Tahiti, New Zealand and Australia
The majestic ship MS Paul Gauguin's marina, which opens to the lagoons in various ports, is a fun chance to play on the water without needing a tender to leave the ship.
Paul Gauguin is meticulously maintained, though it doesn't have the bells and whistles of newer ships. It doesn't need them. Those searching for a vacation that combines some lazy days with more active outdoor pursuits will be hard-pressed to find a better fit in French Polynesia than Paul Gauguin.
Adventure-seekers are equally drawn to this chain of 118 islands and motus (little islands) and make the long-haul trip to dive, snorkel, hike and swim with sea turtles, black-tipped sharks and stingrays. Enter Paul Gauguin Cruises, whose flagship of the same name was purpose-built for the region. In a destination that truly is the draw, this luxury vessel provides a comfortable, all-inclusive cruise experience, where the ship, appropriately, serves as a background to the scenery.
The joy of reminiscing creates so much happiness for me! I enjoy reflecting on my trips to all the amazing places I have visited, but the excitement and my pre-trip immersion and the memories of them all are just as vivid! It feels just like yesterday!
In 2006, being avid tennis players and fans, I decided to take a trip to Australia with my husband and researched how I could buy tickets for the Australian Open! Little did I know that our favourite player Roger Federer would make it to the finals in Melbourne! I also contacted my cousin who lives in Australia to meet up with her and her family!
I fully indulged myself in the excitement of planning! After having bought the tickets for the matches on line, I started my research for an apartment near the location of the tournament. To my surprise, there was a choice of modern and comfortable accommodation available at a walking distance of the tennis grounds.
I was working on an itinerary to include Tahiti and New Zealand before arriving in Australia. The ideal choice was to cruise certain portions and do a land tour to see the Gold Coast in Australia.
We flew to Los Angeles, California and took a flight on Air New Zealand to Papeete, Tahiti. A 9 hour long flight but arriving into Papeete was just exhilarating! Papeete which means ‘water basket’ is the capital city of French Polynesia, and is located on the island of Tahiti!
Polynesia has long been the center of the universe for romantics looking for the ultimate ‘get-away-from-it-all’ vacation! I booked a 7 night cruise on the upscale MS Paul Gauguin which had the perfect itinerary covering the Society Islands! We were met at the airport and we embarked on this majestic ship, sailing to all these beautiful islands strewn across the Pacific Ocean, of which Tahiti is the largest of all 118 in French Polynesia.
About the Ship
With a capacity of approximately 330 guests on board and a team of 214 crew members, MS Paul Gaughin delivers unparalleled cruise expertise on board! Friendly crew who genuinely love their jobs and have long and impressive tenures with the ship spoil us on board. It was so interesting talking to the crew as they know the islands intimately and pass on the information to the guests. Dining options are excellent with fresh caught sea food and over the top French cuisine as well as Polynesian standards, which makes you eagerly await your next meal! Paul Gauguin’s marina which opens to the lagoons in various ports needs no tender to get to the port - you can have as much fun on the water as you wish!
Our first port of call was Huahine, known as ‘The Garden Island’ and for its lush rainforests and dramatic terrain. It is just so peaceful to be far away on an island which has a culture of its own! The slow pace of life, the afternoon naps, sunset cocktails all make cruising so special!
The next day, we arrived in TAHA’A (MOTU MAHANA). This is the cruise line’s private islet and we boarded a special vessel from the ship’s gangway that is equipped for water landing. It was a 20 minute ride on turquoise waters and as we stepped off the vessel into the lagoon’s shallow, crystal clear water, we walked a few feet to the island’s beach as the locals serenaded us with their traditional Polynesian songs!
We sipped on coconut drinks from the floating lagoon bar and enjoyed the scrumptious barbecue offered for lunch!
Bora Bora
Immediately recognizable by Mount Otemanu rising from the ocean, this half-atoll, half mountain is surrounded by a spectacular lagoon and a series of smaller islands! Bora Bora is very famous for snorkeling activities, (including snorkelling with sharks and stingrays) jet skiing, fishing and it’s amazing restaurants.
Moorea
This is an island full of vibrant colours, and we found everything from fresh fruits and flowers to multi-hued lagoons, spectacular mountain peaks to palm fringed beaches. The local pineapples are the most delicious in all of French Polynesia!
We are nearing our week cruise of the islands and the evening on board is especially long as guests bid farewell to new friends made and to the unbelievably welcoming crew and staff!
The warm breeze of PAPEETE welcomed us back with its emerald hillsides and sapphire waters! Back to reality after a week long on the most gorgeous islands in French Polynesia and the beautiful Paul Gauguin!
We spent a few days in Tahiti in a beautiful hotel before we flew Air Tahiti Nui into Auckland to join a Holland America cruise from Auckland to Sydney.
We boarded the Ryndam, a Holland America ship and docked at various ports starting in Auckland, Tauranga, (Rotorua) Napier, and Wellington, then to the south island stopping at Picton, Napier, Akaroa, Dunedin and cruised the Doubtful and Milford sound to Burnie in Tasmania. The ship continued to Melbourne where we spent the day with friends and sailed on to Sydney the same evening.
There is so much to see in Sydney so we covered the city by renting a car for a few days. We had no return ticket so we were going to take it easy and make the most of our 2 month tour down-under!
Early one morning, we decided to drive north along the coast, stopping for meals and overnighting at comfortable hotels when I was too tired to drive. We covered Coffs Harbour, Byron Bay, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Noosa, Rainbow Beach, Whitsundays, Townsville and lastly Cairns!
Surfers’ Paradise was well worth spending a few nights and taking in the fresh air and enjoying the beach.
From Sea world Resort, we arranged to go on a sea plane! What a superb idea it was! A unique way to experience coastal scenery, flying over the famous surfers’ Paradise, sparkling waterways, hinterland, incredibly high rise buildings, islands and many major tourist attractions. That was very exciting and a lot of fun! We were truly amazed!
The Gold Coast is famous for its sandy beaches that stretch across 35 miles of coastline. Family vacations are ideal here as they are famed for their renowned theme parks too.
Cairns was just as I had imagined it to be. The gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and the city was full of people who had come to the see the world’s largest reef system, with 2,900 individual reefs. Swimming, snorkeling and diving with the 1,500 marine species that called the reef home.
We arranged for a full day cruise to travel to the Outer Great Barrier Reef Island and Reef. The experienced crew welcomed us on board and the outline of the day was announced and the safety briefing was conducted.
We sailed to the Agincourt Reef platform and snorkelled among this remarkable underwater kingdom with colourful coral reefs and reef fish. Guests were also able to join the on-board marine biologist for a guided snorkeling safari. For those not so confident swimmer, they could stay dry and view the marine life from the semi-submersible reef viewer, glass-bottom boat, or underwater observatory.
It was very well arranged and after 5 hours on the platform, snorkeling, having lunch, tea and enjoying the sun, we got back on the catamaran for the return ride to Cairns.
We had another tour booked for the next day. The Kuranda Scenic Rail and Skyrail day tour is one of the most popular experiences for visitors and so we decided to do that.
The train took 90 minutes to reach Kuranda and we stopped to view the Baron Falls along the way.
The Skyrail Rainforest cableway journey is approximately 45 minutes but many people stop at the stations along the way to take in the views and explore the rainforest on the boardwalks. A very relaxing scenic day trip and it was one of the world’s most beautiful and unforgettable rainforest experiences.
The city of Cairns, the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef deserves a full day to visit and explore. We walked the Cairns Esplanade and had a lovely meal. Rusty’s market is an established Cairns tourist icon, with its friendly atmosphere and international food and beverage stalls. You can buy fruits and vegetables, herbs and more, all locally grown products!
Now we had to return the car as I was not planning to drive all the way back to Melbourne. We still had TWA airline privileges so we checked the Qantas airline schedule and found that they flew a few times from Cairns to Melbourne. I was pleasantly surprised by the Australian carrier and the service their staff provided even for non revenue customers.
We were on the flight as planned and arrived in Melbourne. We took a taxi to the address where we had rented an apartment for ten days!
There was quite a good choice of apartments near the Rod Laver Arena, and I have to say, I just got lucky and found the most modern and comfortable accommodation, and a walking distance to the Arena. Every day was a joy to walk around and watch all the players training and be a part of the actual matches! The finals was Baghdatis against Roger Federer, our favourite from Basel, Switzerland, and he added to the joy of being present by winning the championship!
We had still not seen the city of Melbourne, a hip, dynamic city centre, inner-city neighbourhoods full of character, lush green parks and mountain ranges where tourists can enjoy Australian nature at its finest. After the tennis championship was over, we took to sightseeing in Melbourne.
Melbourne is known for being the coffee capital of the world and has been regularly voted as the most livable city too! Dining options for all budgets are excellent and the city is known for its amazing street art! Cultural diversity is very prominent at every corner of the city which makes it such an exciting place to visit!
A few days before our return home from Melbourne, we had planned to see some friends who live in the suburbs of Melbourne and they took us to visit them at home. Always great to be among airline colleagues and a home cooked meal!
The next day, we drove with them to a boutique winery Attwoods Wines! They focus on making European style, food-focused wines, using minimal intervention, and their limited release wines can be found in some of Australia’s top fine dining restaurants. We had a lunch booking and a few hours at this very special winery they chose for us! This was a huge treat!
Nothing can take away the enjoyment we felt when we were simply fantasizing about this 2 month long trip! Every step of the way, the trip was exactly the way I dreamt about it!
Some very interesting facts about French Polynesia!
Tahiti and Her Islands covers over two million square miles of the South Pacific Ocean and is comprised of five great archipelagos with 118 islands. The Society Islands archipelago composed of the Windward Islands and the Leeward Islands, the Tuamotu Archipelago, the Gambier Islands, the Marquesas Islands, and the Austral Islands.
Tahiti is in the same time zone as Hawaii, two hours behind Pacific Standard Time, and three hours behind during daylight saving time (late April through October).
The most frequently visited islands are Tahiti, Bora Bora, Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea, Taha’a, and Rangiroa.
Tahiti’s capital city is Papeete, located on the island of Tahiti. The translation of Papeete (Tahiti's capital) is "water basket."
The number of people living in French Polynesia is just over 285,000. About 75% are Polynesian, 15% European, and about 10% Chinese. The urban area of Papeete, the capital city, has 133,627 inhabitants.
U.S. and Canadian visitors need only a passport valid for six months after the return date and a round-trip ticket for entry. Citizens of other countries should consult their travel agents or the French Consulate.
French and Tahitian are the official languages, though English is widely spoken in tourist areas.
It's common to put a tiare (Tahiti's national flower, a fragrant white blossom) behind one's ear - left side you're taken, right if you're looking.
James Michener's mythical island of Bali Hai is likened to Moorea.
Moorea is known as "The Island of Love," and Bora Bora as "The Romantic Island."
Moorea means "yellow lizard," which is a name taken from a family of chiefs.
Natives of the lush Austral Islands grow many crops in the fertile soil. Due to their diets of foods rich in fluoride, people from these temperate isles have beautiful white teeth.
Over half of the population is under the age of 20 years old.
Tahitians are very friendly but somewhat shy. Visitors find that by offering the first smile or "ia ora na" (hello), they will be greeted by wonderful Tahitian hospitality.
The beautiful black pearls, cherished by natives and visitors alike, are indigenous only in the Tuamotu Islands of French Polynesia.
The Chinese population (about 10 percent) monopolizes the retail trade, so when Tahitians talk about going shopping, they say they are going to "la Chine" or to the Chinese.
The letter "B" does not exist in the Tahitian language. Bora Bora is actually Pora Pora, meaning firstborn, but early visitors heard it as Bora Bora.
The Pearl Museum on Tahiti is the only museum in the world devoted entirely to pearls. The unique presentations about Tahitian Cultured Pearls describe and demonstrate the history and practice of cultivating pearls as well as their place in art, history, mythology, and religion.
The traditional method of "stone fishing" is still performed for special festivals. Dozens of outrigger canoes form a semicircle, and men in the canoes beat the water with stones tied to ropes. The frightened fish are then driven towards the beach, and the men jump from the canoes yelling and beating the water with their hands to drive the fish ashore.
The ultimate private island escape, Motu Tapu is the most photographed isle in the South Pacific. This tiny motu, just a few hundred yards from the main island of Bora Bora, is best described as the world's most perfect for relaxing.
The word tattoo originated in Tahiti. The legend of Tohu, the god of tattoo, describes painting all the oceans' fish in beautiful colours and patterns. In Polynesian culture, tattoos have long been considered signs of beauty, and in earlier times, were ceremoniously applied when reaching adolescence.
There are more hotel rooms in a typical Las Vegas hotel than on all 118 islands of French Polynesia.
Hawaii gets more visitors in 10 days than Tahiti does in an entire year.
There are no poisonous snakes or insects in French Polynesia.
Those things that look like mailboxes outside the homes of Tahitian residents are not for the mail, but for French bread delivery. Residents get a fresh loaf dropped off twice a day. But alas, they must go to the post office to retrieve their mail!