French Polynesia Map           Tahiti Map         

 

                  

 

         

                             Map of

                           the Pacific

 

latest picture taken: September 15, 2009

• click a picture to see details

01  Coming from the Cook Islands,

we land on August 11th, 2009, 2.30pm

with Air Tahiti in Papeete. Compared

to the price, its in-flight service was so-so

 02  We enjoy the view over Papeete,

the capital of French Polynesia, from

the nearly 2’000ft. high Belvédère

lookout (Fare Rau-Ape)

03  Liliana and Emil pose for a picture

at the Basin of Queen Tomare IV in the

“Assembly Park” (Assemblée de la

Polynésie française) in downtown Papeete

04   Thunderclouds accumulate

behind the Catholic Cathedral

(Cathédrale Notre-Dame de

Papeete) in the heart of Papeete

 05  A monument commemorates

the Mutiny on the „HMS Bounty“

at “Point Venus” in the Mataval

Bay near Mahina

06  The lighthouse at “Point Venus“

was designed by the father of the

Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson.

RLS, who died 1894 in Samoa,

worked in summer 1866 in the

office of his father in Papeete

07  Spreading happiness: Two

Tahitians wearing traditional hand

woven girdles of fresh flowers

 08  “Tiki”in the «Musée de Tahiti

et des Îles». Tikis are sacred

sculptures in Polynesian culture

09  The souvenir shop at “Point

Venus“ near Mahina is built

the traditional way

10  Public beach of black volcanic

sand at “Point Venus“ near Mahina

 11  Enjoying a game called

“Petanque“ at “Point Venus“

12  A peaceful picture: A loaded

outrigger and canoes tied-up

at “Point Venus“ near Mahina

13

 14

15

The setting sun adds a special charm to ”Point Venus”

16  The setting of our bungalow on

a hilltop in Mahina, surrounded by

tropical greenery and a lovely

ocean view is perfect .....

 17  ..... Emil at its entrance

enjoying the panorama .....

18  ..... and the breakfast with

different cheeses is waiting

19  Below the roof of the bright and

breezy Papeete market hall everything

is put up for sale: Exotic flowers, fresh

meet, pastries and vegetable .....

 20  ..... papaya, banana,

pineapple .....

21  ..... hand woven straw hats and

bags as well as traditional craftwork.

At many stalls however, currently

the buyers, i.e. tourists are missing

22  The island of Moorea, the

jewel of French Polynesia,

is looming across the sea

 23  A crown with majestic mountain

towers in the interior of Tahiti:

Mt. Te Tara O Maiao,

called Diadème (4.334ft. high)

24  The North coast at Pt. Tapahi

is dotted with small beaches

of black volcanic sand

Luxury tropical vegetation and narrow lush green and steep valleys, topped by dramatic mountain peaks is the scenery,

which shapes the picture of Tahiti and fascinates us

25  Valley of Papenoo

 26  Tahaute Valley at Mahaena

27  At the East coast, about halfway

between Hitiaa and Faaone

28  At Tahiti’s East coast nature

is still widely untouched:

Papeiha River at Pk 45 (milestone)

 29  A tiny island with palm trees

and a white sandy beach. Who

does not dream of it?

(Motu Nono in the bay of Taravao)

30  We climb towards the viewing

plateau of “Tahiti Iti“ (Little Tahiti) -

the smaller peninsula in the Southeast.

View towards the main peninsula

Tahiti Nui (Big Tahiti)

31  Looking from the viewing platform

of “Tahiti Iti“ towards the Isthmus of

Taravao and the mountain panorama

of the main island “Tahiti Nui“ .....

 32   ..... and the turquoise

shining ocean in the

South with the reef

33  Climbing to the Taravao plateau

on 2’000ft. altitude, we encounter

an atypical picture of Tahiti:

A pasture with well fed cows

34  “Tiare Tahiti” is Tahiti’s

national flower

 35  Tahiti’s flora surprises us

again and again with new “exotics”

36  Frangipani is the blossom that

we also automatically connect with

the South Pacific. It carries also the

names of Plumeria respectively Tiare

37  At the Agriculture Show in Faaa,

the women show up with

their traditional head dresses .....

 38   ..... in the vegetable

sector the huge yam

roots catch our eyes .....

39   ..... and in the flower sector

the delicate blossom of

the Tahitian Vanilla bush

40  Overwater restaurants are

popular and crowded on weekends

in Punaauia on the West coast

 41  The overwater bungalows of

the Intercontinental (Beachcomber)

Hotel in Papeete belong to the

top end accommodations

42  Enjoying a swim at the wells of

Vaima in Mataiea at the South coast

43  Tiki at the Arahurahu Marae in

the village of Paea in the Southwest .....

 44  ..... a site of worship of ancient

Polynesia, consisting of a fenced in

platform of big black volcanic

stones with an altar

45  The Vaipoiri grotto in Maraa South

of Paea in the Southwest: Hanging

ferns, red and pink ginger and lush

plants make it look fairytale like

46  View into the mountains (left in

the back Mt. Tahiti) of the Orofero

valley at Paea in the West

 47  Emil, the happy world traveler

48  Tropical vegetation and mountains

are the characteristic features of Tahiti.

The view towards North at the

South coast near Papara

49  Hotel de Ville (Mairie), Papeete’s

Town Hall, was built in the architectural

style of the Palace of Queen Pomare IV

 50  Cyclists make a break

on their island tour

51  At the “Place de l’Autonomie“ –

“autonomous square” – two flags are

raised: The Tahitian and the French

52  At the market of Papeete a guitar

seller attracts customers with his songs .....

 53  ..... and a women makes

new garlands from fresh flowers

54  A Tahitian woman is looking

out to the open sea with her son

 

Continuations from Tahiti:

 

• Pictures from the second part of our Tahiti trip: Island of Tahiti - part 2
• Pictures from the third part of our Tahiti trip: Island of Moorea
• 25th Anniversary of "being on the road" on October 18, 2009, in Arue near Papeete/Tahiti