Discovering the lost isles of the South Pacific - CNN.com Remote Easter Island is home to the mysterious Moai statues. Where did they come from? But that's what this cruise is all about. A three-week journey between Easter Island and Tahiti, it calls on some of the world's most remote and least-visited islands. Organized by Seattle-based Zegrahm Expeditions, the voyage includes gourmet cuisine, top-notch lecturers and a bartender who can make even the most obscure cocktails. But the real reason that 60-odd passengers have paid five figures for this cruise is geographical bragging rights -- a chance to boast to friends and colleagues back home that you've hobnobbed with Fletcher Christian's kinfolk on Pitcairn, explored ancient Polynesian cave dwellings on Henderson Island and frolicked with manta rays off Hiva Oa before visiting Paul Gauguin's grave on the same secluded island. You know a cruise is something special when your fellow passengers include renowned marine archeologist Jim Delgado and best-selling author and shipwreck detective Clive Cussler. Even for men like these, with all the adventures already under their belts, the voyage is unique.

We're three days out from Easter Island before land is spotted again -- uninhabited Ducie Island, a small atoll in what really is the middle of nowhere. Tumbling into the water, I explore the reef with Jack Grove, one of Zegrahm's founders and a veteran marine biologist. Grove wants to show us something he found 25 years ago -- three rusty anchors -- all that remains of the mail ship "Acadia," which ran aground on Ducie in 1881. An incredible array of sea life floats around the wreck -- Moorish idols, butterflies, turquoise parrots and white tip reef sharks that warily watch us from afar. MORE: Napa Valley's once-in-a-lifetime wine tasting experience Island stops The following day we land on Henderson Island, an uplifted coral block that resembles a huge white table that's emerged from the ocean. Other than odd geology, the island's claim to fame is the real-life "Moby-Dick." When the American whaler "Essex" was rammed and sunk by a sperm whale in 1820, this is where the survivors took refuge.

(No, their captain wasn't named Ahab.) But those shipwrecked whalers weren't the first residents. I follow expedition anthropologist Campbell up a cliff face and into a cave where there's evidence of long-ago human occupation -- a fire pit and stone scraping tool. "We don't know for sure," says Campbell, "because nobody was around to record their history, but we think a small Polynesian colony existed here more than 500 years ago." Pitcairn is the first populated island we come across in nearly a week. And it's just barely inhabited -- roughly 50 people, nearly all of them related to Fletcher Christian and other "Bounty" mutineers. It's a strange little corner of the British Empire, with a long and sometimes dark history. The only way to land on Pitcairn is literally surfing 12-foot waves into the tiny, jetty-enclosed harbor.

From there it's an uphill climb to Adamstown, the only settlement, where the residents greet us with a fish-and-chips lunch, cold beer and open-air craft stalls hawking Pitcairn flags, postage stamps, organic honey and "Bounty" replicas -- one of the islanders' only means of making foreign exchange. One of those I meet at lunch is seventh generation Pitcairn resident Andrew Christian, who invites me to hop on the back of his ATV for a spin around the steep volcanic isle. Covered in tattoos and body piercings, he seems every bit as roguish as his mutinous ancestor. Like most everyone on the island, Christian is a jack of several trades: DJ and photographer, government warehouse supervisor and cemetery caretaker, black pearl jewelry artist and website creator. His mountaintop home looks out over the vast Pacific, both an inspiring view and a constant reminder of how isolated Pitcairn remains even in the 21st century. Tahiti Travel Guide, South Pacific Islands Tweet Tahiti and French PolynesiaLegendary Tahiti, isle of love, has long been the vision of "la Nouvelle Cythère," the earthly paradise.

Explorers Wallis, Bougainville, and Cook all told of a land of spellbinding beauty and enchantment, where the climate was delightful, hazardous insects and diseases unknown, and the islanders, especially the women, among the handsomest ever seen. Rousseau's "noble savage" had been found! A few years later, Fletcher Christian and Captain Bligh acted out their drama of sin and retribution here. The list of famous authors who traveled to Tahiti and wrote about the island reads like a high-school literature course: Herman Melville, Robert Louis Stevenson, Pierre Loti, Rupert Brooke, Jack London, W. Somerset Maugham, Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall (the Americans who wrote Mutiny on the Bounty), among others. Exotic images of uninhibited dancers, fragrant flowers, and pagan gods fill the pages. Here, at least, life was meant to be enjoyed. The most unlikely PR man of them all was a once-obscure French painter named Paul Gauguin, who transformed the primitive color of Tahiti and the Marquesas into powerful visual images seen around the world.

When WW II shook the Pacific from Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal, rather than bloodcurdling banzais and saturation bombings, French Polynesia got a U.S. serviceman named James A. Michener, who added Bora Bora to the legend. Marlon Brando arrived in 1961 on one of the first jets to land on Tahiti and his Bounty film attracted thousands of other travelers and adventurers to also make the trip. Tahiti shares Hawaii's time zone (two hours behind California). Why Attractions include the stunning landscapes of Tahiti, Moorea, and Bora Bora , the archaeological wonders of Huahine, the unspoiled Polynesian life of Raiatea and Taha'a, the drift diving of Rangiroa, and the mystery of the Marquesas. How Tahiti is 7.5 hours from Los Angeles. As it takes about five hours to fly from Los Angeles to Hawaii, the flight to Tahiti is only 2.5 hours longer. Seven airlines fly to Papeete. Who Around 63% of the 260,000 French Polynesia's people are Polynesian.

The rest are a blend of European, Chinese, and various combinations of the three. French Polynesia consists of five great archipelagos, the Society, Austral, Tuamotu, Gambier, and Marquesas islands, arrayed in chains running from northwest to southeast. The Society Islands are subdivided into the Windwards, or Îles du Vent (Tahiti, Moorea, Maiao, Tetiaroa, and Mehetia), and the Leewards, or Îles Sous-le-Vent (Huahine, Raiatea, Taha'a, Bora Bora, Maupiti, Tupai, Maupihaa/Mopelia, Manuae/Scilly, and Motu One/Bellingshausen). Together the 35 islands and 83 atolls of French Polynesia total only 3,543 square km in land area, yet they're scattered over a vast area of the southeastern Pacific Ocean, between 7° and 28° south latitude and 131° and 156° west longitude. The capital Papeete (149° west longitude) is actually eight degrees east of Honolulu (157° west longitude).

Though Tahiti is only half the size of Corsica in land area, if Papeete were Paris then the Gambiers would be in Romania and the Marquesas near Stockholm. At 5,030,000 square km the territory's 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone is by far the largest in the Pacific islands. There's a wonderful geological diversity to these islands midway between Australia and South America--from the dramatic, jagged volcanic outlines of the Society and Marquesas islands, to the 400-meter-high hills of the Australs and Gambiers, to the low coral atolls of the Tuamotus. All of the Marquesas are volcanic islands, while the Tuamotus are all coral islands or atolls. The Societies and Gambiers include both volcanic and coral types. (View a map of French Polynesia.) Weather The hot and humid summer season runs from November to April. The rest of the year the climate is somewhat cooler and drier. The refreshing southeast trade winds blow consistently from May to August, varying to easterlies from September to December. The northeast trades from January to April coincide with the hurricane season.

Rainfall is greatest in the mountains and along the windward shores of the high islands. There can be long periods of fine, sunny weather anytime of year and seasonal variations should not be a pivotal factor in deciding when to travel. (top) Flora & Fauna Here in Tahiti and French Polynesia the air is sweet with the bouquet of tropical blossoms such as bursting bougainvillea, camellia, frangipani, ginger, orchids, poinsettia, and pitate jasmine. The fragrant flowers of the Polynesian hibiscus (purau) are yellow, not red or pink as on the Chinese hibiscus. The national flower, the delicate, heavy-scented tiare Tahiti (Gardenia tahitiensis), can have anywhere from six to nine white petals. It blooms year-round, but especially from September to April. Follow local custom by wearing this blossom or a hibiscus behind your left ear if you're happily taken, behind your right ear if you're still available. Of the 90 species of birds in French Polynesia, 59 are found in Tahiti and the other Society Islands, of which 33 are native.

The itatae (white tern), often seen flying about with its mate far from land, lays a single egg in the fork of a tree without any nest. The baby terns can fly soon after hatching. The hopping Indian mynah bird (Acridotheres tristis) with its yellow beak and feet was introduced from Indonesia at the turn of the century to control insects. Today these noisy, aggressive birds are ubiquitous feeding on fruit trees and forcing the native finches and blue-tinged doves out of their habitat. (top) Highlights Tahiti and French Polynesia abound in things to see and do, including many in the "not to be missed" category. Papeete's colorful morning market and captivating waterfront welcome you to Tahiti, the territory's largest island by far. The 117-km road around Tahiti passes historic monuments, museums, temple ruins, beaches, waterfalls, cliffs, gardens and countless scenic views. Travelers should not pass up the opportunity to take the ferry ride to Moorea and see the island's stunning Opunohu Valley, replete with splendid scenery, lush vegetation, and fascinating archaeological sites.

Moorea has the long white beach and brilliant reefs Tahiti lacks, and accommodations are abundant in all price ranges. Farther afield, an even greater concentration of old Polynesian marae (temples) awaits visitors to Maeva on the enchanting island of Huahine. Visible to the west are the large islands of Raiatea and Taha'a which share a single lagoon well favored by yachties. Raiatea boasts the most sacred Polynesian temple in the Society Islands. The soaring peaks and blue-green lagoon at Bora Bora have been applauded many times, and neighboring Maupiti offers more of the same, though its pleasures are less well known. All of these islands are easily accessible from Tahiti by boat or plane, a traveler's paradise. French Polynesia's most spectacular atoll may be Rangiroa in the Tuamotu Islands, where the Avatoru and Tiputa passes offer exciting snorkel rides on the tide flows. The shark feeding and manta ray viewing on Rangiroa, Bora Bora, and other islands, and dolphin encounters on Moorea, are all memorable experiences.

Far to the northeast are the remote Marquesas Islands where the ocean crashes onto unprotected shores. Paul Gauguin sought to escape civilization of the island of Hiva Oa in the Marquesas and the filming of the TV series Survivor on Nuku Hiva in 2002 again brought the group to the attention of the world. (top) Activities As elsewhere in the South Pacific, scuba diving is the most popular sport among visitors. The best coral and marinelife viewing by far is available in the Tuamotus and serious divers won't go wrong by choosing Rangiroa, the shark- viewing capital of Polynesia. In the warm waters of Polynesia wetsuits are not required. There's good surfing around Tahiti, Moorea, Huahine, and Raiatea, usually hurricane swells on the north shores from October to March (summer) and Antarctic swells on the south shores from April to September (winter). The summer swells are the same ones that hit Hawaii three or four days earlier and the reef breaks off the north shore of Moorea work better than Tahiti's beach breaks. The most powerful, hollow waves are in winter.

Excellent, easily accessible hiking areas exist on Tahiti, Moorea, and Nuku Hiva. Horseback riding is readily available on Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea, and in the Marquesas with the Huahine and Raiatea operations especially recommended. The Society Islands are a sailor's paradise with numerous protected anchorages and excellent sailing weather, which is why most of French Polynesia's charter yacht operations are concentrated on Raiatea. December 25 Christmas The big event of the year is the two-week-long Heiva i Tahiti, which runs from the end of June to Bastille Day (14 July). Formerly known as La Fête du Juillet or the Tiurai Festival (the Tahitian word tiurai comes from the English July), the Heiva originated way back in 1882. Today contestants and participants from all over the territory travel to Tahiti to take part in elaborate processions, competitive dancing and singing, feasting, and partying.

There are bicycle, car, horse, and outrigger-canoe races, petanque, archery, and javelin-throwing contests, fire walking, sidewalk bazaars, arts and crafts exhibitions, tattooing, games, and joyous carnivals. Bastille Day itself, which marks the fall of the Bastille in Paris on 14 July 1789 at the height of the French Revolution, features a military parade in the capital. You'll see historical reenactments at Marae Arahurahu, a canoe race along the Papeete waterfront, horse racing at the Pirae track, and traditional dance competitions. The Moorea Blue Marathon has been held every February since 1988. A traditional Maohi sports festival in late April features javelin throwing, rock lifting, coconut tree climbing, coconut husking, races while carrying loads of fruit, etc. The Te Aito individual outrigger canoe race is held on Tahiti around the end of July.

The Hawaiki Nui Va'a outrigger canoe race in early November is a stirring three-day event with canoe teams crossing from Huahine to Raiatea the first day, Raiatea to Taha'a the second, and Taha'a to Bora Bora the third. (top) Practicalities Everyone other than French citizens needs a passport to travel to French Polynesia. Citizens of the European Union countries, Norway, Switzerland and Australia get three months without a visa. Citizens of the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, and 13 other countries are granted a one-month stay free upon arrival on Tahiti. Most others must apply at a French diplomatic mission for a visa, but it's usually issued without delay. The French Pacific franc or Cour de Franc Pacifique (CFP) is legal tender in Tahiti. The value of the CFP is linked to the Euro, so it's a stable currency. A rough way to convert CFP into U.S. dollars would be simply to divide by 100, so CFP 1,000 is US$10, etc.

All banks levy a stiff commission on foreign currency transactions but traveler's checks attract a rate of exchange about 1.5% higher than cash. An alternative are the ATM machines which give a rate slightly better than traveler's checks. Ask your own bank what fees you'll be charged to use ATMs abroad. There have been software problems with the ATMs on Tahiti and it's unwise to be dependent on them. (top) Getting There Aircalin, Air France, Air New Zealand, Air Tahiti Nui, Hawaiian Airlines, and Lan Chile Airlines all have flights to Tahiti. For more information on these, visit our airlines page. The airport tax is included in your plane ticket. Tahiti is on the "Coconut Milk Run" yachting route across the South Pacific which utilizes the northeast and southeast trades. It goes from California to Tahiti via the Marquesas or Hawaii, then Rarotonga, Niue, Vava'u, Suva, and New Zealand. In the other direction, they sail on the westerlies from New Zealand to a point south of the Australs, then north on the trades to Tahiti. From Hawaii, yachts often leave for Tahiti in April or May.

Many stay on for the Heiva i Tahiti festival, which ends on 14 July, at which time they sail west to Tonga or Fiji. If you were thinking of hitching a ride on a cruising yacht as crew, that's the time to be there. (top) Getting Around The domestic air carrier, Air Tahiti, flies to 37 airstrips in every corner of French Polynesia, with important hubs at Papeete (Windward Islands), Bora Bora (Leeward Islands), Rangiroa (western Tuamotus), Hao (eastern Tuamotus), and Nuku Hiva (Marquesas). To save money, many travelers tour French Polynesia by boat. Ships leave Papeete regularly for the different island groups. The Moorea ferries operate five or six times a day. The cruise to the Marquesas on the passenger-carrying freighter Aranui is highly recommended. French Polynesia's folkloric le truck used to provide an entertaining unscheduled passenger service on Tahiti but most of these quaint vehicles have now been replaced by modern buses. On Moorea, buses meet the ferries from Papeete.

Taxis are overpriced throughout French Polynesia. If you must take one, always verify the fare before getting in. The hitching is still fairly good in French Polynesia. abridged from the 7th edition of: Moon Tahiti & French Polynesia Copyright © 2001-2017 David Stanley, reproduction prohibited. Get answers to FAQs about Tahiti and French Polynesia Buy your guidebook to Tahiti and French Polynesia Tiare Taporo - Pacific Schooners Main menu Schooner House & Miss Taiarui Well as things start to come together Pacific Schooners now has a home in Rarotonga and our first shore-side employee. We’ve recently moved into the eponymously named “Schooner House” near to town, in Taputapuatea, across the road from the Beachcomber complex. This fantastic limestone house was built around 1882 and fits perfectly with the image that we at Pacific Schooners wish to project.

We plan to use this as out administrative base and our shop-front, where prospective passengers can come to find out more about our voyages as well as purchase products brought back from our island destinations and merchandise related to “Tiare Taporo” and Pacific Schooners. It will take us a few months to get the place decorated, furnished and stocked exactly how we want it, but for now it really is a pleasant place to be which just feels “right” for us. We’re also actively looking for some historical information about the house and so if any reader has any stories or memories of note please get in touch with us. Pacific Schooners has also recently employed Hanalei Taiarui as our Reservations Coordinator. Hana comes to us from the local Pearl industry, but importantly has also worked on the cruise ship “Paul Gauguin”: a 6-star ship that operates in French Polynesia and the Cook Islands. Hana has been working with the various travel agents and wholesalers that will sell our voyages as well as keeping in touch with the numerous individuals that have expressed interest in sailing with us.

Her efforts to date have been invaluable especially in providing the drive and impetus to put together all of the detailed information and plans which sent behind the products we want to sell. Knowing Bligh It is true of life that one never knows where the winds will blow one, or what the adventures and encounters experienced along the way will be. It is early days yet with our “Tiare Taporo” – she’s still getting her facelift, necessary for her to embark on her Pacific adventures – but already the surprises that become good stories and fond memories are starting to roll in. One of the more memorable surprises began just 10 days ago when out of the blue I received an email from a Gentleman who had stumbled upon this website and wrote to recall in particular his adventures in the Pacific in the early 1970s and especially his meeting with Cap’n Andy Thompson of the original “Tiare Taporo”.

It also transpired that this Gentleman is a descendent of Captain Bligh, a man most famous in these parts as a result of his command, HMAV “Bounty”, having been taken from him in 1789 by Fletcher Christian and being cast adrift with 18 of his crew in a 23-foot open boat - the so called “Mutiny on the Bounty”. Being a keen student of the Pacific and always having taken a special interest in Bligh, I was very keen to meet this man who had so kindly written to me and, fate having dropped me in London, we had a very pleasant lunch together at “The Town of Ramsgate” the pub which has, since 1545, stood at the top of Wapping Old Stairs, from which “Bounty” was embarked on her Pacific voyage. We dined under the gaze of William Bligh, whose portrait hangs on the wall of the pub, and talked of many things and then stood on the stairs down which Bligh & Christian had doubtless walked to be rowed out to “Bounty” and wondered at the marvel of how history can often seem so alive.

Below is a compilation of some of my correspondence with Maurice Bligh, which touch on the many things we discussed. Garth Broadhead on Wapping Old Stairs River Thames London June 2011 Maurice Bligh at Wapping, London 2011, pointing to commemorative plaque at the location where his ancestor once lived Hello Garth, and folks, Having stumbled upon your website and read the article mentioning a man I met 40 years ago on Rarotonga, so many pleasant memories came flooding in. My name is Maurice Bligh, and you might guess that my meeting Cap'n Andy Thompson in 1970 had something to do with sailing ships and adventurous tales of the South Seas, long ago. My great-great-great-grandfather was Vice-Admiral William Bligh RN., FRS., (1754-1817) and the onetime commander of 'His Majesty's Armed Vessel 'Bounty'... (also 14 other ships and whole lot of water under the keel).

In my mid-twenties, during a 36,000 mile circumnavigation voyage of discovery/historical research, I had stopped over on Rarotonga before heading for Tahiti. Having appeared in the-then local news sheet, Andy invited me to his house. I can still see him now, walking down the path to greet me, with two black piglets, one under each arm. He put them down and said: 'God darn it; I never thought I ever live to meet a descendant of Captain Bligh.' He said 'Let me embrace you'...and he hugged me like a granddad. He was a fervent admirer of my ancestor, and categorically stated that William Bligh was the finest navigator who ever graced the South Pacific. Andy talked about his friendship with James Norman Hall, and how disappointed he was that 'Jimmy' had co-written the novels used by Hollywood that so maligned the historical reputation of Bligh. He generously wanted to present me with the two-volume set of George Mackaness' books 'The Life and Times of Vice-Admiral William Bligh', which 'Jimmy' had given to him, signed 'to Andy'.

But I couldn't accept them because, as I explained, they were something historically unique that his family should keep and pass down to their descendants. He smiled his unique smile, and said 'you're a Bligh, alright'. We chatted and drank whiskey on his veranda, and I spotted what must have been the largest turtle shell I'd ever seen, hanging on the wall. There was a story behind that, I’m sure. My voyage, 'in the wake of the Bounty', also lead me to Aitutaki via an overnight boat trip from Raro. I stood on the old airstrip overlooking the lagoon, and in 1984, when 'The Bounty' movie was screened, I recognised that view in the opening sequences. I now wonder how Rarotonga and Aitutaki have changed, except nature’s wonders (you still have mosquitoes and land crabs, I assume) from what I saw there so long ago.

I haven't been back to the South Pacific since 1970/71, although I did return to Sydney when I made a documentary with Rolf Harris in 1997, and I steered the replica 'Bounty' from the 1984 movie, up and down Sydney harbour. It actually sailed very well; I think we did about 6 knots in a not very accommodating breeze. HMAV Bounty moored at Wapping Old Stairs Which reminds me of something more about Andy Thompson. He told me that when the MGM's replica ship 'HMS Bounty' arrived at Tahiti for filming the 1962 film, “Mutiny on the Bounty” with Marlon Brando as Christian & Trevor Howard as Bligh, he was asked to skipper her; take her out, 'sail her around some' in his words. You may recall that this not-to-scale replica was also spoilt by the addition of a set of topsails for photographic purposes. Andy told me that he refused to sail the ship with the topsails set because it was too dangerous, and he believed the ship would topple in a fair breeze.

So the ship remained at anchor and the filming took place by helicopter/boat, while he and the crew play-acted on deck in their 18th century costumes. Andy said he spotted himself in the movie, but it was a distance shot and you had to know where to look. Andy also told me that he had met all the actors on board at various times, and that he considered Trevor Howard to be 'the perfect English gentleman'. But he didn't like his fellow countryman Marlon Brando. Andy said he was 'an uncouth prima donna'. Vice-Admiral William Bligh RN., FRS., (1754-1817) Did you know that the last South Pacific Island I visited in late 1971, was Pitcairn Island? There's now some confusion as to whether or not I was the first Bligh ever to set foot ashore, but that's what the islanders told me then. And I've found no hard evidence, so far, to prove otherwise. Never mind, my dear friends there are Tom and Betty Christian, with one of their daughters (their eldest Jacqui).

I do keep in touch with them still, and there's something I've always wanted to do before I pop my clogs: You see, what they call the “Bounty's bible”, was actually William Bligh's bible on the Bounty. They even found his marriage certificate in it, but I don't know where that is. However, because everything that was taken with the ship officially remains stolen property, I've long felt that the bible, which was the saving of the early community, could be ceremoniously returned to the Bligh family, and in turn the Bligh family could officially gift the bible back to the Islanders as a token of the reconciliation process I endeavoured to kick start in 1971. The stigma of having something stolen lying in their sacred place of worship would be forever lifted, and filled with goodwill and affection. And if I was ever to be the one to gift it, this would mean a great deal to me, for in my bones, I feel that WB would have approved as a god-fearing man. The Pitcairners have had the bible all this time, so why not iron out the legal wrinkle for posterity?

Speaking of churches and Bibles, I assume you know that Bligh is buried in the family tomb not a stone's throw from the Thames, near Lambeth Bridge, in the graveyard of a church that is now a Museum of Garden history? (GB: I have in fact visited it many time as it is virtually right next door to the International Maritime Organisation, which today determines international regulation governing global shipping and one of the largest current challenges of which is to solve the problem of Piracy…. ) It’s wonderful remembering Polynesia and the confusing Polynesian languages, after all these years. And confused is what I used to be when going from the Cooks to Tahiti, Fiji, Samoa, etc., to find that they have different words and/or pronunciations for the same things as on Rarotonga. Your home island, of course, was my first ever 'South Seas' island paradise; a sight I shall never forget as it rose from those deepest of blue waters.

And let me tell you Garth, when I left Raro, in company with a beautiful young Tahitian lady who had been visiting her family in the island (I sort of chaperoned her as a favour to one of the Tahitian King Pomare's descendants who was her unofficial boyfriend) we both cast our eis into the water, from a boat, on the way out to an awaiting ship called the 'Luesand', standing off the channel. I've often wondered if those eis washed up ashore, and to fulfill the old saying that if they do, the caster will return to the island? (GB: Time will tell Maurice!) Well, there is just so much to take in about my old South Pacific 'stomping grounds', for the want of a better expression and I really hope that the Cook Islands have kept those “most precious things” (language, dance etc) that I was lucky enough to experience first hand, before even the airport was built on Rarotonga. There are just so many things I've forgotten about the old philosophical sayings in the islands, but I suspect there is one about how time and tide dictates a person's passage through life.

Perhaps it's something like: We are as leaves washed down from the mountains in the rainy season. We don't do all the steering that we think we do. It's a really remarkable coincidence that I have just fallen by chance on your website this afternoon. I can feel the old South Seas magical lure rising in my blood, as it always did from childhood. Kia Manuia and safe sailing. Maurice Bligh About Captain Daniel D. Moreland A director of Pacific Schooners and the principle author of the plan behind the company, Captain Daniel D. Moreland is one of the most respected sailing ship masters at sea today. An internationally recognized authority on square-rig and traditional sailing ships and their operations, he started his career sailing in the West Indies in island schooners, brigantines, and passenger windjammers. Capt. Moreland at the helm of STV "Picton Castle" He sailed around the world the first time in 1974–76 as Mate of the Brigantine Romance, under Captain Arthur Kimberly spending most of a year in the South Pacific.

In 1980, he signed on the famous Danish state full-rigged School ship Danmark and served for four years training young officer cadets for the Danish merchant marine. His interest in learning, studying and teaching the value of traditional sail led him to head up a number of restorations including that of the last nineteenth-century Grand Banks fishing schooners, the Ernestina ex-Effie M. Morrissey. For this he received the prestigious National Honor Award for 1987 from the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States. After helping to establish the newly rebuilt US Brig Niagara as an operational sailing ship Moreland set out to set up a deep water, steel world voyaging sail training ship to follow in the wakes of the great steel windships. This became the Barque Picton Castle and her voyages.

Captain Moreland has carried out five successful world circumnavigations (2000–2002, 2003–2004, 2005-2006 and 2010-2011) in the Picton Castle, along with many shorter voyages as well as a year-long voyage around the Atlantic basin to Europe, Africa and Latin America. On these voyages many tons of cargo and supplies have been carried to various islands in the South Pacific. In 1999 Moreland was awarded “Sail Trainer of the Year” by the American Sail Training Association and in 2006 the Picton Castle was awarded “Sail Training Program of the Year”. The lessons learned, opportunities and needs observed over the years led to the development of the Pacific Schooners Plan. A ship rigger, sail-maker, ship restorer & fitter, boat-builder as well as developer of modern sailing ship businesses and operations, Captain Moreland holds the rarest license issued to Merchant Marine officers today: Master of Steam, Motor, or Auxiliary Sail, Vessels of Any Gross Tons upon Oceans.

tahiti painting | eBay tahiti painting: 1 2 3 4 eBay determines this price through a machine learned model of the product's sale prices within the last 90 days. eBay determines trending price through a machine learned model of the product’s sale prices within the last 90 days. "New" refers to a brand-new, unused, unopened, undamaged item, and "Used" refers to an item that has been used previously. Top Rated Plus Sellers with highest buyer ratings Returns, money back Sellers with highest buyer ratings Returns, money back Polynesia Islands Travel Information | Beautiful Pacific Holidays Pictures The Polynesia Islands cover the largest expanse of ocean in the South Pacific. These remote islands were colonised by a great sea-faring race that migrated from south-east Asia around around the time of Christ, before which they remained untainted by human civilisation. Polynesia Islands Travel Guide Polynesia is a very romantic destination to visit with scattered islands, plenty of coral islands and atolls as well as large volcanic islands that have either been eroded over time giving them a rugged appearance or are still in the making - literally.

Apart from New Zealand and Hawaii, which are both mega tourist destinations and generally regarded as not being within the South Pacific holiday market, French Polynesia (better known simply as Tahiti after its largest island) is the most famous destination being the star performer in the film classic Mutiny on the Bounty (although the actual mutiny took place in Tonga). Being a French colony, it is graced with wealth and boasts some the worlds most glamorous resorts with much of the accommodation being in overwater bungalows. It is also home to Bora Bora made famous in James Michener's Tales of the South Pacific. Other famous authors to have written about Polynesia include Somerset Maugham (Rainmaker - American Samoa) and Robert Louis Stevenson who lived and died in Samoa. Paul Gauguin, famous French artist, lived and died in The Marquesas. Of the holiday destinations, the Cook Islands is the most popular Polynesian island to visit amongst New Zealanders and Australians and has several beautiful beach resort areas on Rarotonga plus the beautiful atoll of Aitutaki which rivals Bora Bora in its beauty.

Samoa offers a rich Polynesian culture and is probably the most intact of the larger destinations making this a good spot for adventure; whilst Tonga is renowned for its archaeological sites and for the humpback whales which visit in great numbers from May to October each year - Tonga and Niue are two of only three countries in the world where you can swim with these massive mammals. Polynesia is also home to some tiny island nations: The northern Cook atolls are seldom visited other than by the occasional government official from Rarotonga. Tahiti has three island groups that tourists seldom venture to with the Gambier and Astral islands occasionally visited by passing yachties. Niue is the smallest nation in the world whilst Tuvalu, virtually flat and with its highest point being just 5 metres high, is rapidly succumbing to sea level rise. Tokelau, a tiny atoll and dependency of Samoa, is virtually unknown; whilst Rotuma, north of Fiji, even though larger, is even less well known. Add to these the two mountainous islands of Wallis & Futuna and if you regard yourself as an explorer, then these are some exceptional islands to add to your bucket list.

History of the Polynesian Islands These Polynesian people sailed from island to island in a easterly direction from the Philippines, through the Melanesian islands of Solomons, Vanuatu and Fiji and colonising Tonga, Samoa and Niue. Over time and on reaching the Cook Islands they migrated south to New Zealand and from The Marquesas, north to Hawaii - the last island eventually settled by the human race was Easter Island a mere 800 years ago. Polynesians have retained this great affiliation with the sea - the majority of the population live in coastal areas and use wooden outrigger canoes for fishing the abundant lagoons they are surrounded by. A strong relationship remained between the islands and its people, with both war and trade being common. Tonga established itself as the champion rulers of Polynesia and the only island nation never to have been colonised by either another Polynesian island or the European settlers that arrived with the turn of the 17th Century. Polynesian language is closely related with many common words.

The people are generally large in size with the Tongans being amongst the heaviest of all humans - their skin is light brown in colour being much fairer than Melanesians and their hair worn long. Polynesians also wear body tattoos, sometimes covering the entire body, and it is from this region that the tattoo originated. Tahiti: Glide time - Travel - NZ Herald News Winston Aldworth is the Herald's Travel Editor. Tahiti: Glide time 3:00 PM Tuesday Jul 21, 2015 SHARE: Far from work, Winston Aldworth clocks in to experience the charms of Tahiti. Swimming in the balmy waters of Tahiti/ Photo / Supplied ' Why work?" asked Paul Gauguin. "The gods are there to lavish upon the faithful the good gifts of nature." I can't claim to be among the gods' faithful, but I like the sentiment and, having recently escaped from Auckland's winter to swim in the waters of Tahiti, I've seen the "good gifts of nature" that were lavished upon him and appreciate what inspired Gauguin to feel this way. Tahiti got hold of Gauguin when he first arrived there in 1891.

He went "to live there in ecstasy, calm and art" and was quickly won over by the place. A hero of the Post-Impressionist movement, he was transfixed by the colour and light of Polynesia. A Frenchman, he was hooked on the women. Gauguin figured he could pack in the European rat race - the mundane details of modern living, the hassles of earning a salary and paying your bills - and make good in the tropical sun. I don't blame him. A century before him, the crew of the HMS Bounty asked the same question: Why work? In their case, the Royal Navy had a sharp answer: Because we'll hunt you down and hang you. Nonetheless, Tahiti's spell emboldened those men to down tools and make a new life in the tropics. Why work? As with Gauguin, I understand what inspired them to feel this way. We can thank the Bounty mutineers and Gauguin for placing Tahiti foremost in European minds as the archetypal tropical paradise. New Zealanders are spoilt for choice when considering an island getaway. Other than the islands themselves, no nation could be judged to be closer to so many of the South Pacific's islands.

We've got it good and - rightly - Kiwis often experience what those islands have to offer. Relaxing at Sofitel Moorea la Ora Resort. Photo / Supplied Continued below. Tahiti: Christmas all at sea Yet Tahiti's rarefied status as a haven of tropical idyll comes to us from our European history - possibly in its first telling as a story shared by sailors. The word "Tahiti" represented a land where the siren call of maidens echoed, no roar of workplace clamour or dark satanic mills. Today, the calm is still there, the maidens too. The tropical sun and the warm waters of French Polynesia are as magical as their reputation demands. Time in Tahiti is more than just time away from the office, it's a break in a fantasy land. The fantasy is aided by the Frenchness of it all. The baguettes and "bonjours" make this an unusual Pacific destination. Amid the sunshine, ukuleles and Polynesian smiles, there are fabulous winelists, French food and Belgian beers. The writer checks out the view from beneath an overwater bungalow. Photo / Winston Aldworth Of course, the mod cons eventually arrived.

European niceties that even Gauguin must have missed sail into port in the Tahitian resorts. As one miserable bugger, Cedric Belfrage, depressingly put it: "European imperialism long ago made Tahiti a distant suburb of Paris, the missionaries made it a suburb of Christ's kingdom, and the radio made it a suburb of Los Angeles." I was grateful for such first-world charms as air-conditioning, and for those wine lists too. I didn't hear any local radio, so can't vouch for the LA connection. But Tahiti has kept enough of its legendary allure that I can see how the boys were pulled from the Bounty and Gauguin from Paris. Why work? What mugs we are. Tahiti on three budgets A family break - Vanira Lodge Vanira Lodge. Photo / Supplied Around the south side of Tahiti Iti - the smaller of the two main islands - you'll find this brilliant guest lodge. Each chalet is unique, with different floorplans and facilities. They're all tucked away into private parts of the hillside bush and made from materials found on the site or sourced nearby. There's a small restaurant and play areas that make it ideal for families.

Close to the giant surfbreaks of Teahupo'o, this is a great spot for adventurous travellers who want to explore the waters and the island's interior. Vanira Lodge's remoteness means you'll be getting an experience far from the larger resorts. Mid-range - Moorea Pearl Resort & Spa Moorea Pearl Resort & Spa. Photo / Supplied With plenty of activities for kids and a family-friendly restaurant, the Pearl is a great spot for families to stay and for those wanting to make explore Moorea's interior. The snorkelling from here is fabulous - as it is in many parts of the island - and guests can join a range of day trips that explore the reef. There's a small village nearby where you can grab domestic essentials or get a meal away from the resort. Top end - Sofitel Moorea Ia Ora Beach Resort Sofitel Moorea la Ora Beach Resort. Photo / Supplied This is what Tahiti is all about: waking to the sound of the ocean lapping against the deck of your overwater bungalow.

There's a surreal moment when you first enter your room and stand - gobsmacked by its awesomeness - staring through the glass panel in the floor at the fish (tons of 'em) swimming below. Grab your snorkelling gear and get in there. All of the resort's buildings have tremendous sea views, looking back towards Tahiti Nui. There are two restaurants, with the upmarket K right on the beach, blending the best of France with the Polynesian setting - it boasts a fabulous wine list and a brilliant degustation menu. A honeymoon classic. These properties and others throughout Tahiti can all be found on booking.com . CHECKLIST Getting there: Air Tahiti Nui flies an A340-300 three times a week between Auckland and Papeete. Accommodation: For a range of properties throughout Tahiti, go to booking.com . The writer was a guest of Tahiti Tourisme, Air Tahiti Nui and Booking.com.

Question: What Pacific island was visited by the HMS Bounty and Paul Gauguin?
Answer: Tahiti