The original plan was to remain in New Zealand for all six weeks of the Rugby World Cup. A feast of elite sport. What more could a guy want?
Then it hit me. Once the pool stage concluded, matches would only be played on weekends from the quarter finals, right through until the glittering showpiece on October 23. While I love the land of the long white cloud, it was a hell of a long time to remain there with no midweek rugby and little to do (not to mention imposing myself on our lovely hosts for another few weeks).
Several months ago I approached a travel agent that I know and asked him to find the cheapest fare from Auckland to Los Angeles, thinking I’d head across the Pacific for some sun and American sports before returning for the Rugby World Cup Final. The best fare he found was with Air Tahiti Nui. As soon as he said that, cogs started turning inside my head. “Do you think you could extend my layover in Papeete from three hours to three days?” I queried.
Boom. I was going to Tahiti.
My chariot, named ‘Bora Bora’ (sadly I wasn’t going there, this time)
It’s not the sort of place you’d really go to in normal circumstances. It’s extremely isolated (4000km from Auckland and 6600km from Los Angeles) and is a destination that you would probably plan a stand-alone trip around rather than simply ‘popping in.’ Thankfully my circumstances and travel schedule allowed me to do just this for no extra cost than my ticket to the US.
Flight time from New Zealand is a mere five hours and it was an absolute breeze. Unlike most airlines that have a 3-4-3 seating configuration, this one was 2-4-2 which meant no middle seats on either side and more room to move. After receiving a tiare flower and a beaming smile upon boarding, I quickly learned that despite being seated in the very back row, there was nobody next to me which meant glorious leg room and a relaxing flight to Papeete.
We landed in paradise late on Saturday night and were greeted at the airport by Polynesian singers and dancers. The cheery strumming of the ukulele made the painfully slow immigration queue somewhat bearable. It’s somewhat expected with smaller destinations like Tahiti, but the processing inefficiencies were glaring. I was one of the last off the plane however and the tracksuit pants I was wearing in 27 degree humidity didn’t make it any more bearable!
All visitors receive a local welcome at Faaa International Airport
Originally I’d planned to go ‘all out’ and spend my three days at the Radisson Resort. However after giving it some thought, I wanted my Tahitian experience to be genuine and not confined to the walls and swimming pool of a (stunning) resort. Additionally, most of the luxury hotels are located quite some distance out of town and since I was only there for a brief time, I wanted to be in the thick of it.
I’ve been a member of the international Couch Surfing project for some time, but never actually participated. For those who are unfamiliar with the concept, Couch Surfing is an initiative whereby travelers can request to stay with locals when they’re on the road. Not only is it designed to eliminate accommodation costs, but it also seeks to provide people with unique cultural experiences, local knowledge and new friendships throughout the world.
I got in touch with a woman by the name of Lenaik who lives in Papeete with her son, daughter, mother and father. She was more than happy to host me and even collected me from the airport. The Couch Surfing ethos was immediately evident when she took me on a brief tour of the city before we’d even gone home!
‘Home’ was nestled about 1km inland just outside of the Tahitian capital Papeete. After arriving and settling in, I hit the hay for what was going to be a busy few days of island exploration.
Looking up at the house from the street below
The reverse view from the balcony
Looking back towards the ocean
Sunday morning was certainly an interesting and unconventional start.
As Lenaik’s father is ill and confined to bed for most of the time, they were not able to attend worship as a family. Therefore, the priest made a house call early in the morning. Although I didn’t understand a word of French, it was engrossing to listen to the reading, singing and blessing. Tahiti is a very spiritual place and it was a great cultural experience on my first morning.
Shortly thereafter I took off to explore the local market which sold almost everything. As mentioned in a previous blog post, I aim to go to more markets and buy more fresh produce when I return to Australia and this only served as another great reminder! The sights, sounds and colours of a foreign marketplace are a fantastic experience and I urge you all to check them out if given the chance.
Nice catch, but I can’t help but think they look better in the ocean!
That equates to just $1.15 a bunch for those of you playing at home
Local vendors looking for business
After leaving the markets I explored Papeete on foot. The city’s population is just 26,000 but it seemed like a LOT more. I imagine that illusion is created by cramming almost all of those people into a few square kilometres in Tahiti’s most inhabited area; not to mention other tourists roaming the streets.
Out and about in Papeete
One of the pre-conceptions I had about Tahiti was that it was all white sand, coconuts and beaches. Boy was I wrong.
Papeete itself is a shipping port. There is not a beach within miles of the capital and even then, they consist mainly of rocks mainly rocks rather than sand. To get the pristine postcard imagery, you need to spread your wings and get to nearby islands such as Moorea or even better (but infinitely more expensive), Bora Bora in the Society Islands archipelago which is popular among honeymooners and the super rich (and quite often, both).
The Papeete foreshore
On Sunday afternoon I decided to hit the coast and just walk. I had no idea where I was going, but isn’t that half the fun of travel?
After getting past the outskirts of Papeete it soon became evident that there were people living in abject poverty (although this did not come as a surprise). There were homeless people fishing, cooking on fires and seeking shelter near the water as well as families living in corrugated iron huts near the airport.
And Darryl Kerrigan reckons HE lived close to the airport…
Living in poverty, but still boasting a backyard lagoon for the kids!
After walking and taking in the scenery for several hours I decided to head back to Papeete via the inland route. I was walking down the side of the freeway and noticed a gathering of people up on a ridge on the other side of the road. I crossed the highway, clambered up a hill and found myself in the middle of a pétanque tournament.
For those that don’t know, pétanque is a French game that is similar to lawn bowls. You hold a metal ‘boule’ with an overhand grip and toss it down the rink towards the jack.
A stunning afternoon in the sun at the ‘Boulodrome’
I was the only westerner in the area. I was surrounded by hundreds of Tahitians playing their games, drinking beer, singing and enjoying their weekend in the sun. They looked at me like I was from another planet, but were happy with my presence and carried on, some even trying to communicate with me in broken English. It was a fantastic experience and one of the random things that you can encounter when heading off the beaten track.
The situation looked pretty grim for these guys
Plenty of rinks were in action
Once arriving back in Papeete I found a local bar for a late lunch and cold beer. It just so happened that the NY Jets game was also on TV, so I watched a bit of it with a couple from New York before it became evident we were going to be destroyed by Baltimore.
The fresh seafood salad was absolutely amazing
Accidentally paid A$8.46 for a drink earlier in the day! Maths fail.
I will miss enjoying my breakfast out of a coconut
A stunning public access beach football arena in the heart of town
I quickly became addicted to Rotui canned juice. Amazing stuff!
Most of Monday was spent relaxing, hanging out in Papeete and catching up on news (my house had wireless that I could tap into via my phone). I also spent a great deal of time planning what I’d do on my final day in Tahiti.
It seemed criminal that I’d been there for 48 hours and not even dipped a toe in the water. As I said however, the beaches are well out of town and since I didn’t have a car or the time to spend a few days on an adjacent island, my options were limited.
Ever since deciding to visit Tahiti, I was absolutely desperate to see Teahupoo. Just the name itself strikes fear and awe into the hearts of surfers around the world. It’s widely renowned as one of the globe’s fiercest surf breaks and is situated at the southern tip of Tahiti. I’d come this far. I HAD to see it.
I decided that the best course of action would be to hire a car on Wednesday. Not only would it allow me the opportunity to explore the island in total freedom and with unlimited flexibility, but it would also allow me to get to the airport with ease later that night for my departing flight.
Every in Tahiti is le French. Right down to le hire car.
It was only when I sat in the car and began to pull out of the driveway that I realised, ”Okayyyyyy, shit’s about to get real. You all drive on the right side of the road here…”
I’d noticed it all week, but it’s a different matter when you’re at the controls of a left-hand drive vehicle on the right-hand side of the road for the first time! Fortunately since I’m a male, I’m blessed with the genes that allow you to drive a car in all circumstances without panic or stress, so I was fine! (tongue might or might not be firmly in cheek right now…)
I left before 8am and decided to circumnavigate the island in an anti-clockwise direction starting from Papeete (in the north-western corner) and simply stop at my leisure. Here is a map for your reference.
Not long out of the capital I came across my first beach. I had to stop for a swim. You have no idea how joyous this was for me!
Invigorating
The west coast of Tahiti is known for its surf, although as you can see in the photo, the shoreline is serenely protected by reefs further out to sea. It’s not until you squint and look to the horizon that you can catch a glimpse of the waves that make this island one of the most desirable locations on the planet for surfers.
Most surfing locations require a boat ride to reach the break
I stopped numerous times to take in the jaw-dropping scenery, but I was keen to push to Teahupoo on with earnest. The closer I got, the more excited I became.
I stopped at a marina just outside the township and did my best to speak a combination of broken English/French to a woman in the office. Somehow I was able to communicate that I wanted to take a boat out to the surf break. She spoke to a local fisherman who told me to keep driving as far as I could and one of the guys there would be able to take me.
I jumped back in the car and several minutes later was arriving at surfing nirvana. Mighty Teahupoo.
The furthest point that you’re able to travel by far to the south
Directly behind me in this photo is a pedestrian bridge that crosses a small inlet. You then reach a peninsula with a handful of houses – all inhabited by surfers from all over the world; some professional, but most of them bums who spend their lives and money chasing waves (and who could blame them?)
I met a big Polynesian guy who was clearly the friend of the man I’d previously spoken to at the marina. He took me to the beach where we waited for his French buddy. He actually spoke very good English and we spent a while chatting about the break and the geography of the area.
The view from Teahupoo’s beach looking towards the famous break
Not a good idea to frolic in the shallows though. These little bastards
can kill you in a matter of hours.
After some brief price negotiation we jumped in the boat and headed towards the reef. The Polynesian guy had initially suggested 1500 Francs (A$17) but his mate wanted 2000. Whatever. I was in no real mood to haggle over a mere A$5.
My French buddies and I head for the reef
The guys were surprised that I wanted to go out on such a “bad” day, but understood I was only in town for the day. There was not a single surfer in the water due to the onshore winds and messy waves. I was dumbstruck. It was like when I worked a ski season at Heavenly in California/Nevada in 2005/06 and the locals complained that they “only” had six metres of snow. When you’re blessed with one of the world’s best locations, your standards rapidly increase.
Yeah. Absolutely shocking conditions, right?
The stunning view back to the coast with the heaving surf
The 2011 Billabond Pro was held at Teahupoo in August and the waves were utterly insane. Here’s a taste and a good perspective of the power Teahupoo can produce on its day: video. Bear in mind that a sharp reef lies just a few feet below the water and will chew you up in the event of a wipeout. I recently had a friend tell me that he’s less apprehensive about surfing 15 foot waves at Mavericks off the Californian coast than he is at the prospect of hitting the reef at Teahupoo in much smaller conditions.
I could not have been happier or more relaxed
We were bobbing around in a spot between the reef that gave us a great view of both breaks. Although I didn’t have a board (or the skills) to surf the wave itself, I absolutely had to get in the water.
In the water at Teahupoo. It was so thrillingly surreal!
Of all the great travel experiences I’ve had, this rates well up there. Although not a “great” day according to the locals, it was just amazing to get into the water and see one of the world’s best surf spots first hand. I was bouncing around full of energy and life. This is what travel is all about!
An unforgettable day
Retirement location anyone?
I jumped in the car and after grabbing a quick bite at a local cafe, continued my drive around the island.
Upon arriving at Taravao I headed inland to climb up to the plateau for the stunning views. I’d been told that when driving up into the mountains, Tahiti will completely change appearance. The water and surf vanishes and is replaced by trees and cows. You wouldn’t have a clue that you were in the middle of paradise. If not for the heat, humidity (and LUSH LUSH greenery), you could well be in Australian farmland – and this was just 10 minutes from the coast.
Ok. Where did the water go?
The climb was well worth it (looking north up the western coast)
Immaculate scenery wherever you turn
Looking north across the island
Refer back to the map I posted earlier for a moment. See the narrow piece of land at Taravao that joins the two large portions of the island? That can be seen in the image above. Hopefully that should provide some geographic perspective.
I continued on my merry way and started to trek up the eastern coast. It was a lot more lush and serene than the western side of the island and there was no surf as far as I could tell.
Tahiti is a very, very small island. I was able to drive around it in less than a day but you could do it in a couple of hours if you were in a hurry. But not many people are in a hurry in this part of the world though, and with very good reason.
Shortly before arriving back in Papeete there was a series of waterfalls slightly inland. It was a beautiful hike through the forest that took you to the base of these monsters.
Another beautifully diverse piece of Tahiti
Signs warned people against swimming, but how could you not?
I arrived back in Papeete in the early evening and returned ‘home’ to thank my hosts before packing my bags and heading back to Faaa International Airport. I planned to arrive SUPER early (five hours before my flight) to check in first and get a prime seat with leg room for the eight hours it would take to get to Los Angeles. Unfortunately, everyone else seemed to have that idea. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I got to the queue and there were already 50 people in front of me!
I guess that’s what happens in a small place like Tahiti where there are only a handful of international flights each week and departing guests really don’t have anything else to do but head for the airport.
I stood in line getting frustrated at the fact I’d tried to be so smart and it had not paid off. Then a Calvin Harris song started booming through my headphones.
I don’t want to be one of “those people” who find life-altering messages in every bloody piece of music ever written, but I couldn’t help but smile when I heard this.
Here’s the song and the vibrantly upbeat chorus kicks in at 1:32… “These are the good times in your life, so put on a smile and it’ll be all right.”
Why was I annoyed? I was in TAHITI about to board a flight to LOS ANGELES! I’m 26, traveling the world and shouldn’t have a care in the world. It’s funny how music can bring you back to earth and be a source of relaxation.
After checking in, I quickly cleared immigration and found a seat in the lounge. The departure lounge at Faaa is set up beautifully. There are plenty of seats and tables inside, but also some lounge chairs on an outside deck which was perfect on a humid night.
Best departure lounge I’ve ever been in!
Are you ready for a radical theory? Jetlag is a myth. Bunkum. Bullshit. Made up.
If you manage your body right, the effects will be nil (or minimal). Several hours before departing, set your watch for the current time at your destination and live as if you were there. In my case, it was 2am in Los Angeles when I was killing time at the airport. My plan? Get drunk and sleep. It was the best move ever.
In the two hours before boarding I tallied a modest two beers and three glasses of whiskey on the rocks. Provided you can hold your liquor and not act like an idiot, this works wonders. I was asleep just minutes after take-off and didn’t wake until the sun streamed through the windows when we were 30 minutes off the Californian coast. I even missed meal service and don’t remember stirring for seven hours.
Genius. I was able to start my first day in LA rested, relaxed and full of energy.
Ready to roll
Stay tuned for the start of my American blogs in the next day or two. I’m trying to catch up as quickly as I can, but there’s far too much to do here!
Thank you Tahiti for a magnificent three days. I’d dearly love to return again to explore the outer archipelagos, but it was such a treat to get a taste of French Polynesia as I hopped from New Zealand to the United States. A beautiful land with beautiful people. I highly recommend going if you ever get the chance. I was just happy to leave my footprint.
