Papeete – Day 2

On our second day on Tahiti, we took a 4WD tour into the interior of the island. This was arranged before we left home for 7 of us – our tour guide was Patrick of Patrick Adventures (website here). We highly recommend Patrick and this tour. It was similar to one of the ship’s tours – but the duration of it was 9 hours compared to the 4 hours of the ship’s tour and took us to the heights of the mountains – including through a tunnel at the top of the mountain, which leads to the adjacent valley. The interior of the island is very heavily covered by rainforest. On the day, the mountains were cloud covered and the mist made for a feeling of high atmosphere and drama. At one lookout, we counted 17 active waterfalls. The tour was very enjoyable and informative, with the tour guide showing great enthusiasm for what he does. It was somewhat strenuous – but mostly because of the rough roads encountered on the way up and down the mountain.

Off we go with Patrick Adventures	Misty atmosphere	A hotel in the mountains
Waterfalls everywhere!	The tunnel to the next valley	a public camping place

Snorkelling in a fast flowing mountain stream at the bottom of a waterfall

By the time we got back to the waterfront at Papeete – all we wanted was a beer!! We had spied a boutique brewery on the day before, so as it would be our last opportunity, it was obviously the place to slake our thirst!!