1989 - TAHITI

MOOREA - TAHITI

2ND HONEYMOON - 10 YEARS LATER

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Hubby and I got married in 1979. I was 18 and hubby had just turned 20. We didn't think that we would ever afford our own house but one bank decided to lend 100% so we were in! Our first house was in a place called Kincumber on the central coast from Sydney. We struggled as most young ones do. Couldn't afford to carpet the bedrooms and travelled long hours to and from work. But it was close to the beach where hubby enjoyed surfing and fishing and I sun tanned and watched the surfers. 

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We were getting close to our 10 year anniversary and I noticed an add for a 9 night holiday package to Tahiti..... 

And that was it! I was determined that we were going on a well deserved holiday.

The good thing about it was that I could book, pay a small deposit and then pay the holiday off. So that was the start of a strict budget. Hubby said we'll never do it. I said yes we will.... And we did.

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So we were off to tahiti for our ten year anniversary and first overseas trip!! How exciting! 

The trip included a couple of days in Papeete and then the rest on moorea, a neighbouring island.

Moorea was small and had rustic accommodation. Not like now ...... 5 star all the way. I later found out that Sheridan bought Moorea Lagoon Resort and put over the water bungalows in. 

Maybe we should go back and revisit for our 50th anniversary soon.

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We flew in low over the water for landing into Tahiti. I was beside myself with excitement.

 I still remember the balmy afternoon with soft tropical floral scents and beautiful red hibiscus which became my favourite flower.  We were greeted with an island band and beautiful frangipani leis - second favourite flower.

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In papeete we caught the local bus into town. that was fun. 

We boarded at the back and sat on long bench seats facing each other and bounced around as the bus hit a ton of pot holes on the way into town.....

 Music blasted out at 100 decibles playing Kylie Minogue.

This was our first taste experiencing how the other half live in another part of the world and we were keen to see more.

It was also nice to practice my school learnt french.

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Moorea was very laid back compared to the main island. we loved Moorea with it's prestine beaches, lush rainforest and big mountain in the middle.

We met another couple from Sydney on the boat to Moorea. they were on the same holiday as us so we instantly became friends. 

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I loved our rustic polynesian hut. 

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Our beach at the resort in Moorea was exactly how the brocures portrayed it. 

White sand, crystal clear powder blue water and colourful tropical fish. 

A dream come true.

The snorkling was amazing!

The old photos just don't do it justice.  I wanna go back with my Canon 80D 😁

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But the thing that stays with both of us was the warm island hospitality and friendly staff at the resort.

 The opening pic is my favourite not because i took it. It is actually a postcard. But it is a postcard pic of the resort pa guy William. William would put today's 5 star hotel PA's to shame. He did everything from organise activities to making sure everyone at the resort had the best time and he was hillarious when i saw that postcard of William, I just had to have it.

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Moorea being French owned, everything was expensive. 

Hubby and I found a little place that made the best burgers and fries for $10 that had a verandah with nice creek views. We became regulars.

We hired a bike and rode around the island which wasn't a long trip but we had some interesting experiences along the way. We stopped and saw a local family fishing. And some time later we were on the other side of the island and saw the same family selling their catch. 

That day my legs got totally burnt raw.... As you can see from the photo.

One evening we decided to go for dinner at a rather expensive restaurant. We thought it was funny that they brought the entrées and main meal out at the same time.

 Maybe our broken french wasn't as good as we thought.  😄

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We looked forward to William's activities every day. 

He planned polynesian dance shows where we were all invited to test our dance skills, he showed us how to climb trees for coconuts... none of us did that lol ....

He showed us how to do raw fish dish.... yummy!! Another day the boys had a go at cracking coconuts islander style. 

We raced crabs.... that was fun. 😄

Hubby even went with William and the staff to catch the crabs. 

After the raw fish dish show, William showed us what the locals also used to do with the big tree leaves apart from eat food out of them..... See picture below. that was hillarious!! 

He even arranged for us to learn how to use the pareo (sarong) ..... tying it all different ways.

I still have the little book I purchased on different ways to tie a sarong. 

The star of this show was Andre the bar man. He knew all the ways to tie our pareos.

Andre was a cool dude. 😎

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The day trip up to Belvedere lookout was well worth it. 

It overlooks Cooks Bay named after Captain Cook who mapped it years ago. actually Cook didn't anchor in Cooks Bay but in the other one next door Opunohu

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We saw coconut trees with steel bands around them and queried why. to stop the rats climbing further to raid the coconuts. Good idea. 

Please excuse my bad photoshoped stitching. I have come a long way since those early attempts haha.

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Our first trip overseas and we learn't the value of mixing with the locals. It gives you a whole new perspective on how people live and you also learn that no matter where you live in the world.... there is a basic need for family and to be happy.

I think this first trip for us installed an imprint in our minds that has shaped who we are.

The more we travel the more we appreciate the small things that are important to us.

 

We don't need tons of material possessions.  Gee.... if the house got burnt down tomorrow..... the only things I would miss would be my camera, hard drive of pictures......
and my grandfather clock haha.

Hubby enjoyed chatting to the band members.  

One of them invited hubby to his house down the road.  Howie went and enjoyed time with the family in their small house on stilts.

This guy brought out a worn book of Sydney that another tourist had given him years ago and said that is where he wants to visit one day. 

Good on him! I hope that dream came true.

Photo below...  William, Animal (local and friend of everyone) and Hubbie.

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Lastly.... another postcard pic of Tahiti. 

Hopefully we can visit again some day... 

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I hope you enjoyed reading along with me our little trip down memory lane.

I'd love it if you say G'Day, just to let me know you have check it out. 

😎