We finally made it to a waterfall and pool that were quite lovely. It seemed like the obvious end of the trail, but Kathy knew better. Along the side of the hill hangs a rope, and you can use it to climb about 50 feet to another trail. From here, there are a series of ropes you can hang onto as you make your way up to the next waterfall.
About 30 minutes later, we arrived at the upper cascade and pool. We all sat to enjoy the scenery, and we ended up sharing whatever snacks we had. Rich suggested we might get lucky and spot an eel, but I’m not sure anyone believed him. Rich and I watched, and I finally spotted one. Someone had brought a baguette threw a piece in the water thinking the eel might like it. I have to say I was surprised when it actually worked! We ended up attracting a few eels and some large shrimp.
Raiatea; an island where you can hike into the forest, find unmarked, semi-secret waterfalls, and feed baguette-loving eels and giant shrimps. -Cyndi
Climbing the rope to the upper trail.The upper cascade.Tired but happy after a long climb.The pool with the eels and shrimp.An eel enjoying his morning baguette.Who knew shrimp also love baguettes.
Kathy and Marlies, two of our new friends from the marina, had talked about going to see the cascades, or waterfalls. Rich and I had rented a car for 2 days and offered that we could drive the four of us.
After morning yoga, we set off on our adventure. I’m glad Kathy was there as we never would have found it otherwise. There are practically no signs and it isn’t clear what’s private property and what isn’t. There’s a parking area, but you would need a 4-wheel drive vehicle to get to it. We went as far as we dared in our little car; then pulled over and walked the rest of the way to find the trail. Of course there were no signs but Kathy knew where to go. Along the way we met a young British couple who had tried unsuccessfully to find this place. We had them join us.
After locating the trail, Kathy led us on the hike. There were places the trail petered out, but we’d always managed to pick it up again. -Cyndi
This was the road leading to the trail.The large trunk of a chestnut tree.Tropical foliage.The start of the trail into the forest.
Over our time in Raiatea, we found that it is a strange, beautiful and exotic place. Each island in French Polynesia is unique, but somehow Raiatea is more so; it feels different from the other islands. When I see a new place, I tend to go through the brain memory files for a close match. Often, I can pick out places from my past that a new place reminds me of, but not so much with Raiatea. Sometimes it is beautiful and feels like a dream world, sometimes it is strange, sometimes it’s a little foreboding, and sometimes it just feels like the end of the earth.
This really hit home when a friend of ours was thinking about going around to seldom-visited anchorages on the south and west side of the island. On our circle-island drive we had seen these anchorages and been surprised there were no boats in any of them! Hearing our friend talk about going, we told him these would be perfect for him: off the beaten path. I then realized, in spite of my own love for the occasional secluded bay, I would not want to anchor in these places. Even though they were only a few miles away, they seemed too wild and remote, the kind of place where you just feel very alone (in an unsettling way).
Rich and I came to love this island, but this is one of those examples of it being important to tell people why you love a place (the same way you should tell them why you don’t). We were lucky and got into a marina and were very comfortable during a windy period – we were in the right place at the right time. We rented a car and saw the island. We liked the “strange” Chinese food (other cruisers were always surprised that it wasn’t spicy, resorting to using Tabasco sauce to try to liven it up). We did yoga every morning on a grassy area overlooking a beautiful bay, and we made great friends here.
I can certainly see how for most cruisers, this is a quick stop in an odd place for groceries and duty-free fuel before heading on to the more classically beautiful Taha’a and Bora Bora. This was one of our favorite places, but we’d be careful about recommending it as this isn’t for everyone. With our circumstances, it was perfect for us. -Cyndi
Below, some photos from our circle-island car trip.
Raiatea SceneryMore Raiatea SceneryRaiatea Roadside SightsDramatic Palms over the WaterFrom a little fishing village.Another Corona Commercial Motu
We decided to go counter-clockwise on our car trip around Raiatea knowing this would put us in more populated areas (hopefully with eateries) at lunchtime. So far, the trip had given us some beautiful scenery as we drove down the island’s west and south sides.
Heading back north on the east coast we stopped to visit the Marae Taputapuatea, an ancient religious and ceremonial site. It was beautiful and it felt peaceful; yet there was also something unsettling about it that I couldn’t put my finger on. I guess I’d sum it up by saying that I wouldn’t want to walk around there alone at night. (Maybe that stems from the human sacrifices that took place here.)
We ended our drive with a lunch stop at the Hotel Raiatea Hawaiki Nui, the island’s only “luxury” hotel. It probably was stylish in the sixties (when it was built) but now looked rather dated and a little worn. Still, it’s a very likeable place and a nice stop for lunch. -Cyndi
Remains of one of the structures in Marae Taputapuatea.Part of the beach at the marae.Overcast skies and squalls added to the mystical atmosphere at the marae.A poolside lunch at the Hotel Raiatea Hawaiki Nui.
So imagine our surprise. We’re driving along the road in Raiatea (we rented a car for some sightseeing) and beside us not 25 feet away we see a spotted eagle ray splashing around.
We get out for a closer look and to take some pictures. It was swimming along on top of the shallow reef right beside the road.
Another surprise: there were four small spotted eagle rays swimming along behind the first one we saw. It looked like a mother with four babies but I didn’t think this could be the case – I thought they laid eggs that hatched without the mother around. After consulting Wikipedia, we found out that they are ovoviviparous – the mother retains the eggs in her body and they hatch one year later. The young, up to four at a time, are born with a wingspan between 7 and 14 inches. These were about 14 inches, we’d guess. It could very well have been a mother and her young. What an incredible road-side sight! -Rich
