We extended our stay in Fakarava by 5 days and after 4 weeks touring French Polynesia, it was about time to go back to Tahiti and start planning for the next destinations. Flying back being ruled out, we booked two places on the Cobia for a return to Tahiti on the 7th of June and two tickets to New Zealand departing the 12th. That would give us another 5 days to spend in Papeete, with Heiata, Olivier and the girls.

Travelling on the Cobia

The Cobia is a quite small supply ship covering five islands of the Tuamotus archipelago from Papeete. In addition to the crew, it can accommodate 10 to 12 passengers. Locals often take this option to travel as it is cheaper than flying, and it stops at islands where you cannot fly to. Fakarava is the third island of the Cobia’s itinerary. From there it usually takes 48 hours to reach Papeete with stops in Aratika and Arutua.We checked in early in the morning when the boat arrived, and were told to come back around 11am. We did some grocery shopping as you need to bring your own food, and finally boarded the ship to discover our really not so fancy berths that would be our accommodation for the next 48 hours. We wanted basic and adventurous, we got what we paid for… I went back on shore to buy more water, and got worried because of the long and slow queue. Luckily the guy right in front of me ended up being the captain, so I relaxed… If the boat could leave without me, at least it could not leave without him! In fact, I was quite right to be worried, as some passengers were forgotten in Fakarava. They had left their suitcases onboard and gone for lunch or something like that, but they came back too late. We left without them… That’s one of the consequence of being on a cargo ship, you are not on a cruise ship and the crew pays less, if any, attention to the passengers.

The first 24 hours were quite enjoyable. There were some weird passengers under various influences who tried to share that with us, but they were quite funny and harmless. One of them was in his fifties, and had a long monologue with me about how he influenced the sex of his kids when having sex with his wife. A real show with sounds and gestures. Needless to say that I was very happy to have Eff back on the deck to save me from this very uncomfortable moment!!

Luckily we were arriving at Aratika, our first stop en route to Tahiti. A tiny island with nothing but a concrete pier, Aratika has less than 200 residents. People were in line waiting for their parcels and supplies to be unloaded. It is quite interesting to realise how remote and disconnected people can be over there. They don’t seem to care and seem pretty happy with their life. It looks like they are content with what they have and do not look for more. It really makes you think and wonder whether they have the clue to happiness. But then you try to put yourself in their shoes, and you’re like, no, not for me thanks…On most remote islands like Aratika, subsistance comes mainly from fishing and copra industries. Copra is the dried kernel of coconut used to make oil. It took 6 hours to unload the supplies carried by the boat and load the fish and copra shipments to be sold in Papeete. It was quite late when we left, and time for a good sleep. Night was surprisingly good, and we woke up just before arriving to our second stop in Arutua.

Arutua is more developed that Aratika. There is a large village, with couple of local cafes, and ladies selling pastries and really good home baked chocolate cakes in the street. We wandered around while the boat crew was unloading and loading the boat again. This time their work was more challenging as the boat could not go near the pier. It had to stop in the pass, and shipments was carried to the pier by barge. Luckily the weather was really good on that day, but the captain told us than it can be very difficult in case of storms, heavy rains or high waves. I thought it looked tricky already so I can easily believe him!!Another 6 hours later, we headed straight towards Tahiti, 24 hours non stop. That was just boring and uncomfortable. Despite having very good sea conditions, it was rocking enough for not being able to read, write, watch a movie, or even eat. We just stayed on our berths like poor souls and waited for this trip to end.. Arriving in Tahiti and being able to leave the boat was the most exciting part of the journey!!

As a conclusion, we did it and won’t do it again. It is definitely not worth the price difference with the flight, as the fun of the adventure is pretty limited. The positive side of things is that we now completely rule out future long adventures on cargo ships from our to-do list.

Last days in Tahiti

Heiata picked us up at the port, and we spent the rest of the day at hers, chilling, having proper showers and recovering from our Cobia experience.

On the Saturday, we all went to La Pointe de Venus, a black sand beach. We soaked a bit in the warm waters, enjoying our last bath in French Polynesia. It was the first sea bath for the 6 months old Herenui and she did not really enjoy it. The comfort of her mum’s arms on the beach towel seemed way more attractive to her than having her feet in the salty water…

Sunday was cultural day. We first went to the annual Marquesas islands art and craft exhibition. Many artists and sellers come to Tahiti to promote their culture which is different from Tahiti’s. The display of wood and bones carvings were impressive, but less than the tattoos. Tattoo culture is really strong there. If the ancient method is nowadays less used, it is still painful to imagine the long hours they had to endure to get those paintings on their bodies. Each element having a meaning, full stories are hence written on bodies. Even if I am not into tattoos, I was impressed and appreciative of those ones.

The rest of the day was chilled, getting ready for Tehani’s big night. It was the Heiva for schools, the Tahitian dance competition for all dance schools. That night was the show of Tehani’s school and she was performing. It was great to attend the show and support her! I was quite nostalgic also of my own classes in Singapore. I loooved Tahitian dance, it used to be my feel-good moments, and I realised how much I had missed it. Well, one day I will do it again.The show was awesome. We attended the performance of two different schools. All levels were performing, from cute and awesome little girls, to super motivated boys and impressive semi-professionnal dancers. Amazing music, beautiful costumes, what a night!! Tehani did really great, we were all very proud of her.

Tips: For those interested in such cultural event, July is probably the best time to visit Tahiti, as it is the season of the main Heiva where all professionals compete. Women, guys, musicians, it is a month-long event ideal to discover the Tahitian culture.

As Monday was a public holiday, we enjoyed more time with our friends who drove us to the Belvedere, a really nice bar and restaurant located in the mountains. Great place to chill out, with very nice views on the bay, highly recommended for a break from the city. Not that Papeete is a buzzing city from where you want to escape, but you know, it is always nice to be in the greenery…

We spent our last day doing last minute shopping and finalising the organisation of our trip to New Zealand. About time, as we only had the flight to Auckland booked! One last early morning trip to the airport and that was it: the end of our amazing trip in French Polynesia.

Our five weeks have been unforgettable. French Polynesia is a very special place. Each island has something different to offer, from mountains to beaches, great diving, warm people, authenticity, you name it. Only downside is the budget as it is expensive. You can find (way) cheaper options than the water bungalows in Bora Bora, but accommodation will remain a big spend. But well, we have only one life, so there is no shame to enjoy it! We met great people everywhere, and it was really amazing to spend time with Olivier, Heiata and the girls. Thank you guys for your warm welcome. Can’t wait to come back and see your new home sweet home!

Bye bye French Polynesia, it is time to leave your warm shores for the cold New Zealand. We will be back, so see you again!

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