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Our final crossing to New Zealand was blissfully uneventful. We had a delightful couple days of sailing, a couple days of motoring and one sporty day, which is about the best we could ask for. We were motoring for what we thought would be our final day when it became apparent that we wouldn’t make…
A coral donut! Two days south of Tonga and five days north of New Zealand lies the unique and unoccupied Minerva Reef. Given its remoteness, inaccessibility, and need for a an appropriate weather window, Minerva has limited visitors. We have been so grateful to have this adventure, and on Minerva we felt that we should…
Flying Foxes Flying foxes are indigenous to Tonga where they nest in trees, serve as pollinators, and eat fruit. They are endangered due to loss of habitat and use of pesticides. Port Maurelle and Neiafu both had nesting sites and we spent hours watching these fascinating animals. Flying foxes are basically huge fruit bats that…
The Kingdom of Tonga consists of 171 islands in four groupings (south to north: Tongatapu, Nomuka, Ha’apai and Vava’u). To the north is Samoa, west is Fiji, and 1,100 nautical miles south is New Zealand. Only 36 islands are occupied, because of small landmass and inadequate water. The deep Indo-Australian tectonic plate is immediately to…
We found the location for the next Raiders Of The Lost Ark or Jurassic Park movie. The country of Niue (pronounced like newbie without the b), with its population of 1,600 residents, is an uplifted coral atoll 400 miles west of Palmerston and 230 east of Tonga. The craggy limestone cliffs rise from sea in…
Palmerston is such a special place where we stepped into living history and rich generosity. In 1777, Captain Cook named uninhabited Palmerston after a naval officer. It got interesting in 1863 when William Marsters, a British ship carpenter and barrel maker, settled in Palmerston with his two Polynesian wives. He later added a third wife…
And we thought it couldn’t get any better!! Aitutaki, one of the westernmost atolls in the southern chain of the Cook Islands, was “discovered” by Captain Cook in the late 1700’s. The Cook Islands have a free association with New Zealand, meaning that they maintain their own government, yet use NZ currency and may immigrate…
“Trapped in Paradise” was the theme of the last week, where we waited for a weather opportunity to head west. We saved some of the best for last. Paperwork Not everyday can be about swim and play, because … paperwork. We will soon leave French Polynesia, then pass through Cook Islands and American Samoa with…
Huahine is about 80 miles northwest of Tahiti and is the first of the Leeward Islands region of the Society Islands. Bora Bora, 40 miles northwest, is the most well known of the Leewards. Like Tahiti, Huahine-nui (big) has an iti (little) island that has completely separated, yet is still part of the same reef…
One guide book states “Mo’orea has it all”- mountains, beaches, hiking, snorkeling, etc. Yes it does, and our standout was the incredible experience of swimming with humpback whales. Swimming with Whales Indescribable, but we’ll try. We arranged for a four hour boat tour with Mana, a knowledgeable and experienced guide (and owner) of Mo’orea Sea…
Sailing Tieton 