Fakarava Atoll

Hi everyone,

We spent over a week at Rotoava in the north of Fakarava atoll.  Roroava is the main town and we had a very relaxing stay with a bunch of EBBYC and OCC crews.  We had hoped to spend a few day in the south of the atoll but the weather didn't cooperate.

At the Pearl Farm resort

The town of Rotoava is very neat and tidy.  We were able to dispose of our rubbish at last.  However water was only available after buying a card with minimum amount of 400 litres which made it quite expensive.  That's another reason we have to move on.  We paid the small fee for our stay - visitor and rubbish fees - at the town hall.

Dinghy Dock

Town Hall gardens

There are an array of cafes and restaurants in town.  Some are quite posh, catering for the small cruise ships which visit regularly.  There are several small supermarkets, one of which is a boulangerie.  Get there by 0730 if you want baguettes.  Very nice.

We had several get-togethers with the EBBYC and OCC crews here with us.  First a sundowner on the beach followed by dinner at a cafe.  Second a visit to the local pearl farm.  Third a sundowner on EBBYC sv Joint Venture.  We also spent some time with OCC sv Nimue who we've known for some years.

Sundowner on the beach

Pearl Farm jetty

Oysters

Learning about pearl farming

Following the pearl farm demonstration we all picked an oyster.  The pearl found inside was ours to keep.  Nicki now has a nice black pearl.  Then we all hung out in the resort for a couple of hours and had a great lunch.  Top spot.

Sharks cruise past the Pearl Farm resort

It's a shame we only allowed ourselves 2 weeks in the Tuamotus.  They're an amazing group of atolls, particularly for divers.  But time marches on.  Next we'll be sailing to Tahiti and exploring the Society Islands.

Birds feeding alongside Zen Again

Trust all's well where you are.