Finding Moksha: The Next Stage: Cowabunga-ing in French Polynesia

Here is part of the story behind the making of the Tahiti to Tonga Video from the previous post.

After a pretty horrid transfer from Salvador in Brazil, which included five flights and 48 hours of transit time, we were pretty relieved to finally make it to Tahiti and our new home for the next 4 or so months, Cowabunga.

Our good friends Andy and Caitlyn bought the boat in Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean last year and have been making there way back to Brisbane. Their trip so far has taken them through the Caribbean, Panama Canal, the Galapagos and the rest of the Pacific and meeting up with them in Tahiti has been the plan since I first heard about the trip over 18-months ago (in fact the whole South America trip had to be rearranged and sped up to make it work, a small price to pay for what has so far been a pretty incredible adventure!).

After being on the move for over 5 months already, it was a nice feeling knowing that we would be "based" somewhere for a while, sure the boat kept moving, but unpacking our gear and not having to repack and move on every 3 days is a pretty good feeling.

We met the boat just outside of Papeete, where would would stay for the next few days. To celebrate Bucko's birthday we hired a car and made our way down to Teahupoo for a picnic with friends from another boat, Zissou, Kim and Lorna. Unfortunately for us guys, Chopes wasn't working , so we had to be content with our tuna and salmon sushi rolls.

Bucko's birthday party L-R Bucko, Horse, Andy, Me, Lorna, Kim and Hannah.

Horse left the Cowabunga team in Huahine after joining the boat in Panama. He went back to Tahiti and stayed for a few weeks after we left, sure enough he did get Chopes working, much to Andy and I's envy.

Finishing off Bucko's birthday with some food van cuisine and drinks in Papeete.

A short tender trip from where the boat was anchored in Tahiti was Tapuna Pass and this fun little left. Each day would begin with a dawn session, and end with a sunset session, all day offshore winds (if any at all), meant you could surf for a full 12 hours, however you would probably be dead from the sun

To break up the monotony of waves, there was also this neat little dive/snorkel site a few minutes tender ride in the other direction.

After a few days, we finally left the big smoke of Papeete and Tahiti for Moorea, another island just 15nm from Tahiti. This time as something different there was another wave a short paddle away from the boat. This one was called Matauvau Pass.

And the right on the pass had some fun ones too.

Cowabunga and the peaks of Moorea in the background.

We don't really shower that much on the boat, in fact I have use the shower just twice in 2 months, usually the fresh water rinse on the back deck is all you need. It's not like you get dirty though, with days and spots like this, there are many hours spent doing what Horse is doing here.

Andy and his best friend, Trev, he is named after the 80/90's iron man poster boy Trevor Hendy.

This is the ultimate Trev Experience, one that we have all tried and failed at.

After a few days in Moorea, it was time to move on, this time a quick overnight sail to Huahine.

Checking a potential Kite spot, that also ended up being our next surf spot.

Eye candy for any ladies reading this - Horse.

Cowabunga.

Bucko and Hannah

Our surf spot to ourselves in Huahine, Araara Pass, both a left and a right, but the right was our go to; for a change.

I decided to stay in the tender on this day to get some photos as the surf looked average, the next day was a lot bigger and better, hence the reason there are no photos of it. It was quite a fun section, bowl and relatively easy wave to score on, especially with the lack of crowd!

We did get one more good surf in at the norther end of Huahine just near Fare, it was actually probably the best surf we have had of the trip, and ended in this happening on Horse's "one more" wave. Five minutes after this photo was taken Horse was packed up and we were saying goodbye to him and made our way to Bora Bora.

Ten minutes after saying goodbye to him we had the fishing lines out. and 5 minutes after that we had this!

And another one.

One thing that has been disappointing on Cowabunga is the lack of fishing we do, we basically live off fish, so whenever we have the chance we put the lines out. Thing is every time we put the lines out less than 20 minutes later we have a fish, with limited freezer space and almost a weeks worth of food for 4 people on one fish, we usually have to bring in the lines for fear of catching too many. First world problems hey? we run two hand reels and a rod at a time and usually, especially with Mahi Mahi, when one line gets a hook up, the other will will soon follow. It is not unusual for us to have all three lines with a fish on it at the same time.

Bora Bora is THE island you see whenever there is something in the media about "tropical island paradise" this is why.

The view we had of Bora Bora on our arrival by boat was a little different but equally spectacular, and with a freezer full of fish, much more satisfying.

So much so that some Mahi-Mahi Sashimi and Cowabunga's house cocktail (coconut water and rum) was the order for the afternoon.

This is how we make our Coconut Rums, find some coconuts in the trees, get the drill, then funnel and sieve them into a bottle.

Add it to some rum, and ice in some Newport Tumblers and voila!

Our first Bora Bora sunrise.

Joining us in Bora Bora for the next five weeks was Salvy, whilst waiting for him to arrive by boat from the airport we decided to check out some waves that had been teasing us the previous day.

Got this one on the head.

With Salv settled in, our first order of business was to get our Steve Irwin/Alby Mangels on and go swimming with some Stingrays.

For those too young to remember, this is Alby Mangels, the original Steve Irwin.

The stingrays were pretty creepy actually. They have been bought up on tourists coming from the hotels and a guide feeding them, so before the anchor of the tender has even hit the bottom, there are 10 or so puppy like rays swarming around the boat trying to get a piece of the action!

This is the most common site we had of the rays, you see them 10m away, coming straight for you, then they are 5, then 2 and instead of stopping a metre away they just swim straight in to you. Sniffing like a hound for some food, the only thing to do is push them out of the way, or like Andy below, step on them!

Here is Andy channelling the best out of Alby and Steve.

After hang in out with the Rays, we made our way to the other side of Bora Bora, and at the first opportunity started to build our Welcome Salvy fire.

Doing what guys do best with fire; look at it.

The girls enjoying it.

Can't argue too much about this!

New crew photo.

The next morning we started to make our way back to the "civilised" part of Bora Bora to get ready for our trip to the Cook Islands. But after going through some passes like this, we decided to stop and check out some Manta Rays that hang out in the same place at the same time every day.

Hannah searching.

The Mantas are a pretty cool animal, they dwarf any human and are one of those animals that make you realise just how shit humans are in the water. These guys didm't mind having us inferior beings around as they cruised the channel picking up plankton in there garage-like mouths for breakfast.

How we keep our fruit.

Back in civilisation, we made the most of Bloody Mary's free water and moorings for people who eat there.

Filling the tanks to the brim, and a few buckets for the evening "shower" the day before leaving Bora Bora.

Dinner at Bloody Mary's, this place is a world famous bar and restaurant, simply because everyone who is anyone that comes to Bora Bora, comes here.

They have a few of these boards at the entrance of some of the names who have come here. Thrilling reading........

.... but when I saw this name I was sold!

After getting our final provisions of fresh food, and clearing out of the French Polynesia Customs Office, we finally said au devoir to French Polynesia and set sail for the Cook Islands.

True to Cowabunga form, 5 minutes after leaving Bora Bora we had the lines out, 10 minutes later we had hooked up. Salvy took the honours of reeling her in.......