30 west of
Bora Bora we found one of the last of the Society Islands, Maupiti. To visit this island by boat demands
relatively calm weather. Otherwise the
surge and ocean swell thru the one ‘pass’ is prohibitive. We carefully waited for a weather window for
our visit and even so, found this entrance thru the reef to be the most butt
clenching experience we have had in our 10 years of cruising. With huge ocean rollers all around you, there
is little margin for error coming into this narrow opening in the reef.
However, once thru…one finds a place less
travelled and a vista worthy of a William Wordsworth poem. With giant Manta’s guiding you thru the stick
marked channel you arrive at an anchorage just beside village church with bells
tolling peacefully. There is an airport here used mainly by the locals and
there are few tourists.
We were one of
only two boat in the anchorage. The
other boat was Sv Itchy Feet with Alex and Maria a lovely couple from Austria,
out to see the world.
The locals greet
you with warm open smiles and are eager to assist in giving directions to wherever
you wish to go…the directions are simple…”it’s just two minutes that way” as
they point up or down the village road which is the road less travelled and three
hours will circumnavigate the entire island.
There is not much to see or do on Maupiti but a visit here is like a
balm for the soul. A perfect place of
Rest, Maupiti = Tranquility.
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