Circle Island Tour Of Rimatara

Shortly after we arrived on Rimatara and checked in to La Perruche Rouge, the owner’s son took us on a tour of the island.  The blue dot below shows the location of La Perruche Rouge just near the airport.

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The first place we stopped was at a small general store where we were able to buy some t-shirts with Rimatara Lorikeets on them.  The store doesn’t have a sign and would be easily missed if you didn’t know where it was in Amaru

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As we drove through the town, I was really loving the bus stops with the Lorikeet motifs!IMG_0671 IMG_0672

There is a small handicraft shop in Amaru.  Unfortunately they sold products that would have been difficult to import to Australia.  I wish they had paintings of the Lorikeets!IMG_0673 IMG_0674 IMG_0675

The cemetery is a short walk away towards the sea.  This is where you find the grave of Queen Temaeva.IMG_0676 IMG_0678 IMG_0685 IMG_0686 IMG_0687 IMG_0688

We continued driving clockwise around the island, passing more Lorikeet bus stops and churches.  Even the stained glass windows in the church were in Lorikeet colours!  I love how the residents of Rimatara really appreciate and care about their native bird!IMG_0689 IMG_0690 IMG_0691 IMG_0692 IMG_0693 IMG_0694 IMG_0698

Very quickly, we reached the next village of Motu’ura.  Another pretty church, some nice beaches and a small snack bar.  I wish I had known there was a snack bar before we came or I wouldn’t have brought food from Papeete!IMG_0699 IMG_0696 IMG_0697 IMG_0695 IMG_0700 IMG_0701 IMG_0702

Catch of the day!IMG_0703

We kept driving through the town of Anapoto which is walking distance from the lodge so we didn’t stop there.IMG_0704 IMG_0705 IMG_0706 IMG_0707

And then back to our bungalow!IMG_0708

 

Temaeva – The Queen Who Saved A Species

No visit to Rimatara, especially one to see the beautiful Rimatara Lorikeets would be complete without a visit to the grave of Queen Temaeva (also spelled Tamaeva) in the village of Amaru.

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Very little is actually known about her.  She didn’t have a long reign, she died at a very young age.  Wikipedia has a brief biography.  Her father was King Tamaeva III of Rimatara, an island kingdom which also controlled the neighboring coral atoll of Nororotu (or ÃŽles Maria), a claim it disputes with the neighboring kingdom of Rurutu. She was born during the period of westernization of the island and the Christian conversion of the islanders to the Protestant faith.  Sources differ on her actual age and her date of birth, although it is certain that Tamaeva was only a teenager at the time of her death, which would place her birth in the early 1870s. Because of her youth and inexperience, her aunt Heimataura  served as regent.

Queen Temaeva (centre) and family.

What you need to understand is that back in these days, it was customary for island royalty throughout the Pacific to decorate themselves with feathers.  This sad tradition is still going on in places like Papua New Guinea where even whole birds are incorporated into dance costumes.

The beauty of birds was more often a curse as the island royals and warriors hunted the most beautiful birds into extinction.  The brilliantly coloured Rimatara Lorikeet’s (known locally as “Ura”) red feathers were highly desirable to decorate these costumes.

IMG_1333The Ura had been native to several Polynesian islands including Atiu and Rimatara but by the early 1800’s the species had been hunted into extinction on every island except Rimatara.  It would have been only a matter of time before the beautiful Ura also disappeared from Rimatara if not for Queen Temaeva.  She issued a “Tapu” (taboo or law) forbidding exporting, exploiting or harming the lory in any way.  What also helped is that Rimatara had an abundance of food and no black rats.  It has been said that Queen Temaeva wished that the birds should multiply forever and ever.  This has been commemorated on twin plaques, one in Rimatara and one in Atiu.

IMG_0677 IMG_0681More information can be found in the World Parrot Trust’s magazine, Psittascene,  and on the Cook Islands Biodiversity website.  We will never know what opened this young Queen’s heart and make her want to protect the birds at a time when her peers were wearing their feathers.  I will always be grateful to her for doing so as it would have been a horrible tragedy to lose this beautiful bird from the planet.  May you rest in peace, Queen Temaeva……………..and thank you for saving the Rimatara Lorikeet!

Lodge Review: La Perruche Rouge, Rimatara

La Perruche Rouge (the Red Parakeet) grabbed my attention the minute I started seeking out accommodation on Rimatara.  The website is in French but Google Translate is your friend!  I was surprised how close it is to the airport, the access road is just 5 minutes up the road.

The lower level is where the Kato family (the owners) live and the reception/dining area.  The guest bungalows are on the higher level.

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Our bungalowIMG_0621

Small but clean bathroom.  No kitchen or even a kettle but the family will boil water or heat up simple food for you in their kitchen.IMG_0623

The bungalow has a king sized bed and a single bed.IMG_0624 IMG_0625

The bed linens are to die for!  Embroidered Rimatara Lorikeets!  Of course I wanted to buy some but they don’t have any extras for sale.  Aline said she had them custom made in Bali.  Next time I go there I have to look for embroidery shops!IMG_0710 IMG_0713

Back at the reception/dining area.  Meals are served family style and are very good!  Most people have a demi-pension plan which includes breakfast and dinner.IMG_1494 IMG_1493 IMG_1492

Back at the bungalow we had a nice porch to relax on and enjoy the view!IMG_0708 IMG_0626

You can book a variety of tours – birding of course and some cultural experiences.  The “Decouverte de taro” one totally cracked me up – they were charging people to do what my husband has done for free in his family plantation since he was a kid growing up in Rarotonga!  Still for a Western tourist it would be new and different.IMG_0658 IMG_0656This was a fantastic little pension and the owners were lovely!  I highly recommend a visit here.  You need to book via their website and pay cash on arrival.  Actually you can pay when you check out but I hate carrying cash around so chose to pay up front.

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Rimatara – Rarely Visited Island Of French Polynesia

Very few people make it out to Rimatara other than birders – which is a real shame.  It may be small but it’s a beautiful, friendly island.  The surprising thing is that it is geographically closer to Rarotonga (indicated by its capital Avarua) than to the capital of French Polynesia – Papeete.  Although you can get to Papeete with miles, you will have to pay cash for this domestic flight.

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Air Tahiti flies there on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.  I wanted a 3 night stay so out on Friday and back on Monday was the best option.  If you are pressed for time or can only manage a 2 night stay, you will still see the Rimatara Lorikeets.  The island is small and they are easy to see.

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The first thing I noticed as we approached Rimatara is that the island is much flatter than the islands of the Marquesas.

IMG_0611 IMG_0613 IMG_0614The island has 3 small villages.  I’ll give a more detailed tour of the island in a future post.

IMG_0659Once we arrived at the airport, we were met by our hostess and had a quick look around.  I was really pleased to see how protective they are of their native birds!

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Papeete On A Budget (And Where To Splurge)

You don’t often see those two words in the same sentence!  But believe it or not, it is possible to save money in Papeete by doing what the locals do!

IMG_1695 IMG_16961.  Locals use the buses.  Unfortunately the colourful “Le Trucks” have disappeared and been replaced by normal buses.  Bus fares from the airport to the town centre or Intercontinental will be around 200 XPF and a bit more to the Radisson.  Weekdays, buses operate roughly every 15 to 30 minutes from around 5am until about 5.30pm.  If you are staying at the Intercontinental, the Pape’ete-Faa’a-Outumaoro line supposedly operates 24 hours but in reality gets very quiet after 10pm.  We did manage to get this bus to the airport at 5am but since we only had backpacks we would have walked otherwise.  Sunday services are less frequent.

2.  Locals eat at the Grande Marche or in the evening at the roulottes.  Hotel food is really expensive and you’ve probably seen other blogs talking about $50 breakfasts and $100 dinners.  You can save a bundle by visiting the food stalls at the market and buying sandwiches or plates of food to bring back to your room.  We also brought packets of Crystal Light to mix with water rather than paying $5 for a bottle of soft drink.  Here’s an idea of what to look for at the marche.

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If you are feeling festive or planning on attending an island night (luau) you can buy leis just outside.  IMG_0534The cheapest pareus (sarongs) are also found on the sidewalk outside the market but it’s cash only!

There are a few jewelry stalls near the tourist office.

IMG_05113.  Free maps and booklets at the Tourist Office.

IMG_0513 IMG_05124.  Souvenirs are cheaper in the grande marche or just outside and some shops take credit cards.

IMG_0535 IMG_0517 IMG_0516LAST BUT NOT LEAST – THE SPLURGE!

I really wish I could have afforded these beautiful bird paintings on wood but they started at around $300!  Yikes!

IMG_0528 IMG_0527 IMG_0526 IMG_0525 IMG_0524There are some nicer wood carvings and other objets d’art near the Place Vaima.  You can also get a SIM card for your cell phone.

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We got to see the Miss Tahiti crown on display as the pageant was happening the week after we left.  Nearby, you can find some Tahitian haute couture!

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Hotel Review: Radisson Plaza Resort, Tahiti

*** Sadly this hotel is no longer with Club Carlson, it is now with the Pearl Hotel group.  You can no longer book it with points. ***

As luck would have it, we had 2 days to kill in Papeete as the next flight to Rimatara was only 3 days a week and we were booked for Friday.  This was a perfect opportunity to keep costs down by using my Club Carlson Visa benefits of getting one award night free after booking one.  The Radisson Plaza Resort in Tahiti was a very nice property although the location was inconvenient to get to.  Most people will take a taxi from the airport for around $50-ish but budget travelers can use the local buses which stop in front of the airport to get downtown.  This bus will leave you near the Grande Marche and you will need to walk a couple blocks to get an onward bus to the Radisson.  Just ask the locals, they will make sure you get the right one.  In the map below you can see the location of the Radisson, the Intercontinental (review to come) and the Marche Municipale.  It will cost around $5 per person in bus fares to get there.  The photo below shows where you get off the bus for the Radisson.  The last bus is around 5:30 pm but I would get there by 5 just to be sure.

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IMG_0495 IMG_0497I was pleasantly surprised to see we were upgraded to a suite overlooking the beach!  There was a living area, balcony and powder room downstairs and the bedroom with full bathroom upstairs.

IMG_0498 IMG_0499 IMG_0500 IMG_0501 IMG_0502 IMG_0503 IMG_0504 IMG_0505 IMG_0506The wonderful view from our balcony!

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The van that takes you downtown twice a day (8:30 am, returning 12:00 and 2:00 returning 5:00pm) is fairly small and you need to book in advance.  Otherwise you will have to use a taxi or the local buses.  They drop you off and pick you up behind the tourist office.

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The swimming pool was really nice but I was disappointed to see the jacuzzi had cold water.

IMG_0550 IMG_0552 IMG_0554 IMG_0556This is where I get ideas for our upcoming bathroom renovation.  I love tropical decor!

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On Thursday evenings, don’t miss the fantastic Marquesas dance show!  My husband managed to get us a great table up front (guess it pays that he speaks their language)!  It doesn’t have to be expensive.  Thankfully it wasn’t some over-priced buffet and you could order what you want from the menu.  Pasta dishes are around $20-25.

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My husband is actually a Cook Island drummer so wanted to jam with the band!IMG_0601 IMG_0606Even award nights attract a resort fee of around 1800 XPF and city tax 300 XPF per night.  Award nights are 44,000 Gold Points (2nd night free with Club Carlson Visa).  Reviews on Trip Advisor are mixed, most people have more issues with the location rather than the property itself.  There are no dining options within walking distance so you can buy food at the market and bring it back.

When leaving for the airport at 4am on check out day, we were reluctantly prepared to have to pay for a taxi but got lucky.  There was a large bus picking up a group of tourists and we arranged with the driver to pay 1000 XPF each to be dropped at the airport.

World’s Smallest Washing Machine

We’ve all been there.  A hot sweaty hike through the rainforest in pursuit of that rare bird.  Rewarding but you do end up with pretty filthy clothes!  This Aussie inventor/entrepreneur has come up with a very clever solution!

THE SCRUBBA!

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While originally designed with backpackers in mind, the Scrubba wash bag has also become the best way to clean clothes for people on vacation, business travelers, students living dorm rooms or small apartments, campers, hunters, cyclists, kayakers or people going on cruises. Whether it is so you can pack light, avoid hotel laundry costs, avoid searching for Laundromats, avoid potential hygiene issues washing in a sink, use less water or simply to have the freedom to wash clothes wherever you want, there is an aspect of the Scrubba wash bag that will appeal to all travelers.

This video shows a live demonstration of how it works.  The Scrubba can be ordered from their website.

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