Baie de Taioa is better known as Daniel and Antoinette's Bay after a lovely Marquesan couple that lived here for over 60 years. He was asked to leave by the film crew of Survivor who came here to film the TV series. They offered Daniel a home in the city and sadly once Daniel moved from his Paradise he died. Before he died, he used to welcome visiting yachts with open arms, providing them with water etc In all the Cruising Guides, not realizing he'd died, he's still listed as being here. The truth is, his son now lives here and he's a hermit who doesn't like visitors at all and every day he's woken up by yachties saying "g'day Daniel". We suggested putting up a big 24-sheet poster in the coconut trees saying DANIEL'S DEAD, but thought better of it.

You enter this amazing area and are immediately in awe of the 1,600 foot mountain that is to the east of the opening. We anchored with about 5 other boats in an extinct volcano and surveyed this amazing area. Early to bed as we had woken at 4am that morning to go to the local market to buy vegetables, fish and pastries.

In the morning we had arranged to go on a 2 hour hike to Vaipo Waterfall, which is supposedly the 3rd highest waterfall in the world. We set off like explorers armed with rations - mangoes and water - and covered in 30+ and Bug Off spray. We had been given very rough directions to the waterfall but you must remember these are places not on the regular tourist route; it's not even listed in The Lonely Planet tour book. At first we couldn't find the way to start but fortunately we found the only couple who hadn't gone to church and asked directions and she pointed and chatted away in French and led us to a crossing in the river and we started on our way, following the stacked rocks as the only guide.

Close by the village are the ruins of a very old village and a church with some very old tiki stone carvings. Apparently hundreds of years ago this fertile valley was heavily populated and was wiped out by disease when Europeans arrived and spread their germs.

At this point we collected a little tour guide - a little piggy decided she was going to show us the way although she didn't want to lead; she only wanted to follow in between us. Three quarters of the way to the waterfall we found her owners (A Dad and his 2 sons) and learnt her name was Pia, and they were adamant they wanted her to come home with them, so Dad got out his machete. At this point we thought the little pig was going to get the chop for dinner right there and then BUT NO - the Dad only wanted to open a coconut for Pia to distract her whilst the sons got a noose around her neck. Later on we found out WHY they wanted her to go home. We came across a big pit in the ground (probably once held the local virgins who were waiting to be sacrificed) and there was a little pig at the bottom that had fallen in and of course was unable to get out and had subsequently karked it.

At last we were at the foot of the waterfall but unfortunately it fell amongst giant rocks so we couldn't get near the base of it and the water was a muddy colour so not so inviting to swim. Although we had heard from other yachties who had swum here that the pond was filled with blue eyed eels, so I wasn't that keen to swim there anyway.

By the time we came into the clearing back at the beach we were all utterly exhausted after hiking for 5 hours over rough boulders and across rivers, we collapsed onto the yacht and after a quickly made lunch of fresh baguettes, we both slept for about 2 =BD hours.

BREAKING NEWS FROM HOME.. .from very proud parents. Yesterday, we finally managed to get internet connection and phoned Mia via Skype. She was very excited to tell us that on the Friday she had leant that "Seafaris", the 130ft catamaran, for which she had designed the interior together with one of the other partners at Altis who had streamlined the exterior, had won the award in Italy for the best super yacht in the world. She was still amazed and unbelieving but it was true, as the owner who had commissioned them to design the boat was in Italy for the awards. Mia and Andrew had decided not to go because they didn't think they had a chance of winning. So we'll see what this will mean to Mia in the future. She is only working half a day a week at the moment but is due to go back full time after her visit to us in Tahiti. Have a look at the website - www.seafarisaustralia.com.au

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