. It may be very difficult to haul up our anchor and actually leave such a perfect spot. However we have a further 160 miles to sail due south to our final destination of Rarotonga. |
Rarotonga
Rarotonga is the capital of the 15 island group and the small harbour at Avarua is our destination. Seafood is a staple of Polynesian cuisine and Rarotonga's restaurants offer traditional as well as island-style dishes. A delicacy is grilled 'mahi-mahi', the dolphin-fish, a speciality at Trader Jack's. The island is dominated by the central volcanic peak and a day's trek through the rainforest jungle is a great expedition after our few days at sea.
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| Day 18. Voyage ends Rarotonga |
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