Posted December 15, 2022
August 11 – 30, 2022
Our favorite spot in “The Oasis” was Flavours Marina, the nearby cafe which overlooked the water and offered both sunny and shady places to sit, a nice option for everyone.
What stood out most was its lawn area scattered with low tables and bean bag chairs, perfect for people with dogs or kids. Aside from the lawn seating, there were tables with umbrellas and bigger tables under a covered area. Then they had this interesting setup with one very long bench seat fronted with several small tables, perfect if one just wanted to sit and enjoy drink. (That is if one doesn’t mind sharing the bench with opportunistic birds who like to perch on the backrest—I’ll be talking more about these in the next post.)
The staff were very nice, the food was good, and then there was the coffee, which was terrific. This was a huge joy for us to find as it had been awhile since we’d had good coffee. French Polynesia, including the Society Islands and New Caledonia, makes some wonderful things to eat and drink, but coffee is not one of them. For reasons I can’t fathom, the French countries in the South Pacific have what must be the worst coffee in the world. Australia, on the other hand, may well have the best.
The café was only open for breakfast and lunch, kind of a shame given its beautiful setting would be perfect for an evening meal or drinks. Maybe someday they’ll extend their hours, but for the time being we were happy to enjoy a few morning and afternoon meals there. Below, a few photos (click on any photo to enlarge).
Our other favorite thing about “The Oasis” were the impressive number and variety of birds! They were all over the park but tended to congregate most around the café, waiting to swoop in and enjoy any unattended leftover food. The staff certainly tried their best to clear the tables quickly, but those birds were fast and cheeky (a down-under expression meaning audacious). And they had little fear of people.
My next post, Part 2, will feature these wonderful birds. –Cyndi
