We depart Sydney on Air Tahiti Nui at 07:25 for New Zealand arriving at 12:35. Here we catch another Air Tahiti Nui flight leaving at 15:00 on the same day. While it's a 4hr 45m flight we arrive in Tahiti on Wednesday 2nd November at 20:45. Bless the international time zone!

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First international trip since COVID! After a 3am start we are now at the airport, through customs and security.

The day has finally arrived. We have made it through customs and security (after Danielle had a morning pat down). Now sitting in a coffee shop for a morning coffee / tea.

We have been told that there is no in-flight entertainment on the first leg from Sydney to Auckland, so the book will come out for me and Danielle will be deleting photo's on her phone so that she has plenty of storage for the next two weeks.

I keep checking the weather forecast, but no change, still cloud, rain and storms for the next 10 days - hoping they have it wrong. But it is only water and I would be getting wet swimming with the fish anyway!

I have been told that the internet is a bit patchy and being on the boat won't help, so between the weather and internet you might be just getting posts and photo's of the food, drinks and cabin.

A very different holiday for me this time, looking forward to relaxing and not doing anything, will let you know how I go with that!

Heading down to the gate now, will check in again soon.

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Been on the plane now for an hour, sitting on the tarmac. They tell us we have a quick flight time, hope we make our connection from Auckland to Tahiti!

ok so problem is with inflight entertainment, not my movies, but the emergency announcements needed before flight. Let's hope we don't have to get off.

ok, Tahiti flight is delayed out of Auckland- so should be good. Now leaves at 5:30pm from Auckland 

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Kia Ora from Auckland 

Good news, we have arrived in New Zealand. Bad news, our next flight has been further delayed by 4 hours, arriving in Tahiti at midnight, the night before we left.

Weather is cloudy and rainy.

So we are sitting in the bar eating lunch/dinner, relaxing with no where else to be....

Arriving in Tahiti Wednesday night at 20:45, having left Australia early Thursday morning, it's time to adjust our watches and our minds! We will be transferred from the airport to the Intercontinental Tahiti Resort located on 32 acres of lush tropical garden and facing an idyllic lagoon. This well-known resort in Tahiti offers a host of activities including diving in the coral reefs, a lagoonarium, two gorgeous infinity pools, fine dining at two beautiful restaurants, relaxing at the Deep Nature Spa or attending world-class dinner shows. We have some time to our own to enjoy dinner at Le Lotus overwater gourmet restaurant or relax in the Lobby Bar or try a signature cocktail while enjoying some live music at the Tiki Bar. We stay overnight in preparation of our cruise tomorrow, which starts early evening. At cruise end we will have another 2 nights here to better enjoy the facilities.

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It is now 11:30am in Tahiti a day behind you. We have finally arrived, Peter was correct, the flight was further delayed in Auckland. The cause was a world wide outage of flight plan software, something probably important to fly a plane.

When they called the flight to board, even though they called business class first (in French), people either did not understand or were just so over waiting they swarmed the gate to get on the 8 buses that took us to the plane, there was nothing they could do to hold people back. The flight itself was mostly uneventful (which is a good thing), a few bumps along the way from turbulence.

We arrived just after 2am in the morning and after clearing customs and picking up our bags, arrived at the hotel just after 3am. It was a full flight so plenty of people, but it moved quickly. We were greeted by some locals with music and a lay, all a bit of a blur to be honest. They had run out of immigration forms and I was trying to find some, my French is a little rusty or to be honest other than a few words non existent.

Glad to only have a short transit to the hotel and after checking in went straight to bed. Waking up the weather is cloudy, light rain and humid. My first challenge of the day was to work out how to get warm water out of the overhead shower. Three possible options, the bath nozzle, handheld and overhead. Worked out how to set the temperature and after 10 minutes of trying finally figured out that the tap turned clockwise for the bottom nozzle and anti clockwise for the overhead one. 

Headed to breakfast by the pool, where there was the usual buffet and coffee! We are both still feeling a bit tired after the day yesterday. Then it was a walk around the resort, checked out the overwater bungalows and several pools (with inbuilt bars), but our favorite was the lagoon, that was filled with coral and tropical fish - you can swim and snorkel in it! I think I have taken a thousand photo's of the fish already.

Now back in our room packing back up before checking out and heading to the ship.

Only an overnight stay in our hotel, but a chance to get out in Papeete for some sight-seeing, perhaps some shopping before boarding our yatch the 'Wind Spirit' for a 6pm departure.

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Good evening from our yacht and home for the next seven nights.

We were transferred from our hotel to the harbour of papaette where we boarded our ship the Wind star. First we had to go through medical screening and sign a waiver for our water activities, then check in, get our room key and snorkeling gear.

straight into lunch, then exploring around the ship, afternoon cocktails, choosing our tours and the mandatory safety briefing. Exhausted already!

Now getting ready for dinner, due to sail around 5am in the morning and looking forward to a good nights sleep tonight.

We wake up in paradise or as it is officially called Moorea, where our stunning surroundings soak up superlatives and call for more. In our stay here we will have plenty of time to do it all. Our options are many, from honing our photography talents on an optional tour of the island in the company of a professional photographer, hike the majestic 'Three Coconut Trail', visit dolphins in their native habitat or spend our time swimming and kayaking from Wind Spirit's 'Watersports Platform' as we lay at anchor in these beautiful sapphire seas.

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Hello again!

just a heads up that internet is very patchy, so I might not make it through this post.

At around 5am this morning the ship sailed towards Moorea, only a few hours away. The swell was around 2 meters and the ship rocked a bit more than I thought, but we were all good. 

The weather started off overcast, the mountains were shrouded in fog. We started breakfast outside but moved inside at the end as it started to rain. The food has been good so far, including for gluten free.

We had a lazy morning with no organised tours. We made our way to the island on a tender and then took a taxi to a beech for swimming and snorkeling. 

It was drizzling when we arrived, so put our bags under a palm tree and headed to the water. The water was warm and there was coral / rocks close to the shore. The current was strong, so you could get in at one end and float to the other, then get out and walk back down the beach.

There were plenty of fish, an octopus and sea urchin. Loved being in the water!

The taxi was due to pick us up a 1:30pm and the weather was getting worse so we packed up and moved to a small covered area.

1:30 came and went and no taxi, didn't bother us too much, probably on local time. After 2pm still no taxi and we were in a very isolated location, with no one else around other than an American couple that were on the same taxi. The rain was heavy now  and it was about an hour and a half to two hours to walk back (we weren't really prepared for a wet weather trek)! Luckily the American couple from another ship had a phone and a friend who was a travel agent back on their ship. Their friend went to the ships reception and had them radio the island to send a car for us. Just after 3pm a car arrived and we made it back to the dock just before the last tender.

Back on board we enjoyed a shower and afternoon tea. Now sitting in the lounge drinking cocktails.

The captain has just given us the weather update as we set sail (no sails today). Stormy weather and rough seas ahead. Just taken some sea sick tablets! Hope my drift snorkeling tour still goes ahead in the morning.

Arriving in Raiatea (“The Sacred Island”) at 8am located just across the lagoon from Tahaa and shares the same barrier reef. (Legend claims the two were a single island until a conger eel possessed by the spirit of a princess separated them.) It used to be the center of religion and culture in the Society Islands. Taputapuatea, on the southeast coast, was once the most important marae around, the place where kings from the neighboring islands would gather for important ceremonies. Uturoa, the main town, reminds some people of Papeete in its younger days with its quaint low-rise buildings. Raiatea is also home to the only navigable river in the islands, the Fa’aroa. We can explore Polynesian history or climb Mount Temehani in search of the rare tiare apetahi flower, which grows only here.

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After a rough night at sea we arrived at Raiatea.

I was up early ready for my drift snorkeling tour, only to find out everything has been cancelled due to the weather. While the rain would not have bothered us, the wind and swell may have, plus the water quality may not be good.

So I headed back to the room and then had a second breakfast with Danielle.

After breakfast we left the ship to walk around the town.

A bit of excitement for the day as we returned to the ship during their drill. The reception and stairways were full of fake smoke. The crew were walking around in full fire gear and breathing masks.

Good news, we found our cabin through the smoke and our now back on board relaxing. Looks like some indoor activities for this afternoon.

Arriving at 8am after a 2hr cruise from Raiatea, we will spend the day on a private island complete with swaying palm trees and white-sand beaches. Swim, snorkel and enjoy a variety of water sports in the crystal-clear waters. There will be a delicious barbecue lunch and tropical drinks waiting for us. We will have time to explore Tahaa with optional excursions to discover the vanilla plantations and sacred sites of the island.

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I am sitting on the top deck drinking a cocktail and watching a sunset as I post this, a good sign!

This morning I woke early again hoping that the drift snorkeling tour was going to go ahead. The first good sign was that breakfast was open on the veranda (top deck). There was the smallest amount of blue sky to start with, but then the rain came.

Still no news of cancellation so I headed to the lounge with snorkel gear ready to go, leaving Danielle in the room for a sleep in.

There were 12 of us that boarded a speed boat to head to the reef. They told us when booking that this tour was strenuous and only those that are strong swimmers should go, almost talking us out of it. So I was a bit apprehensive, but this was also where the best snorkeling was so not really a choice and off I went.

We had a 15 minute trip before reaching our back up location, the original one was not accessible due to the weather. It was pretty rough, I was sitting on the side/front of the boat and each time it hit the waves I went flying before crashing back to the hard seat. Not long into the trip they started to get life jackets out, not a good sign. But they ended up being for sitting on. At one point a life jacket flew overboard, luckily with no one in it.

Finally we arrived at the reef location, the way it worked was that we jumped off the boat and then the strong (very strong current) pushed you right to the other side, we had to swim in single file and follow the guide (easier said than done) to avoid hitting the coral ( the water was very shallow in parts and was easy to hit). Then we climbed back on the boat and they took us back to the start to do it all again (3 times in total).

It was worth it to see the coral and fish, only thing was that you can't stop once you start to stay at a particular part because of the current and people that could get backed up behind you.

The tour boat dropped us off at a private island nearby to join the rest of the ships passengers, where we enjoyed a bbq lunch and afternoon swim and snorkel. There were a few more downpours of rain, but it was getting a bit more like tropical showers.

Back on board we set sail, literally, we were on the top deck and enjoyed watching the 5 sails rise to music - conquest of paradise! 

And another first, some sun and blue sky, just before a spectacular sunset.

We arrive in Bora Bora at 9am and our stay here allows plenty of time to capture the beauty in photographs. We expect these stunning waters will show a different kaleidoscope of blue in each frame. We should have lots of options for exploration, whether we prefer the access provided by a 4-by-4, or the thrill of riding in the open air. Optionally, stretch out on stunning white-sand beaches, dive and swim in brightly colored seas, or sail among the tiny islands and lagoons. We are told this is the stuff that dreams are made of!

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We anchored in Bora Bora at around 2am and woke to blue sky!

After a lazy breakfast we headed into town for a quick look around. Then at 1pm we were ready to leave for our tour. Swimming with sharks, stingrays and plenty of fish.

I am sorry I still have not had much luck with the internet for photos, even posting has been a challenge.

It is hard to describe just how beautiful it is here today. The blue sky, the water with every colour in between blue and green, the sun making everything glisten, the white sand, the palm trees and mountain in the backdrop.  I guess that is why they call it paradise.

Our speedboat headed out from the jetty, out towards the reef. As we came through the channel we were joined by a pod of spinner dolphins.

Then our first stop, swimming with reef sharks and stingrays. There were about 20 sharks in the area waiting for us, but they had eaten their lunch so perfectly safe. However it is had to describe what it was like when you first put your head in the water and came face to face with one. They were quite happy swimming around us, beside us, under us, towards us! The rays were also amazing, watching them glide along the bottom.

Then back in the boat for our next stop, the coral gardens. There was plenty of coral and fish and there was plenty to go around so it was not crowded with other swimmers.

A pretty amazing day, topped off by another magnificent sunset, followed by a full moon rising over the mountain with its reflection in the water below. All enjoyed with a cocktail, followed by a delicious dinner and dancing!

We have another day in Bora Bora to enjoy, not departing until 9pm.

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We stayed anchored in Bora Bora for a second night and had another day to enjoy it's beauty.

Again another lazy breakfast on deck - eggs Benedict, waffles, pancakes, French toast, omelettes, and that is only some of the à la carte to choose from, then there is the buffet! Eggs for me today.

We had no scheduled tours booked for today so we headed across to a private island for a day of swimming, snorkeling, kayaking and resting.

Back on board now for a shower and afternoon tea or cocktail. Then we head out for dinner and traditional fire dancing and show on one of the islands.

Weather remained kind to us today, but I can see some clouds rolling in, fingers crossed they roll on by.

At around 7am we anchor in the place whose nickname is “Garden of Eden.” We have most of the day to explore the lush forests, the tropical landscapes, and the quaint villages and to discover one of Polynesia’s best kept secrets. Here, at a slower pace, we can get a glimpse of the authentic South Pacific island lifestyle. We stop by the Maeva archaeological site and wander around the 150-odd marae (temple sites) and 400-year-old stone fish traps that are still in use. And we will have your pick of the world’s best snorkeling once again.

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Last night we set sail from Bora Bora after our island show and some late night cocktails on the deck.

Early this morning we arrived in Huahine along with the clouds and rain.

Another enjoyable breakfast and got ready for our tour for today, a motu picnic.

We left on an outrigger canoe towards the island (motu) along with some live music. First some swimming before watching the lunch preparation - white tuna ceviche, cured in lime and freshly squeezed coconut milk. Then it was a short walk across the island for snorkeling, very close to where the waves were breaking over the reef. We have been lucky to see a lot of coral and fish. I have more photos under the water than I have above.

Finally a coconut lesson and Polynesian dance classes, before boarding the boat for the ship.

On our return I went on a sail safari, which was a loop around 'Wind Spirit' with the sails raised so we could take photos.

We are now relaxing back on board for our last night on our boat.

We expect to arrive back in Papeete this morning at around 9am where will once again transfer to the Intercontinental Tahiti Resort. However, this time we will be in an 'Lagoon Overwater Bungalow' for two nights to allow us to experience more of Papeete and resort facilities.

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This morning we said good bye to the wind spirit and headed back to the inter continental, but this time to an over water bungalow!

The weather today is mixed, we have some sun and some clouds, but warm and humid with no rain.

We also have seen the return of the internet, so might be able to load some photos tomorrow. But if the weather is good, then sorry, I will be in the water or relaxing on our deck.

Our last full day in Papeete and our hotel, so we will just have to make it a good one!

Oh no, back to the real world with an early departure at 07:45! Also via Auckland in NZ.

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A 4:15am start this morning to prepare for our flight home. It is now 6:00am and we are sitting at the gate after getting through a very busy airport for this time of the morning. It only feels like yesterday that we arrived and feels too soon to be coming home. But we have had a great trip, some good weather and many memories.

Some of our favourites would be the perfect weather and beaches in Bora Bora, swimming with the sharks and rays, first seeing the coral and fish in Moorea, having a cocktail on deck whilst watching the sunset and the sails go up as we depart for the next port.

This time the timezone takes back that day we had gained at the start, so arriving on the 13th at 17:15.