There's something very strange about this anchorage. Phylis is not moving. For the first time since leaving Shelter Bay on the Caribbean side of the world we have a calm anchorage; meaning that you can put things down and rely on the fact that they will still be in the same place a few moments later.

When we entered the lagoon we picked up one of the few free mooring balls just to the south of the main dock and sat there for 17 days just chilling out. Life on an atoll is extremely laidback. The small village of Rotoava sits on a narrow strip of coral a few hundred meters wide and about 25km long. We hired some bikes and rode up and down just to verify that there was not really a lot to see. The ocean side was rough and rolly however the lagoon side is nice and placid with a to die for shoreline. Just sitting with your toes in the water watching the small sharks cruising by for their lunch was a joy.


The lagoon, south of Rotoava


Stunning beach at PK9 on the north of the atoll


One of the many pearl farms in Fakarava, this one belonging to Poeta Creations


BBQ'ing as the sun sets in Fakarava


Cheeseburger in Paradise, at the Rotoava Grill


Our old friend, Aranui 5, stopped by for a visit


The sun setting over Fakarava

Out daily routine entailed dinghying ashore, strolling down the main street to check out the stores for any new fresh produce, pick up our baguettes and then walk down to Fakarava Yacht Services run by Stephanie and Aldric for some fruit juice and a spot of internet. In the afternoons we'd do a spot of boat maintenance. I would hold onto the dinghy painter while Kym scrubbed the sides of the hull - such hardship.


Stephanie and Aldric from Fakarava Yacht Services

Alas all good things come to an end and we were conscious of the fact that we needed to get to Tahiti. On 6th October we set off under sail for Papeete the main town on Tahiti some 250 miles to the SW. The weather was for once quite accommodating and I actually began to enjoy myself. By dawn on the second morning the towering mountains of Tahiti were in plain sight and by 10.30am we had rounded the north east corner and were approaching the pass into Papeete harbour. Just five minutes away we called port control and obtained clearance to enter the pass.


Our first sight of Tahiti


We're not quite where we intended to be. Our reservation for cyclone season is with the Marina Taina some 7 miles down the channel. We'll look at moving down there in a week or so, until then folks we are gorging ourselves on steak and chips and supping real ale - once again life's a beach!