Introduction to the Gambier Island Group

We arrived in Rikitea, the main village in the Gambiers on January, 18....It had been 10 days since we stepped foot on land. Up early the next morning to check in with the authorities. We wanted to get it done early, because our friends were hiking up the highest peak in the islands, Mount Mokoto and they wanted us to go with them. The weather was perfect for it.

The village of Rikitea.

The crew of Pakeatea, Sonja, Tom and son Keanu, followed by the crew of Mango, Nick and Isabelle with kids Eric and Sophie, excited to see us again. We last met in the Tuamotus.

One of the buildings from the 1700s.

The trees along the main road are huge, green and have a fur of baby airplants living on their bark.

Interesting flowers we had never seen before. They looked like very velvety red fingers.

The hill we are going to walk up, with the families just ahead of us.

We are about half way up the hill, when we are treated with this view of the island of Aukena, owned by famous Pearl mogul, Robert Wan.

We went over a ridge and started going down hill, in the shade, nice!

We found the trail entrance and we are in the jungle.

The sun shining through some large trees.

These are Ironwood trees, commonly used for carving.

We come upon an area fenced off with barb wire where a spring is located.

The hill is pretty steep and covered with ferns.

Me looking up a particularly steep part with Mike standing at the top.

The pine needles covering the trial were quite slippery.

A new view to the North of the rest of the island of Mangareva and a view of the barrier reef off in the distance.

Looking through the pines at Mt. Duff, the more advanced hike, not to be done with children.

This is a shot from Tom, who was in the lead, looking down the steep hill with the kids and Isabelle.

Tom's shot of us coming though the high grass above the trees.

Looking down at Rikitea village and our boats anchored out front, looking East.

The colors of the water are becoming visible, along with the many pearl farms out on the inner lagoon reef.

The Southern group of Gambier islands, still inside the barrier reef. Left to right, Isle Manui, Isle Kamaka, which has a small sheltered bay, then very pointy Isle Makara with motu Teiki so close to the end of it, they look like the same island.

Can you see the inner reef (light colored water) between us and them?

Mike and I pose for a photo with the southern group behind us.

Looking East you see Mount Duff on Mangareva, a bit of Isle Aukena, a big puffy cloud by itself and the Isle of Akamaru on the right with a large shallow reef on its North side.

The lichen on this volcanic boulder made some interesting formations, reminded me of tattoo characters.

But wait we are still not at the top!! More virtical-ness to go! Can you see everyone just going over the next ridge?

The island of Teravai, inside the West corner of the barrier reef.

We are up so high, we can see the white cloud reflected in the blue water. It is almost surreal.

Great shot of Akamaru.

Almost at the top of the peak of Mount Mokoto!

To get a little perspective of the hill, I wait for the others to go ahead. Mike, Isabelle, Sonja, and the guys with the kids on the last little bit.

Tom's shot of me looking back down the hill from his perspective.

A snack well earned! We all munch out while enjoying the view. Sonja and the kids.

Tom, Sonja, and Keanu with Teravai in the background.

Tom gets a shot of me as my hat is tipping my sunglasses up and you can just see me looking under them. Funny!

Mike resting enjoying the view.

Mike and I with Mt. Duff behind. If we look a little hot and sweaty, it's because we are!!

The point of Mangareva that looks West and we can see the pass where we came in yesterday.

Isle Teravai, which will become one of our most favorite spots.

However if you blow up this photo, you can see the crazy reef system guarding the bay. It is a butt puckering zig and zag course to get in where those boats are anchored!!

On the North side of Mangareva it is extremely shallow! And you can see that sweet wonderful barrier reef that keeps the big Southern Ocean swells away.

The very blue water is around 80 to 150 feet deep. The light blue is about 10 to 20 feet deep and the dark green is looking down on the coral shelf around the island, 0 to 10 feet.

Time to start heading back down the ridge through the high grass and past a balancing rock.

Tom stayed behind in order to take a very special photo of all the islands.

This is Tom's 360 degree of the world view from the top of Mt. Mokoto!! Thanks for sharing this with us Tom!! Note the shear cliff of Mt. Duff and all the big puffy clouds on the horizon.

OK people, stay on the trail, please, it is steep over there!

One area was so steep that Sophie and Keanu were sliding on the leaves.

The gang waiting for me in the pine needle trail on the other side of the ravine.

Tom's shot of me coming down the other side.

Mike and the kids sit on a big root outcrop and use it as a bench.

There is that spring water heading down the gulley!

We have started calling these big black hoses, used to pull the water from the spring, Big Black Tahitian Water Snakes.

Can you see the little lizard on the stick of wood. Dead center.

At the end of the trail, Tom gets all the kids together for a photo, on top of a big rock.

Kiddos! Sophie and Keanu both 7 in the front and Eric, 4 in the back. You might think they did pretty good for being so young, but then again they are German and Austrian!!

We spot a huge banana stalk of bananas hanging on the side of the road.

These guys are prepared, with a machete, they hack off a few.

These are called Angel flowers.

Back in the village at the Quey, all of the kids are jumping in the water to cool off. I think kids do this everywhere in the world! There are a lot of them!

AS we watch the sun set glow on the clouds, we start to feel our legs, they were wobbly on the way back and now we realize, we should probably not gone hiking with Germans and Austrians after 10 days of not touching ground! Oh well, it was worth it for those views! Seeing it all from up there, now we can't wait to start exploring!