Wayne met me in LA and we flew back to Tahiti together.  We arrived with 5 large bags and 2 backpacks weighing in at almost 300lbs.  Yep, we brought back a lot of boat parts, spares, replacements, and other necessities.  You see, it is far cheaper to purchase items in the States and bring them over then it is to purchase locally at 3x the price.  Or purchase in the U.S. and have it shipped to Tahiti.  So, as visitors come in to visit us they will be our “pack mules.”  After spending a full day unpacking the bags and putting items away we decided it was time to tour the island.

Tour of Tahiti

We grabbed a rental car at the airport and spent half the day provisioning.  I’m sure it was loads of fun for Wayne, but it is a necessity.  And really he wasn’t about to complain as we purchased 10 cases of Hinano beer.  The next day we took Wayne to see our favorite Grotto where we enjoyed a tasty French breakfast.  See Tahiti Excursion for details on the Grotto.

We circled back past Marina Taina, through downtown Papeete, to the other side of the island where Tres Cascades is located.  You can read about these beautiful falls in the “Tahiti Excursion” blog and at Tahiti Heritage.  This beautiful site never disappoints – with its raging falls, running rivers, green foliage and colorful rainbows.

Tres Cascades in Tahiti

Fun little MOAI located downtown Papeete and in front of the Papette Marina.

MOAI in downtown Papeete Tahiti

We returned the rental car, hopped back on Sugar Shack and headed the 5 miles to Point Venus. See our blog “Point Venus” for historical details and lots of fabulous photos.  We took a water tour around the point, showed Wayne the striking lighthouse and walked the black sand beach.

Point Venus Lighthouse

We were gifted with an glorious and unobstructed view of the sunset.

Sunset at Point Venus

Since we only have Wayne on-board for a short stint, we wanted to get a move on.  Matt checked the weather and to our disappointment, there was a “maramu” heading our way.  A maramu is a very strong southerly wind which only occurs in this area in the winter.  It can cause some serious havoc while underway.  So, we decided it was best to make our way to Moorea to wait out the maramu.