4x4 tour in Moorea

On Monday, December 19^th, before the wedding, the Rickman boys and the Rothery family took the 4x4 tour of the island of Moorea. First stop was a view of of the famous Mount Mouaroa, also known as the “Cathedrial”. This mountain is on the 100 French Polynesian Franc coin (about 1 US $).

The truck drove us up to the top of Magic Mountain, where the view was breathtaking of D'Opunohu bay and Mount Rotui, which is the mountain that separates, Cook's bay and D'Opunohu bay.

From here you can also see the outer reefs and the deep inside channel.

The Octagon shaped church in Papetoai, was originally built by the London Missionary Society back in the 1820s.

We could not help but have our photos taken with this amazing view!

The road is VERY steep going up and down from Magic Mountain!! Watch out for those switchbacks!!

Next stop was the pineapple plantation. The leaves first grow red.

Then a pineapple grows right on top of the plant.

There are huge fields of pineapples on Moorea, most of which go to the Rotui juice factory.

The view of Cooks bay from the Belvedere look out point. Can you see Avatar anchored in the bottom right corner?!?

From the Belvedere you can see both Cooks and D'Opunohu bays.

We stopped for a walk in the ferns in the woods near the Marae Titiroa.

These are the famous “Chestnut” trees. They have a nut that is in the shape of a kidney and apparently if you eat it, it can heal your kidney too! Very majestic trees, like the pixie fairies should be popping out at any moment!

Not sure what the name of these large red barked trees are, but I had Dad stand there so you could see how big they were!

When we got down the trail to the second Marae, Ahu-o-Mahine there was a group of local teenagers on the trail with some chaperons. The decided to give us a show and did one of the tribal Haka dances for us, right there at the Marae!! Special!

Mom, Mike and Dad on the trail.

The trail turns to steps where it gets a bit steep.

Marae Ahu-o-Mahine with out the crowds.

Mount Mouaputa has a great story how she got her hole. One dark night, Hiro the Polynesian God of Thieves, tried to steal Mt. Rotui and tow it behind his mighty canoe to Raiatea. But he was spotted by Pai, a legendary Polynesian hero. Climbing to the top of Tataa Hill on Tahiti, Pai hurled his mighty spear at Hiro, but missed. This created the hole seen on Mt. Mouaputa today. Hiro still managed to plunder a small hill and take it back to Raiatea, where the vegetation is similar to that on Mt. Rotui, unlike any of the surrounding growth on the island of Raiatea!

This is the photo I always dreamed of having of my own boat. Avatar anchored in Cooks Bay, with Mt. Mouaroa in the distance.

When we got back to Club Bali Hai, where everyone stayed for the wedding, Kevin decided to try out the kayak.

And Dad took Mom for a paddle in the outrigger canoe, same one to be used later in the wedding. I think they are having fun!! Wonder who's mega yacht that is anchored out there?

Mom & Dad's 55th Wedding Anniversary

Mom and Dad, also known as Chip and Karen, arrived early so we could celebrate their 55^th Wedding anniversary, December 17^th, with them, here in Tahiti. For the day, we had a rental car and hired my friend, Corinne, to go with us as a guide. She recently retired from the Tahitian Department of Culture and has a PHD in Polynesian Culture, so she is a wealth of information! We stopped at one of the biggest Marae's (Polynesian sacred sight), same place Mike and I had seen the play back in July.

I got their photo next to the famous Tiki from Raivavae in the Astral Islands.

We stopped to look at a small waterfall and Mike discovered a carving in the cliff.

There were magical flowers all around this waterfall, which reminded me of the ones from the movie “Avatar”.

There was a big carved stone there too. One side had ocean waves and fishies and the other had men in an outrigger canoe, paddling the sea.

Next stop was the 3 Cascadas (waterfalls). We only went to the first one because the trail is closed to the other two. The flowers there were blooming fabulously.

And the waterfalls are very tall here!

At the South East side of the island is the big surfer haven Teahapoo, where I got Mom and Dad to surf the wave in the parking lot!

We also stopped near the botanical gardens and saw some more beautiful flowers.

These are called Pagoda, because they grow in the shape of one.

The tropical scenery was awesome.

We dropped of Corinne at her house and enjoyed the view below where Avatar is anchored near Marina Taina. That is Moorea in the background.

Once Kevin arrived we sailed all of us over to Moorea. It takes about 3 hours.

We were dodging rain squalls.

Kevin enjoyed the sail from the foredeck.

We were happy to have our family on board!

A cloud did finally catch us, but not for too long, luckily.

Here we are entering Cooks Bay Moorea! Made it safe and sound!

The Wedding Video

If you have time to watch it (it's about 35 min long) please use this link to our YouTube channel to watch the whole ceremony.  It will be just like you were there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-YecUaulq4&t=71s

Hope you enjoy!!

We Are Married!! Tahitian Style!!

Avatar was dressed in full flag attire for the day.

The Moorea Swing Boy's dance club were hired to put on our wedding. Mike got ready in the “men's room” over in Kevin's hut and I got ready in another room with several of the girls coming in to dress me in the costume. Mike was to arrive in an outrigger canoe and they gave him a new “temporary” tattoo with a magic marker. Once he arrived on the beach the girls escorted me to the beach to be with him.

The dancers blew the Triton conch horn to call us together.

One of the girls went in front of us throwing flowers all over the ground.

Once we were seated the Tahitian priest began the ceremony.

We felt like King and Queen for the day!! He talked about how the gods were blessing us and that the winds blew in our favor (it stopped raining just long enough for the ceremony and it was very windy !)

The priest had us stand up and then wrapped our hands in the sacred leaf. He chanted as he released the coconut milk on our hands tied together, as it is considered the sacred water of the gods. He tore the leaf in two and tied each side around us. (this is what they used before rings)

Then he gave us our Tahitian names. Mataihere Tane and Mataihere Vahine. Mataihere means “Lover's Wind” and Tane means man and Vahine means woman.

We were then wrapped in the “Tifaifai” which is a hand made quilt, which we special ordered from a local lady 3 months ago. She did an amazing job!!

The priest spun us and we danced in circles with the drummers drumming to symbolize our oneness wrapped up together.

With a kiss, it was official we were married.

Our big headdresses were removed and we were crowned with flowers.

The priest blessed us again and then the dancers started putting on our show.

The Vahines dance to my favorite Tahitian song.

The Tanes did the traditional Haka dance, which is a very tribal dance where the drumming pounds in your chest.

Then they got Mike up to dance the wedding dance where he shook his bootie and pareo right in front of me! It was awesome!

Then we both got up and all the dancers surrounded us to wish us luck and a long marriage.

The priest then blessed our whole family and the ceremony was over.

We posed for many photos. First with the Tifaifai which shows the Baja on the right side, Moorea in the center and the Eyes of Buddha (on the bow of Avatar) embedded in the sun to the left. The double hulled Polynesian Sailing canoe and all the creatures of the sea were included as well. It turned out fantastic!! And is now on our settee in the main salon.

Then of course we had photos with all the dancers.

And then the family.

Our friends, Rick and Jasna, aboard Calypso, posed for this shot.

After a great meal of Swordfish or Steak for lunch/dinner at the Club Bali Hai restaurant, Mike and I made our promises to each other and exchanged our rings.

Mike's son Kevin made a great toast, calling us “two pieces of a puzzle that fit together perfectly”. So sweet!

The wedding cake had a great double hulled Polynesian Ocean Sailing Canoe and it turned out beautiful. Not to mention the chocolate cake was incredible!!

We drank a lot of wine with dinner and had champagne with the cake.

We then danced to our song “Southern Cross” by Crosby Stills and Nash.

We each danced with my parents to “It's a Wonderful Life”.

Then everyone got up to dance! My friend, Angelique, a local English teacher and her boyfriend.

Our friend, Tahani, with her daughter and boyfriend, Scott.

Even Jaye got Irwin from Windsome up on the dance floor!

The rings were custom made. Mine is a black pearl with a wave and Mike's is a Turks Head knot ring from Israel. I also wore my Grandma's emerald and a diamond nautical bracelet that my mom gave me. It was truly a very special day.

The French say if it rains on your wedding day, that is God blessing you. But the fact that the sun shined just long enough to have the ceremony out on the beach where I wanted it, makes me know, we both are very blessed for sure!!! Wish you could have been there!!!!!!