We headed to Hirifa in the Southern part of Fakarava on Thursday, May 29th around 8:30 AM and arrived same day about 2:30 in the afternoon. Unfortunately, the wind was not in our favor, coming from the south which is unusual, and we had to motor the entire way which did not make Tracy very happy.
On arrival, our friends from Polaire Bear greeted us as we motored by and pointed out a good anchoring spot up ahead. We spent the rest of the day putting our boat back together, resting and viewing our beautiful surroundings.
The next day, we met our friends on shore for ‘happy hour’ which is BYOB + snacks. Luckily there is a picnic table for us to sit at and spread out our goodies. Our friends introduced us to a game called Finska and it’s a little like bowling. It was good entertainment and fun to socialize. I didn’t get any pictures but I captured a picture from the internet to give you an idea.
Themes of Hirifa in south of Fakarava included exploring, snorkeling, paddle boarding and happy hours.
We were excited to get our paddle boards out and inflated and we set them up as kayaks for the first time. The brand name is TaoStar and they came with an inflatable seat that turns the paddle board into a kayak. The paddle also converts to a kayak type paddle.
Because it was a bit windy and we hadn’t paddled for a while, we decided to test out the kayak option. They look a little odd, but the seat is very comfortable, and I felt more secure sitting down. After the second day of paddling we were comfortable standing up, although I should say it was really me who was uncomfortable paddling standing up initially. Tracy only kayaked to make me feel better. We paddled along the shore line, paddling over the bommies where we saw several sharks, and a variety of other fish from our boards.
Definition of Bommie: an outcrop of coral reef, often resembling a column, that is higher than the surrounding platform of reef and which may be partially exposed at low tide
Our happy hours continue and we met a few more cruisers, increasing our gathering to 8 people. It was great to share cruising stories and learn more about our upcoming destinations. The boats names are Polaire Bear from Vancouver(BC), Terrapin from Virginia, and Lulu from Sweden.
On our 3rd day we went to the beach to snorkel with our friends from Vancouver, BC and another couple from New Zealand. It was not as good as our first experience with our excursion tour. But it was good considering we just walked off the beach a couple hundred feet. The bommies were colorful, and we saw blue iridescent fish, zebra fish, and others. Also, many large clams with purple, black, and green colored lips. It was a fun, active day and we were looking forward to getting back to our boat for dinner. We grilled chicken, potatoes and made a salad. Yum!
Our last day of paddleboarding here, we went further down the shore to explore. Unfortunately, we didn’t take any pictures off the board as it’s difficult manage and we don’t want to drop our phones. You will have to take our word for it that we saw colorful fish, gray sharks, and black tip sharks. It feels good to get some exercise and beautiful views. We took the photos below from shore so you can see the types of bommies we are paddling over and where the fish like to hang out.
We enjoyed another happy hour on June 3rd, where we met Polaire Bear and a new boat called Tui. Tui had 3 young men from California who are taking time after college, and one is still in college to have an adventure. Kevin, the captain of the boat is planning to go to Tonga where his parents and siblings will meet him. Where he goes from there is TBD. The other 2 crew will be flying home from Tahiti. A funny story about Kevin is we met him in New Port Beach, CA on our way down the coast. He was working at West Marine, and we were there buying anchor chain and paddle boards. We ended up talking about our plan and he shared that he was preparing to do a shortened version of our trip. We were pleasantly surprised to see him here, joining us for happy hour. It is indeed a small world.
On our last day, we took the dinghy to shore because we wanted to walk to the other side of the Atoll. It’s a short walk because the land base is quite narrow. It’s amazing to see how different the seas are when you compare being inside the Atoll vs. outside. The photos don’t do it justice. The beach is rocky and rough with 3 to 5 foot swells crashing ashore. Inside the Atoll where we are anchored, there are no waves or swells and the beach is smooth and sandy. On our walk to the other side, we saw what we believe is an updated cistern to catch rainfall right next to the older version. We also saw the structural remains of an old church from 1879 and some old gravestones. Photos to follow.
We participated in happy hour once again with a large group of people from multiple boats. The regulars were in attendance along with some new folks. The happy hours created a great community here on this tiny island where we all have a common bond. Several of these boats plan to go on to Tahiti, Bora Bora, Tonga and New Zealand, around the same time as us and we hope to connect again.
We decided to go back to Rotoava on the north part of Fakarava before heading to another Atoll called Rangiroa. This will give us a chance pick up a few more provisions for our next passage. We left in the morning on June 5th and had a great sail back. We arrived same day, mid-afternoon.
On Saturday night, June 7th, we met up with Polaire Bear and Kallisti for dinner. Kallisti, from New Zealand are heading home after cruising on and off for the past 11 years. They gave us lots of suggestions as to what we should do while we are there and invited us to have dinner with them at their home. Luckily, we just got approval for our 6 month Visitor Visa’s and we have reserved a slip in the Bay of Islands Marina on the North Island of New Zealand. For now, we are planning to go to another Atoll called Rangiroa and will be leaving Sunday, June 8th.
Fakarava will hold a special place in our hearts because of it’s beauty, towns of Rotoava and Hirifa and their people. and of course connecting with other cruisers!
SV Quid Sea - Sailing with Tracy and Cindy 