TAHITI & MOOREA

                                                                 TAHITI (Papeete)

Ancient Settlement: The islands of Tahiti were likely settled by Polynesian explorers around 800 CE. The settlers brought with them their distinct culture, language, and societal structures.

European Contact: The first European to make contact with Tahiti was British explorer Samuel Wallis in 1767. Later, in 1768, French explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville arrived. However, it was the British explorer James Cook who visited the islands multiple times between 1769 and 1777, contributing significantly to European knowledge of Tahiti.

European Influence: The arrival of European explorers marked the beginning of increased contact between Tahitians and Europeans. This contact led to changes in local culture, trade, and introduced new diseases that had a devastating impact on the native population.

Missionary Influence: In the 19th century, Christian missionaries arrived on Tahiti, leading to the conversion of many Tahitians to Christianity and the introduction of Western values and education systems.

Colonization: Tahiti officially became a French protectorate in 1842, and later in 1880, it was fully annexed by France. This colonisation period brought about further changes in governance, economy, and culture.

World War II: During World War II, Tahiti served as an important base for the United States in the Pacific. The presence of American forces had a significant impact on the local economy and culture.

Modern Era: In the latter half of the 20th century, Tahiti experienced increased tourism, contributing to economic growth. The islands also gained limited self-governance and are now an overseas collectivity of France.

A very hot and steamy day as we arrive in Papeete, the capital city of Tahiti with population around 32,000. The name Papeete is derived from the Tahitian word, ‘pape’ for water and ‘ete’ meaning basket. So, a place where people come with baskets of water or more simply ‘water well’.

We have visited Tahiti on two other cruises and we can see its growth over those years. Cruise ships dock seemingly in the main street of Papeete. Step through the scores of tour operators and a local Tahitian band and you are downtown.

And, of course the compulsory fabric and clothing markets. However, all prices were in Francs and any rough conversion to $US or $Aus suggested Tahiti was no longer a place for cheap bargains. We were pleased to be approached by a Tahitian resident offering us the opportunity to vote on the Referendum at the Australian Consulate if we hadn’t already done so. 

A brief walk through theTown Hall (opened by Charles de Gaulle) with its grand Salle des Marriages!

And so with temps and humidity off the charts, it is time for lunch and a cold beer.

The Coral Princess will remain in Papeete for most of tonight, take the short trip to Moorea in the early hours of tomorrow morning and anchor off shore. Passengers will take the ship’s tenders into Moorea. We will attempt to negotiate an island tour once we arrive.

So our night concludes with local Tahitian dancers in the Theatre. They were impressive!