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29th July - 7th August, 2005
Quintin’s twin sons Sebastian and Oliver, and their mother Ame Engelhart, arrived at 1am for a
long-planned visit from Hong Kong. The excitement of hosting two nine-year olds on the yacht
was justified – it was to be an experience to remember. Mark & Q dressed up for the occasion
in new Tahitian shirts, and were waiting in the airport arrivals hall bearing elaborate flower leys,
as is the custom in these parts! Personal transfer by taxi then dinghy reached our isolated
anchorage on the edge of the outer lagoon reef, where the contents of two goodie-bags were
unveiled, packed full of special treats that Ame had thoughtfully stowed. A couple of welcoming
cocktails at 3am added to the time-zone confusion, but everyone was up early the next morning
to appreciate the turquoise beauty of the shallow waters surrounding us.
After Q knocked up a pancake breakfast (he was instructed to make special shapes for
everyone, so a whale, octopus, and starfish sprang out of the pan), it was time for the boys’ first
snorkelling lesson – Ame had brought new masks and fins for them, which we were eager to try
out. The muddy waters of the South China Sea offer no comparison to the crystal-clear South
Pacific, so this was to prove a real treat.
A few instructions on mask clearance, keeping clear of delicate coral etc and Seb was off and
away. Oli needed a bit more assistance getting his fins adjusted to the right size, then he too
became comfortable underwater, and the pair of them soon grew gills and turned into fish, free-
diving at every opportunity and in awe at all the marvels of the unspoilt coral reefs surrounding
these islands. We were soon totting up the array of bright reef fish we’d spotted, when a huge
sting-ray glided out from behind a coral-head right in front of us, said hello in ‘Rayese’, then
slowly headed off in search of lunch.
Early the next morning Q took Seb and Oli in hand for some serious safety and sailing lessons
before putting out to sea. The boys have been sailing little 7foot Optimist dinghies in Hong Kong
for some years (just as Q learnt on as a child in Malaysia), and swiftly adapted to the concepts of
sailing a big yacht – they soon had the hang of the ropes, helping to grind the winches and trim
the sails as we set off for a day-sail across to the nearby island of Moorea.
The boys arrived very excited to catch fish, and we spent some time choosing and preparing
new lures before throwing our fishing lines out behind the yacht with fingers crossed. Despite
chasing a flock of birds, who were following a school of tuna on the hunt, Neptune didn’t bestow
his favour upon us this time and we remained empty handed… boo-hoo! However, in
compensation we were extremely lucky to sight two humpback whales dead ahead as we
approached Moorea, and excitedly swung around to follow their graceful passage for about 20
minutes – keeping a respectable distance of 50 yards while they repeatedly dived and surfaced
– what fortunate timing!
Approaching our anchorage in Opunohu Bay it was apparent why Moorea’s dramatic
mountainous backdrop and deep protected bays are one of the most photogenic spots in the
whole South Pacific – a perfect environment to relax and start playing! No sooner had we
dropped anchor than Seb was climbing up the rigging looking for a high point to dive off, so we
swung the boom out over the water to make a great 10 foot launch platform. Mark soon went one
better by demonstrating his pirouette technique from the spreaders 30 foot up the mast, but this
was too tricky for 9-year-olds to follow!
Eager for another shot at fishing, Oli suggested a 4am start! Needless to say it was mid-morning
before Q loaded ‘Andy’ the dinghy with the rods, lures, and excited boys, and set off to try our
luck on the ocean side of the reef, while Ame dragged Mark off on a long run into Moorea’s
interior. Exiting the reef pass into open ocean we spied a flock of birds having a feeding frenzy
some 400 yards away, and set off in hot pursuit! With the outboard engine flat-out we soon caught
up with the mayhem and found ourselves bouncing off large waves in the midst of hundreds of
dive-bombing birds, with flying fish scattering in panic in all directions – very exciting stuff, and
one flying fish slammed into Sebastian as we zipped about! Sadly however our fishing gods had
deserted us – despite a few nibbles from the hunting tuna beneath us, we had no luck reeling any
in. Later that day as the clouds rolled in we tried again, Mark joining the fishing team in the hope
he’d improve our chances, but despite trolling up and down the outer reef edge, we caught
nothing, so attention soon turned to belting out a few songs: we taught the boys “Bunny Foo-Foo”,
and they in turn taught us their American cousins’ canoeing song – all good male-bonding stuff!
As the heavens opened it was time to seek shelter… and settle down to a few indoor games:
Scrabble, Poker Dice, the entertaining “Pass the Piggies”, and “Killer Bunnies” – the
unquestionable favourite! Seb and Oli were so taken with the originality and inventiveness of the
latter that they would be up early practicing new tricks each morning in order to outplay the adults
in the evening!
Awaking the next morning to a torrential downpour, it was clear we were sailing nowhere, so
there was nothing for it but to head ashore for a hike in the rain! Within 15 minutes our wet-
weather gear was soaked through, and there was little option but to press on and enjoy this
alternative tropical experience. An hour later we five dripping-wet refugees arrived at our first
destination: Moorea’s Fruit-Juice factory. Much of Moorea’s lush volcanic interior is covered
with tropical fruit plantations, and the majority of the island’s crop is brought to this factory to be
processed into juice and spirits. Entering their showroom we received a warm welcome, and
were soon ushered to their bar where free tastings are offered. The delicious pineapple, mango,
orange and papaya juices soon revived us, but the main attraction was the liquor on offer for the
adults – nine shots each in quick succession and we’d soon forgotten the rain entirely! The
tastings ranged from 25% proof clear spirits flavoured with coconut, pamplemousse etc, through
creamy coffee and vanilla flavoured liqueurs, to a fiery 40% proof ‘Tahitian Viagra’ flavoured with
ginger – all genuinely delicious! Unsurprisingly we had a spring in our step as we headed back
out into the rain for a further hike to the local supermarche in search of fresh baguettes and child-
friendly supplies. In a moment of inspiration Oliver and Mark spied a local van selling Chinese
roast chicken by the side of the road (Oli having already proved his assertion that he could eat a
whole chicken by himself), and so it was that we took shelter by the edge of Cook’s Bay to chow
down on a delicious chicken and baguette lunch – and nothing could have been more
appreciated at that moment! Laden with supplies and finally weary of the rain, we stuck Oliver in
the road to hitchhike, and on his very first attempt he secured us a lift in the back of a pick-up
truck, thus to return to another round of “Killer Bunnies”!
Tuesday heralded bright sunshine and a new and memorable experience for us all. We had
heard talk of a location on Moorea’s NW coast where it is possible to swim with sting-rays close-
up, and we set off early morning on a 45-minute dinghy ride to investigate. Threading our way
between shallow reefs and coral heads within the lagoon we eventually came upon a waist-deep
shelf of white sand where about 20 rays were congregating around a couple of local boats.
Jumping in with mask-and-snorkel on, we were amazed to discover that the sting-rays were
exceptionally friendly, constantly circling around us, rubbing their velvety skin against us, and
positively mobbing us when we offered them tidbits of fish to eat – sucked hard straight out of our
hands! Admittedly this particular group of rays had grown tame from visits by tourists such as
ourselves, but nonetheless it was a special experience to share with the boys.
Just alongside this sandy shelf ran a deeper channel where we discover a dozen black-tipped
reef sharks cruising around. After an initially tentative inspection upon their first shark-sighting, the
boys soon lost all sense of fear and began chasing after them, with Oliver diving down to get as
close to as many sharks as possible! What a fabulous introduction to the natural wonders of the
underwater world. This place was so special that we sailed the yacht back there that afternoon,
anchoring 200 yards from the ‘ray bank’, so that we could indulge in further snorkeling trips and
underwater adventures for another day.
Keen to join the sailing fraternity, Seb requested a ’Skardu’ haircut, so Q obliged by shaving off
his golden locks with our electric razor to leave a short neat buzz cut: just as we’d sported some
months before. We tried to convince Oli to follow suit, but he was totally committed to his flowing
red mane, and wouldn’t loose it for the world… something to do with the thespian influence we
believe!
Our plan had been to return from here back towards Tahiti, but rough weather soon changed our
minds – an hour of pounding into lumpy swell and 30 knot winds was enough to give our crew a
taste of life at sea – so we opted to seek shelter in the relative calm of Cook’s Bay, and await
brighter weather. This gave us the opportunity for a further trip ashore, to refill our petrol cans,
and to visit the local fish market, where we finally secured some elusive Tuna – turned into
delicious sushi by Mark that evening – and our first taste of Moonfish, a delicacy know locally as
“Salmon of the Gods”, that is occasionally caught on long-lines at a depth of some 300 meters.
The protected bay was also an ideal spot for our next water-sports event: boogie-boarding
behind the dinghy…the boys are the ideal weight to plane behind our 8hp outboard, while Mark
and Q have already proved we need a much bigger outfit to haul our weight out of the water! The
boys showed off their wake-boarding techniques, slaloming across the wake, bouncing off the
waves, and loving every minute of it.
As the weather cleared we headed round to a new anchorage tucked up inside the reef on the
east coast of Moorea, where we had previously discovered exceptionally clear water for
snorkeling amongst a pristine coral garden teeming with bright reef fish. This time we found a
couple of very large moray eels poking out of rock caves; while Ame kept her distance, Seb
happily swam just a few feet above the eel’s intimidating mouthful of sharp teeth!
While at this anchorage we decided to rig up a rope swing from the spinnaker boom, adding new
dimensions to our boat-jumping antics. The adults all took turns to climb up the mast and jump
from the spreaders, while the boys’ favourite was to piggy-back on Mark or Q for a tandem rope
swing! It was a whole lot of fun, and Ame caught some excellent mid-air shots on film.
A delightful day-sail finally took us back to Tahiti where we moored up mid-afternoon on the
harbour-front quay wall in Papeete, in time for a quick explore of the city center, and the
imperative purchase of traditional Tahitian shirts for the boys. That evening we witnessed a
beautiful sunset over the distant jagged outline of Moorea from the vantage of Papeete’s harbour-
front, and then headed into town for a delicious chow mein and chocolate-crepe dinner at the
outdoor ‘roulottes’ night-market.
Despite their fantasies of stowing away on the leg to Bora Bora, it was sadly time for the boys’
return to Hong Kong, so all were up for an early start to catch the 6am flight to Auckland. The
previous night’s sunset seemed a fitting end to a wonderful visit, full of youthful enthusiasm, fresh
perspectives, first-time experiences, and the excitement of sharing an exceptional chapter of
Skardu’s adventures together.
at the local fish-market !
