A quick hop and we were at Moorea, as the guide book says, with mountains leaping almost vertically out of the clear lagoon, lush vegetation, restaurants dripping with fresh fish etc etc this is the island paradise. It certainly is very beautiful, and a wonderful place to have Kirsty’s birthday BBQ in the company of other cruisers.

We walked up the hill through wooded areas, pineapple plantations, and marae sites to an amazing lookout point, where the view is fantastic. Activities at sea level included the usual swimming but here we had an opportunity to swim with some stingrays, (and sharks). When you’re standing in the water the stingrays like children push each other to get the closest position to your body, some of the official guides kiss them, just one step too far for me.. They are incredibly graceful as they glide through the water with their long tail following, you do however have to watch out you don’t stand on the half buried rays in the sand,. The sharks just cruise in circles around you. Another delight of Maria sorry Moorea, was the snorkelling around the tikis, in crystal clear water with sand underneath and lots of colourful fish.

Link to photos