Day 26 120510
Daily run: 13M

Moorea. In the early morning we are anchor in Haapiti bay, a deep lagoon on the south west corner of Moorea. We wait here for one the support vessels to catch up and to do more checks of Te Matau's solar system.

This is the tropics. The latitude is 17'south and the water is lightish blue in hue almost pastel aqua. As the water runs deeper it turn to a tell tale colour that's noticed only here in warmer tropical climates. It is a light shiny coloured purpurly iridescent blue. On the island white sand skirts the shore line and a  green belt of Palm trees follows. Their trunks are gracefully bowed crowned with fronds outstretched like an elder who's head is adorned with parekawakawa. The palms are coconut trees and they look like
they not only belong, but they are enhancing and completing every other part of the environment. Further into the island beautiful dense lush dark green bush take over. It all looks like native from here, no pine trees or cleared areas anywhere.

Moorea itself is majestically imposing and the mountains run smoothly upwards until their curvature abruptly brakes into craggy jiggered rocky cliff faces. However their shapes don't look random, there is a pattern like   a rhythmic timing to the forms. Even the greenery that clothes the steep cliffs and mountains is pleasing to the eye. There is a fine drizzle of mist and gentle lite rain. Not being able to see everything all at once adds to the mysticism of the scenery. Some areas of the weather move so another part of the islands heights come into view. It keeps doing this until the landscape is a continuously moving picture. The picture in the lagoon has changed from the surf thundering on each side of the entrance channel and calm water inside to four vaka and two support vessels anchored there.

Te Matau and Marumaru have rafted up against Foftein while the others have anchored to the side. The water is doted with swimming crew members between the canoes. Some has surfboards and are heading out to the reef break on the
outside of the reef. A shore party is ferried to the beach to pick up some provisions. They come back with cheese, bacon and fresh bread and a big dent in the vaka kitty - French Polynesia is expensive.

All of the canoes have their sun awning stretched out over the aft deck and a smaller cover over the galley to shield from the rain. We have put up water catchers on the transoms to fill up empty water bottles. Under the corners of the awnings we put buckets for immediate shower use after the swimming. Faafaite arrives in the afternoon and the vaka fleet are complete.

Just before dark the last of the support vessels come in through the pass very low on fuel again. In the evening the water is still full of people passing between the vaka. The kava ceremonies has spread out from the Fijian canoe to the others and now we have to have a taste from all of them.

Tomorrow morning  we will go around the north and into Opunohu Bay and officially enter into Moorea.

Nga Mihi

Te Matau a Maui