We caught our first glimpse of the Marquesas archipelago on Friday morning: the cloud-shrouded outline of Ua Pou.
It took almost 48 hours to sail from Rangiroa to Ua Pou, the third largest island in the Marquesas. I have no idea how the first inhabitants discovered the island group around 1000 years ago.
The remoteness of the destination was a major factor in our decision to book the cruise, as many of the ports we are visiting would be incredibly difficult to access otherwise.
Unlike the Society Islands (Tahiti, Bora Bora etc), the Marquesas don’t have fringing coral reefs. Instead they are known for their black sand beaches and craggy peaks.
Ua Pou is home to around 2000 people and it was fascinating to go on a jeep tour that explored the main town and Shark Bay, a natural nursery for more than 20 different types of baby shark (I was a little freaked out to see someone swimming there at sunset).
We anchored near the village of Hakahetau and arrived by zodiac to the joyful sound of local performers singing and beating tribal drums while local children used the slippery boat ramp to launch themselves into the sea.
Dozens of locals ferried passengers in their four-wheel drives to Hakahetau, which is nestled in a lush, tropical valley with a stunning cluster of sharp mountain pinnacles as its backdrop.
We enjoyed a cultural performance in the town and were also entertained by all the roaming wildlife on the way back to the ship, including pigs, chickens, goats and cows.
(I’ve named this one: “Cow. Black sand beach. Sunset.”)
And while it may look like a sleepy island, was much excitement for the (usually) bored police on Oa Pou recently after 50kg of cocaine washed up on the beach and was dutifully handed over by a fisherman.
There is also a wrecked yacht on the foreshore, which ran aground when an 85-year-old couple (blimey) failed to anchor their vessel properly while they popped into town for a pizza.
On Saturday morning we pulled open our balcony curtains and were dazzled by this view …
We were anchored in Hatiheu Bay, on the northern side of Nuka Hiva. A cavalcade of local vehicles were waiting at the pier to give us a tour of this slice of paradise they call home.
We made numerous stops to admire the stunning views before heading inland to an archaelogical site featuring a ceremonial plaza and reconstructed traditional houses.
(DD wins photo of the day for his arty pic above.)
The tour concluded with villagers performing on an ancient stone stage beneath a massive banyan tree. We loved watching small children from local families wandering onto the stage to take part in the traditional singing and dancing.
The performers were invited to lunch aboard the ship afterwards and the kids had a bulk fun time splashing in the pool and feasting on the buffet. Rules about no swimwear in the dining room were cast aside for an hour or two!
Impromptu dance and singing sessions were held on board throughout the afternoon, which we loved.
Our next stop is Taiohae on the southern side of Nuka Hiva. We have our fingers crossed that one of our fellow passengers can be collected there.
She slipped on rocks at the ancestral site and broke her arm so badly she needs surgery. It will be a very long trip home for her: a 90-minute ambulance ride to Nuka Hiva airport, a 3-4 hour flight to Papeete, five hours to Auckland and then another flight to Melbourne.
Poor Margaret. I hope she has good travel insurance.
Song of the day: Rod Stewart “Sailing”
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