C O N T E N T S

 Back to the Atoll [Sun Apr 11th 1999]

Judging by the enthusiasm shown in the lecture theatre, everyone was doing their fair share of bird spotting too, plenty of Masked Boobies trying desperately to keep cool, beautiful Fairy Terns and the Red Tailed Tropicbirds with unusual but charming hind feathers. We also had a reef shark spotting which makes one for each landing we've had on Ducie. After a slightly grey start, the clouds completely disappeared from the sky leaving us with another blistering sun all day , the small shelter we'd set up on the beach proved to be a shady retreat.
 

Ducie Island was discovered on 16th March 1791 by the notorious Captain Edward Edwards of HMS Pandora while on his way to Tahiti in search of the Bounty mutineers. He named the atoll after his patron, Lord Ducie, but did not stop to investigate.

“This we know, the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood which unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.”

Cheif Sealth

 Henderson Island [Mon Apr 12th 1999]

After breakfast, everyone was keen to set foot on the beach, and the staff took a Zodiac on a scouting mission to evaluate the best approach point for our landing. The entrance to the beach proved quite treacherous, as the Zodiac was carried across the coral shelf on the crest of an enormous wave and the reef came quickly to the surface. As everyone jumped out to catch the boat we were unsure of what was beneath us but we managed to find our footing and made it safely to the beach. The tide was coming in with a vengeance, and the wave sets breaking over the edge of the reef were much larger than those we had seen at Ducie, but it was not until we were standing upon the beach that all this became clear. After a long evaluation of the approach that had just been made to the landing site and the difficulties we would have in orchestrating our exits at the end of the day, it was decided that the landing should be abandoned for safety reasons. The only thing left to do was to get ourselves out of there and this in itself was a little more than we had bargained for.

Eventually, after hovering in the shallows waiting for a non-existent break in the onslaught, the Zodiac was given one last push into the face of an oncoming wave, and everyone held on tight as the bow hit the crest, threatening to flip us over. Thankfully the only casualty was the propeller which made damaging contact with the reef surface as the wave subsided, shearing a large piece from the blade. Many of us watching this action from the ship were glad that the decision had been made and at this point the plans changed, with our landing becoming a Zodiac circumnavigation of Henderson Island. Everyone gathered their packed lunches, boarded the boats and commenced a tour along the coastline, investigating the magnificent caves carved into the limestone cliff walls. We were treated to a stunning view across the roaring surf which crashed into the many and varied holes that marked the cliffs and created enormous overhangs where the water had done it's damage over the centuries.

One of the most spectacular features was that which we named Dragon's Breath, a hollow cave which served as an enormous amplifier, broadcasting the massive roar made by the waves entering with such force from below. After a brief assessment of our position, everyone was keen to continue the journey around the island, and we can now boast of having made the first circumnavigation of Henderson Island by Zodiac convoy, which we celebrated with a toast during the evening's recap in the bar.

Throughout the journey, we were tailed by a menagerie of bird life, all keen to see precisely what these colourful little shapes were bobbing along off the shore. Some of us however, were unfortunate (or fortunate, depending on how you look at it!) enough to witness the predatory aspects of nature at work with a group of Frigate birds attacking a Fairy Tern, a stark reminder that nature is not always a kind and gentle thing.

The journey turned out to be a little longer than expected, but all went smoothly, apart from Sergei's fuel drought within metres of the ship and we were returned safely having had a good look around.

As the sun set in our path and the rain fell from the heavy grey sky above us, we weighed our anchor and turned the bow towards Pitcairn Island and drank to our success.
 

Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands are British dependent territories administered by the British Consulate General in Auckland, New Zealand. This is done on behalf of the South Pacific Department of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in London. Ironically, Pitcairn was the first Pacific island to become a British Colony in 1838 and today is the last remnant of that empire in this region, despite being born of treason to the British Crown.

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page.”

St. Augustine (354-430)

 Pitcairn Island [Tue Apr 13th 1999]

The view of Pitcairn was magnificent as we emerged, with lush green hills surrounding dramatic peaks and sheer cliff faces spread out before us, tempting the eye. After a speedy breakfast, the staff Zodiac was loaded and made its way to shore to evaluate the landing. The waves were crashing around the breakwater and the swells made the descent down the gangway a little more challenging than before, but everyone was soon ashore to begin our adventure on the island that would be the highlight of many peoples journey.

We were met at the pier by Dave Brown and Pawl Warren, who were accompanied by a collection of islanders ready with big smiles and a warm welcome for us all. Everyone made the journey up the Hill of Difficulty, some utilising the offers of transport with any one of a number of quad-bikes to choose from, others choosing to take up the walking challenge as the heat of the day began to hint at its intensity.

The first stop was the town square which was ready for our arrival with a marketplace of beautiful carvings and baskets, t-shirts and artwork amongst a wealth of wonderful articles highlighting the creativity of the islanders. After a brief shopping spree and a lot of introductions, the 'Pitcairn Island Adopt a Visitor' program went into action, and we all headed off in different directions with the new friends we had only just found, but in the end felt as though we had known for years.

Our tours took in some glorious scenery viewed from vantage points all over the island. The Highest Point, Garnet's Ridge and Paupe Ridge offered superb aspects of the island with its lush green vegetation against the dark volcanic rock which forms the islands surface. Many of us were astounded at the agility of the islanders in making their ascents as our guides, whilst we held on as tightly as we could trying not to fall off the sides of the paths. It quickly became clear why there are so many places on Pitcairn with the word fall in their names!

We saw Red Tailed Tropicbirds soaring in the sky above our heads, and inhaled the delicious scent of the Frangipani flowers. Banana trees dotted the hillsides, amongst a forest of Coconut Palms which grow everywhere. Oleander flowers wove their tentacles through the Hibiscus, and the vines of the Banyan tree draped themselves across its heavy branches like a curtain.

We were treated to delicious lunch which turned out to be a joint effort between our chefs and the islanders. The bar-b-que was a roaring success, and we were fortunate enough to taste some of the home-made specialties, whilst chatting about the island and its way of life with our wonderful hosts. After we had finished, we were offered a musical treat as firstly the Pitcairn children and later all the residents of the island sang for us. The final farewell song brought a lump to many a throat, and everyone pondered on how privileged we are to visit such a magnificent place.

The afternoon was spent continuing our exploration of the island, an opportunity we were not going to let pass us by. Some of us made the trek up the rocky path to Christian's Cave to admire the view of Bounty Bay while others visited the Big Pool taking advantage of the cool waters. Some of us were lucky enough to visit the homes of some of our hosts, giving us the chance for an even closer look at life on the island. The roads and paths were a little muddy to begin with as we heard that there had been heavy rain the day before. These soon dried out as the afternoon went on and throughout the course of the day, virtually every foot of path had been traversed by one of we inquisitive visitors.

Eventually our day drew to a close, but we were joined for an impromptu celebration aboard Shuleykin as some of the islanders joined us for a drink in the bar, until finally it came time to weigh anchor and say goodbye to this island paradise. Many names and faces will be remembered from this wonderful day, but for many of us, none more so than the enchanting little Ariel Brown, who's gentle nature and beautiful smile won hearts at every turn.
 

Oeno was named for an American discoverer in 1824 and like Pitcairn was at first mis-charted. Several shipwrecks have occurred there, most notably the American medium Clipper "Wild Wave".

“In the Middle Ages people were tourists because of their religion, wheras now they are tourists because tourism is their religion.”

Robert Runcie

 Oeno [Wed Apr 14th 1999]

Things remained fairly quiet for the remainder of the day, with some time to recover from the busy schedule we have had since arriving at the Pitcairn Island group. After lunch, we were treated to a look at Theresa's video of Easter and Pitcairn Islands, offering a look at parts of both which not everyone managed to see during their visits.

Later in the afternoon Theresa and Jeff joined forces to deliver a discussion on Mangareva. We were introduced to the black pearls many of us will be buying, as well as a little history of the island with particular attention being paid to the questionable damage suffered by Mangareva at the hands of the French nuclear testing program.

Later in the evening, we had a "Show & Tell" session in the bar, with everyone bringing out the spoils they have collected on the journey so far. By all accounts, we have accumulated a wonderful selection of South Pacific treasures which we will all be pleased to take home.

During the day's recap the announcement came that we had crossed the Tropic of Capricorn, placing us in truly tropical waters and everyone raised their glasses to the moment.
 

French and Polynesia are the official languages of French Polynesia. Polynesian here means Tahitian, for other dialects are spoken elsewhere: Paumotu in the Tuamotos, Mangarevan in the Gambiers, Marquesan in the Marquesas and so on.

“My experience of ships is that on them one makes an interesting discovery about the world. One finds one can do without it completely.”

Malcolm Bradbury

 Mangareva [Wed Apr 15th 1999]

Once the opening ceremonies were over, our path took us amid enchantingly coloured backdrops of Polynesian flowers to the Cathedral of St Michael - Honoré Laval's absolute mark of his single-minded obsession - where Shane promptly closed the door on us. Undeterred, we eventually gained entrance and we're treated to a revealing tour, translated by Steve and Ursula, from the enthusiastic local priest who gave us a distinct history of the building. Created using the labour of local Mangarava residents during the 1830's and 40's, and both directly and indirectly resulting in significant population decline during this period, the cathedral seats some 2000 people and stands proud as the most prominent landmark in Rikitea. After his tour of the church, the highlight of which was the magnificent altar decorated with black Mother of Pearl in its entirety, we were given the opportunity to head for the pearl boutiques to begin making our purchases.

Our party separated into Zodiac groups and headed off in different directions, some of us to a factory where the Black Lipped Oyster shell was modelled into jewellery and ornaments as we wandered around. Some of the carving work was very detailed and ornate, and we were able to see some beautiful Mabe pearls, the hemispherical pearl taken from the inside of the shell, set as pendants. The remainder wandered to a nearby boutique offering a huge selection of pearls, with a price to suit everyone. What initially started as fascination with these beautiful and unusual treasures quickly became a shopping frenzy, with almost all of us taking pearls of some description away from the island. The range of shapes and colours was remarkable, with pink through to silver, gun-metal black to deep green, and some showing reds and purples in the bright morning sunlight. Some had ridges around the circumference, some had nobbles jutting out, some made no attempt to be round, but each was spectacular, making our choice very difficult.

We were so engrossed in our careful selections that we were late starting our tour of the island following a lunch at Maire de Rikitea, but once we were underway we were treated to some spectacular sights around the island. The vistas across the crystal clear aqua waters were stunning, and the cameras clicked away capturing another paradise. We were offered a horticultural outline of the island, trying the breadfruit for which this part of the world is famous, seeing Candle Nut trees and investigating the nut itself, and tasting young coffee beans hanging by the road. We visited the nuclear fallout shelter built to protect residents from the French Pacific nuclear testing, but our hosts were somewhat evasive when asked questions as to the effects on the surrounding area and population. By the time the tour had finished the winds had picked up somewhat, making the waters across the lagoon rougher than we had seen in the morning. We all made it safely aboard, and as the sun set we weighed our anchor once more and headed out of the reef through the boat passage.
 

Rapa Island, (also called Rapa Iti to distinguish it from Rapa Nui) is the highest of the Austral Islands and the least touched by civilisation. The Australs are comprised of five inhabited islands - Rimatara, Rurutu, Tubuai, Raivavae and Rapa - flanked by two uninhabited atolls - Marie (Hull) Island to the west and Marotiri (Bass) Island to the east.

“If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in the water Its substance reaches everywhere. It touches the past and prepares the future.”

Loren Eisely

 Heading for Rapa [Fri Apr 16th 1999]

Jeff presented the last in his series of lectures on Captain Cooks Great Voyages of Discovery, a much anticipated lecture that provided us with more fascinating details of the far flung exploits of the great explorer. His route around the Pacific once again took in vast distances, with the discovery of Hawaii which he named the Sandwich Isles for the Earl of Sandwich. Little was he to know that this would be the location of his ultimate demise.

After a delicious lunch, Theresa gave us an insight into the vast array of tropical fish that are present in the some of the waters that we are visiting, as well as some useful tips for viewing the magnificent underwater spectacle with masks, snorkels and fins. She discussed the use of colour across species, shapes and evolutionary adaptations which have developed over time to give these creatures their advantages in the water and we will all be looking out for these as we visit the next collection of islands.

The afternoon was quiet with everyone enjoying the sun. The humidity is still with us, despite our southerly direction but everyone is clearly making the most of the good weather with plenty to keep us occupied. Our recap in the bar was educational, as Theresa demonstrated the best way to clean pearls with the use of some salt water and a bottle, and Jeff handed around a newspaper article discussing a group of people who have supposedly located the wreck of the Endeavour. We were also treated to a look inside a ripe passion fruit.
 

Rapa's European discoveror was George Vancouver who accompanied Cook to the Pacific on his second and third voyages. He found the island in 1791 but it was not until 1816 that another European visited the place.

“The gods confound the man who first found out how to distinguish hours! Confound him, too, who in this place set up a sun-dial to cut and hack my days so wretchedly into small portions.”

Plautus (c. 200 B.C.)

 Rapa Ahoy! [Sat Apr 17th 1999]

The weather made for a great bar-b-que on the stern deck, with the rolling swells offering a spectacular view rising and falling over the wake of the ship. The lack of wind made for nearly glassy waters, but a storm to the south made sure that we all remembered we were at sea.

In the afternoon, Theresa gave us a briefing on our landing today at Rapa, with some spectacular photographs of the hill forts we will be visiting, as well as the dramatic landscape of the volcanic island. By the time the lecture had concluded, Rapa was looming in front of our bow, and we all took to the decks to witness our approach towards the rugged silhouette outlined against the falling sun. As the rays began to poke through the cloud, the colour of the hillsides revealed itself to us, and signs of civilisation became clearer along shores of Huarei Bay.

After dinner, the guests took on the staff once more in the Trivial Pursuit challenge, eventually winning the hard-fought contest in a nail-biting finish. The venue was somewhat different this time, as we all enjoyed the comfortable breezes which caressed the top deck after the last few days of heat.
 

European sightings of the Austral chain of islands was a lengthy, strung-out affair. In 1769, Cook saw Rurutu, six years later Gayangos and Varela found Raivavae, next Cook was back landing on Tubuai in 1777, Vancouver found isolated Rapa in 1791 and finally in 1811 Captain Samuel Pinder Henry discovered Rimatara bringing the last of this group of islands to European attention.

“You never enjoy the world aright, till the sea itself floweth in your veins, till you are clothed with the heavens and crowned with the stars.”

Thomas Traherne