MOOREA

BAHIA D OPUNOHA, MOOREA

28 JANUARY 2014

 

Moorea (means yellow lizard) is a small island with one road all the way around – 39 miles.  There are 18,000 people.  CPT Samuel Wallis was the first European to visit the island in 1767.  CPT Cook visited in 1769 and again in 1777. In 1839 Charles Darwin described Moorea as picture in a frame when looking at it from Tahiti as it is an island with a coral reef all around it.

Part of the “Mutiny on the Bounty” with Mel Gibson was filmed here in 1984. Our guide had a small part in the picture he told us. They have many pineapple plantations on the island which they send out to make two thousand tons of pineapple juice a year. Their other products are tourism, black pearls, coconuts, and deep sea fish. They have an 18 hole golf course designed by Jack Nicholson.  It costs $90.00 to play the course.

Moorea does not have a downtown area.  It has 10 villages. They have no snakes on the island. The yellow lizards (geckoes) are welcome in the local houses as they eat bugs and mosquitoes. We were bothered by mosquitoes although we were not bitten. We were prepared with insect repellent.  We also are taking medicine to prevent malaria.  

Our ship could not get too close to the island as it was not deep enough.  We had to be taken in to shore in a ship’s tender.  This island was not as nice as Tahiti but it was secluded and the water is nice for swimming.  Many hotels have closed down during the recession but some new ones seem to be doing well. They do have the little round huts in the water that have a glass floor so you can watch the fish for $1,000 a night.

 

Beautiful Dancer

Highest volcano mountain in back

Resort huts $1,000 a night

Gauguin painting reproduction