Adieu Raiatea

Motu Aito - 16°42.742S - 151°26.466W -  For the last time, we anchored at Motu Aito, the artificial motu across from Uturoa.  This has become somewhat of a controversial anchorage with the locals.  Long-term cruisers, especially the ones who have registered their children in Uturoa schools, have elected this site as their quasi-permanent anchorage.  The locals have a tendency to see them as “squatters.”  The main issue is with local water taxis and shuttles who use the channel north of Motu Aito, a channel often obstructed by the yachts at anchor.  Fed-up with the not-so-nice attitude of a few cruisers, the locals are asking for a ban on this anchorage.  It would be nice if the city installed mooring balls, just as they have in other places, or designate a safe anchorage for long-term cruisers.  But for now, we can still anchor at Motu Aito. 

I like this anchorage a lot.  Snorkeling is always good, with plenty of eels and angelfish, and it’s a short swim to the reef where giant triggerfish are sure to cruise.  I’m still looking for the leaf fish supposed to hang around there, so far no luck.  We said goodbye to friends we’d been cruising with for the last 2 years: Spirit of Pontapreta and DigDoug -  But before leaving for good, we had to explore 2 more places.

Faaroa Bay and River Trip - 16°49.S - 151°24.9 W -   Twenty years ago, we started our first charter with Stardust in this bay.  We remember anchoring just NW of Pass Iriru, behind Motu Tipaemau.  Impossible now: the entire area is a pearl farm and you must be careful threading between the buoys.

The charter base is long gone, but Faaroa Bay is a popular destination and there are now 3 mooring balls mid-channel (in front of the restaurant) and 3 more and a dinghy dock at the bottom of the bay.  Anchoring in mud is no problem either!

For once, we took Do-mini  for a river trip, threading between palm trees and a profusion of flowers.  This is a super-fertile area and home to a healthy agricultural activity.  There is even an egg farm… you may not find eggs in store in the other islands, but Raiatea always has eggs from Faaroa!

Motu NaoNao - 16°55.18S - 151°25.89W - Motu NaoNao is considered one of the prettiest in the Society Islands.  No doubt, it’s very pretty.  The anchorage is small, surrounded with coral heads, so better put your heaviest anchor and keep a short leash.  We snorkeled all around and found that the best snorkel was on the south shore of the motu: dense coral hills, lots and lots of fish, and healthy anemones and their little Nemos.  We like this snorkeling spot a lot better than Bora Bora’s Piti Uu site.

This may not seem like a lot of fun for those who like to walk and prefer land-based activities.  But for me (I’m not speaking for JP), this is HEAVEN!!!

We are taking Pass NaoNao to exit: it’s wide and currently absolutely flat!

Next stop: Maupiti.

Till then…

dominomarie