Raiatea and Les Iles Sous-le-Vent

Raiatea, once known as Hawaiki, was the first island to be populated in Polynesia and is therefore the cradle of Polynesian culture.  From here began the great migrations to other islands over immense distances using advanced natural navigational without any known instruments on large double canoes with sails.  Maybe the earliest catamarans?  Symbolized by the octopus, these migrations reached far and wide as the tentacles retrace sea routes to New Zealand, Hawaii, New Caledonia, Samoa and Vanuatu whose modern day descendants make pilgrimages here.  And so it was fitting to come back to the beginning, as we sail through the Iles Sous-le-Vent or Leeward Islands on our catamaran, to the enduring and historical origins of ancient oceania exploration.

The Marae of Teputapuatea is the largest and only one recognized worldwide.  It was the central and Most Sacred Marae of all the islands, where kings of each island gathered for religious, social, and political activities and the spiritual place to communicate with gods.  For us, it was an unusually quiet sanctuary where we walked carefully through the ruins contemplating the wondrous ceremonies, lively festivities and gruesome sacrifices (mostly animal) that must have transpired here.

Marae Tau-'aitu

Marae Hauviri

Close up without actually walking on the sacred ground which is TABU meaning forbidden.

Raiatea is the second largest of the Society Islands, after Tahiti, and not surprisingly, is the administrative center of the Iles Sous-le-Vent.  It was good news for us, as we were invited by the Haut-Commissariat to apply for a carte de sejour or residence permit to allow my stay in French Polynesia to continue until the end of the year, because there is an office in the main town of Uturoa.  Raiatea is the hub for charter yachts and has at least three marinas and a burgeoning support infrastructure for the nautical industry.  We timed our weather window to exit the challenging pass at Maupiti and tuck into Raiatea 50 miles away before the forecasted blow was scheduled to arrive.  We had not been encumbered by busy anchorages the entire five weeks we had spent in the Leewards until now and it was nearly dark.  The Carnage Park at Point Farepoe where we had intended to anchor was deep and full of boats so we moved on to plan B which turned out to be so much better.  As Raiatea and Taha'a share the same lagoon surrounded by continuous reef, it was easy to relocate to our very first anchorage spot in Taha'a where we knew there would be plenty of space on the bank only five miles away.  Since we didn't need access to Uturoa until Monday, we quickly made plans to hangout for the weekend and visit the Pirogue Api where we took the spectacular drogue video and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon on the premises followed by a superb gourmet meal!  

Pirogue Api

After a leisurely mid morning sail to the neighboring island's lagoon anchorage, we positioned ourselves on the banks across from Uturoa and ventured through a narrow pass in the reef towards town for a reconnaissance of the waterfront and supermarkets and a visit to the Commissariat.  Within an hour our business was concluded efficiently and expeditiously so we now had time to explore the island for a few days and relax our schedule while our documents were en route to Papeete.  The best way to tour in the blustery weather was by car rental. We picked up a Fiat from the jovial and super friendly Frank by the airport and were soon on our way to the Botanical Gardens and Marae of Teputapuatea.  Although that was certainly the highlight, it was relaxing for us to spend a day driving around and taking in the sights from the interior.  This is how we get a real feel for the island that is different from that obtained from our shoreside activities.  The island economy is mainly agricultural with exports of vanilla, coconut and pineapple and farming is evident in the vast green valleys scattered with cows, sheep and pigs.  The road here is mostly coastal and no less stunning than in Tahiti. Sharp ravines, steep cliffs and enormous rock structures are hidden in lush jungle until the very moment they are revealed.  Flowers and tropical plants abound even through the winter season and many roads are lined with enormous crotons in fiery red, orange and yellow.

We are in mid winter now in the Southern Hemisphere and we are experiencing a phenomenon the Polynesians call Mara'amu characterized by waves of strong southeast winds and lower temperatures.  Indeed, the winds are chilly much like the Christmas Winds in the Caribbean, but these energetic gusts in the Mara'amu systems are intense, up to 30/35 KTS at times.  It can be alarming on anchor when the powerful wind is howling so audibly around india like small tornadoes causing her to sail on her anchor before the bridle catches her in an abrupt jerk.  Furthermore, the chop even on the protected lagoon waters is enough to postpone any unnecessary dinghy rides. On these days we sit tight and address the projects on our rainy day lists and are sometimes inspired to research future destinations or write blogs, maybe  even design a logo for our FB Page or edit videos.  We have noticed that the Mara'amu waves come in weekly cycles, at least lately, so we took the next break in the weather to sail the 20 NM back to Huahine, the first Leeward island we sailed to over a month ago and one of our favorites, to conclude our tour of the Iles Sous-le-Vent and sit out the next wave.

Back in Huahine, we took time to visit the Maitai Lapita Huahine, recently reopened, while in Fare near where we like to anchor.  We then moved on to Avea Bay to ride out the next wave of Mara'amu.  It is an alluring anchorage and we regretted leaving too early the last time we were here.

Maitai Lapita Huahine with india in the background.

Avea Bay is where we took the stunning drone photo of india in the royal blue water.  This time we were able to visit the Hotel Le Mahana on the beach nearby, also recently reopened, and have a nice lunch of Poisson Cru, of course.  Today we took a relaxed walk along the road to the Marae Anini pictured below and sat on the rocks looking out to sea.  It has been an enjoyable few days here waiting out the weather. 

Sadly, it is time to say goodbye to the Iles Sou-le-Vent.  We have spent forty glorious days here we will always remember.  We took a wild ride through a drenching thunderstorm on a scooter and fed sacred eels in Huahine, learned about the extraordinary black pearls, fragrant vanilla and local rum in Taha’a and drift snorkeled the famous Coral Garden, swam alongside schools of Eagle Rays in the crystal clear lagoons of Bora Bora, then braved the treacherous pass of Maupiti to dive with Manta Rays, and  investigated the numerous Marae.  We have met wonderful people and made new friends, explored some beautiful beaches and delighted in great restaurants and snacks, and the inter-island sailing has been fantastic too!  Of course these are just the highlights!  Every single day has been filled with breathtaking views of the multicolored lagoons and rugged topography, amazing sunsets and exhilarating rainstorms, and dramatic landscapes.  It’s just all been so incredible that to say memorable would be an astounding understatement.