Ra’iatea, French Polynesia, 6/16/2023, National Geographic Orion
Aboard the
National Geographic Orion
French Polynesia & Pacific Islands
Our last day in French Polynesia was spent on the amazing island of Ra’iatea. We spent the morning in the Marae Taputapuatea with the option of a birding hike with Mike G. or a culture tour around the Marae.
The afternoon was busy with an incredible lunch on board National Geographic Orion and presentations from our on-board National Geographic photographer and cultural specialist as we make our way to the Cook Islands.
Born in Zimbabwe, Ross grew up between a 45000-acre Game Ranch and the small town of Victoria Falls, which is situated inside of the Victoria Falls National Park. Most of his earliest childhood memories were of the wildlife that was always on his doo...
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Today we explored the lovely island of Beqa, which is part of Fiji. The day started with a visit to a small village by the coast and an optional hike to a neighboring village. The hike took us up a hill and provided beautiful views of the ocean and the bays below. Along the way, we looked for birds, visited a kava farm, and learned a bit about local plants. We even visited the village school, which had a small library and playground for the kids. After we finished the hike, we had a delicious lunch on board National Geographic Orion then we took Zodiacs ashore at a new location. When we pulled up on the beach, we were greeted by a chorus of singers from one of the villages. The music was beautiful, and we all enjoyed listening to the group sing and play their instruments. We shared a bowl of kava with our greeting party and then were treated to a special ritual – firewalking! Men from the village showed us their traditional practice of walking over extremely hot rocks that have been heated by a strong fire. It was impressive! It was our last full day on this trip, and we certainly made the most of it.
This morning, National Geographic Orion anchored in the Kadavu Island Group. Kadavu is Fiji’s fourth largest island but considered the least developed area in Fiji. Captain Bligh was the first (known) European to sight the Kadavu island group in 1792 on his second voyage to Fiji on the HMS Providence . The reef surrounding the island group was named after Dumont D’Urville’s ship Astrolabe, which nearly shipwrecked on the reef that now bears the vessel's name. Great Astrolabe Reef is one of the longest/largest barrier reefs in the world and one of most pristine. After breakfast, we loaded into Zodiacs and cruised the shores of Yabu Island where there were hundreds of red-footed and brown boobies in flight and roosting/nesting in the trees. From there we went to Vurolevu Island to snorkel and the healthy reef did not disappoint. Around the corner from the beach, we swam with manta rays and their incredible size and grace made it a truly incredible encounter. After a delicious sushi lunch, we snorkeled from the platform and returned to the ship feeling pleasantly exhausted from all our fun in the sun! Image: Zodiac cruising around Yabu Island. Photo by Elise Lockton
Bula and welcome to Fiji! It’s perfect to start our exploration of this country with the island of Taveuni. First, we were blessed with a picturesque sunrise while the full moon was setting on the other side of the sky. Good morning! After clearance, we jumped on the Zodiacs and disembarked on the island where the buses were waiting to take us to visit Waitabu Village. In the village, everyone was awaiting us, colorful and smiley, prepared for our arrival. To start with, the sacred kava ceremony was performed, after which music took over and kids performed fantastic traditional dances. After enjoying local refreshments, we moved to Bouma National Heritage Park where a beautiful path full of flowers led us to a sublime waterfall, where we swam and have fun. In the afternoon, we headed out in the Zodiacs to Waitabu Marine Park, a reserve promoted by locals to save their reef and resources. After 15 years of efforts and protections, the results are visible. Beautiful snorkelling completed our awesome first Fijian day.
