A deep crystal-clear lagoon surrounds the two islands that comprise Huahine. On shore you will find lush forests, untamed landscape, and eight quaint villages. Green vibrant mountains are met by white sandy beaches at each of the numerous bays. The interior offers a variety of cultivated fields including watermelon, vanilla, bananas, and cucumbers. Huahine offers the true authentic Polynesia experience. Huahine is pronounced “way-a-hee-knee.”
There are four villages or districts on the big island of Huahine Nui and four on the small island of Huahine Iti. Most of the inhabitants live a rural life growing melons and seasonal fruits. The first evidence of colonization appears to be 850 AD. The original name of the island was “Matairea” or “Happy Wind” and nobody seems to know what the name was changed. Huahine is translates to “Hua” means “sex” and “hine” means “woman” in Tahitian. This island pays homage to women as one of the mountains looks like a pregnant woman laying on her side.
Formation of Huahine
Thee distinct volcanic eruptions formed Huahine. However, there are two legends that dispute this finding. The first powerful legend asserts that the god Hiro cut the island in half with his canoe. Whereas the second prevailing legend states that Mt. Moua Puta (on Mo’orea) was pierced by spears during a contest among gods. The pieces of the mountain then sailed 100 miles where it split Huahine in two.
Huahine Nui and Huahine Iti
There is a certain aurora on the island that exudes mystery and intrigue. It is exceptionally beautiful and green, even on a hazy, stormy day. We hunkered down a lot because we are still immersed in the “maramu.” However, we did rent a car to drive around the island. We preferred to rent bikes or scooters but the weather was such that those modes of transport would be no fun. Our first stop was the town of Maeva to see the archaeological ruins called “marae”.
Stone Temple Mecca
The famous archaeological sites near the village of Maeva include the largest concentration of pre-European marae (stone temples) in Polynesia. There are more than 200 archeological stone structures that have survived for centuries. They include marae of island chieftains, dwellings, horticultural developments, and religious and ceremonial monuments.
Fare Pote’e
In the center of the village is the “Fare Pote’e” which means “oval house”. The chief lived here and held community meetings. Fare Pote’e was originally built in the town of Fare. But when the missionaries came they destroyed it. The locals rebuilt it in the neighboring village of Maeve in 1972. They had to rebuild the Fare Pote’e in 1996 after a cyclone destroyed it. The roof is reconstructed every eight years using local trees. It takes the town a month to rebuild the roof each time. The floors are woven into an intricate pattern out of bamboo that is soft on your feet.
Fare Pote’e and Marae in Huahine
As you can tell from the photos, we have had a lot of rain and wind from the maramu. I am sure this is stunningly beautiful on a normal Polynesian day. There were lots of “marae” surrounding the Fare Pote’e but we could not access them due to the surrounding water (that is not normally there).
Marae flooded due to Maramu
Stay tuned for more adventures on Huahine as we feed the sacred eels, brave the maramu destruction and visit a distillery. H
