Rangiroa-Tikehau
Day 1
Day one got off to an unexpected start with medical emergency and the challenges of small island health care. Guests arrived in the afternoon and the show must go on! Several cocktails later guests settled in and briefed on our cruise highlights of Fakarava and what was on offer for coming days. Fair to say excitement levels were at an all time high.
Day 2
Rangiroa being the largest of the Tuamotus has various sites of interest spread out over its huge lagoon so we decided a local fast boat with shade would be the best way for guests to experience the highlights on a day trip. Guests collected by 2 locals guys from Rangiroa for a day visiting the “must see” sites on the atoll. First stop snorkeling… Guides took guests to some shallow water snorkeling sites on the north of the atoll to experience the variation of marine life and show just how clear the water is in the is lagoon. The Blue lagoon is a major stop on this day in the south west of Rangiroa. A large shallow water lagoon with pink beaches is a nursery for juvenile fish and sharks, this area is unparalleled in beauty.
Next stop was a local banquet prepared on the beach. Hot food cooked over fire made right at the guests feet while they tried their hand at making hats and bags from palm leaves which turns out is quite difficult! Further along the atoll are fascinating ancient rock reef formations which tell a story of the history of how these ancient volcanoes became the atolls inhabited today. Last stop of the day was to the pass where the tide was in full ebb to visit the resident dolphins that jump and play in the standing waves created by the fast flowing current.
Day 3
A morning walk to visit the village of Tiputa and stretch the legs before heading down the lagoon to find ourselves a sand bar. Souvenirs in hand we lift anchor and head west inside the atoll to an uninhabited stretch of the inner lagoon to anchor up and set up in the shallows. Water toys, paddle boards and cocktails filled the afternoon before a beautiful sunset.
Day 4
Anchoring up in the morning we made our way 3 hours through the coral heads to a section of atoll owned by a local family. Finding a place to anchor in the shallows we head ashore to another warm local welcome. Our host we had arranged lunch with the following day was happy for us to roam free on her large property with beaches, palm trees and the tranquil island serenity one can only dream of. A place to ourselves.
Day 5
Beach day. Lunch arranged for early afternoon our host welcomed us ashore where we set up in their palm shades and shallow water lagoon. Taking inflatables, noodles, beach games and of course the cooler guests spent the day enjoying the place to themselves only treated to yet another local feast. The sun going down we recovered guests and all the toys and continued to enjoy the sunset and anchorage to ourselves.
Day 6
An epic sailing day. The wind shifted and offered us the opportunity to use the code 0 sail. 30 or so miles to cover this couldn’t have been better. With tracks already in the charts we had a clear path through the coral and we set sail straight from the anchor on code 0 alone. A magical few hours sailing through Rangiroa to anchor closer to the west pass of Avatoru. We negotiated access to anchor at a private motu at the pass only for private guests. As they had not guests we were permitted to spend the night and enjoy their unique view of the pass. Fishing here for snapper, and other large reef fish was a lot of fun although the fish seemed to out smart us on many occasions.
Day 7
50 miles to Tikehau! An absolute gem of the islands. Tikehau is untouched to say the least. We tried our luck fishing for tuna on route only to pick up a couple of barracuda which went straight back.
Arriving at the pass Tikehau is more forgiving than others for entry and we were able to sneak in on a gentle outgoing tide. As we entered the pass we spotted an exceptional anchorage usually heavily populated by smaller cruising yachts. With the anchor securely down its time to launch our Sea Bobs and explore the shallow reefs.
Day 8
First stop is the main village in Tikehau. Decorated with wild flowers this was an enjoyable short walk on shore to see what island life offers the people of Tikehau. Turns out not a whole lot but the friendly locals take great pride in manicuring their properties. Following our visit ashore we relocate a short distance to Ninamu resort situated on a private Motu built and operated by an Australian living in Tikehau. Guests were welcomed ashore to enjoy their cocktails.
Day 9
The East side of Tikehau was our destination for the day, a 2hr run through the uncharted lagoon where endless beaches await. An unmissable stop was a visit to a very remote community who built an organic vegetable farm. With a small number of animals and composted vegetation they created and fertilize a soil bed on this very dry coral sand motu. An impressive array of fruits and vegetables have been grown here including their prize vanilla crop.
We found ourselves one of the best anchorages on the trip in shallow clear water surrounded by coral heads and creaks for exploring. The focus was now on water toys.
Day 10
Not needing to go in search of a better spot we enjoyed a long day of sun water toys, floating around the shallows in the very light breeze. A final sunset and dinner on board with emotional good byes we wrap up our Tuamotus adventure.
