Expedition Report - installment one
July 17th, 2006I did not believe that there was still a place in all of Polynesia that was as natural, unspoiled and stunningly beautiful as Raivavae. This is an island of contrasts and simplicity. The people are friendly, smile easily, yet remain shy and reserved. The older people still speak the Raivavae version of the Tahitian language and are not fluent in French. Even one of our local guides, Terangi, a contempory, spoke the local dialect much better than French. A few of the younger people speak halting English as they are now taught it in their schools. The local islanders live a fairly traditional life similar to their ancestors but are modern and naïve at the same time. They drive new cars, live in concrete houses with running hot and cold water, electricity and satellite TV. At the same time they tend traditional gardens of Taro, Bananas, Sweet Potatoes and Breadfruit. Their diet consists of traditional and imported foods from around the world. Each tiny general store has a selection of canned and packaged foods including the ever present and popular spam and corned beef. There are virtually no fresh produce for sale in the stores except for the occasional carrot or onion as everything is grown by most of the families and shared with all of those within their community. There is a strong tradition of the Protestant religion;
Raivavae is one of 5 of the Austral Islands, stunningly picturesque, located just south of the Tropic of Capricorn at 23*52’ S latitude and 147*40’ W longitude, The weather is ideal. It is a high island of eroded volcanic basalt, 5-7 million years old, surrounded by a fringing reef; the farthest south in French Polynesia. The surrounding reef with its numerous uninhabited Motus (small islands) creates a beautiful shallow lagoon with varied hues of iridescent blues. It’s highest point; Mt. Hiro tops out at 438 meters or 1,423 feet. Raivavae has a very slow pace, most everyone gets around by bicycles or on foot, though there are a few surprisingly nice cars on the island. There is a road that encircles the entire island, 1/3 still unpaved coral and sand. The people maintain an almost subsistence lifestyle; farming taro, bananas and fishing the outer reef in handmade outrigger canoes much like they have for generations. There are no restaurants, bars, postcards or tee-shirt shops, only a very few small grocery stores and pensions or guest houses. Tourists are still rare on Raivavae; the local islanders still offer a “Iogana” and a friendly wave each time we passed one.
Lynn Danaher