French Polynesia

/ Uncategorized / By

French Polynesia – Tahiti and Moorea

Tahiti

James Norman Hall Museum

From 1920 to 1951, this was the home of one of Tahiti’s famous resident authors, James Norman Hall, the co-author of Mutiny on the Bounty, Pitcairn’s Island and other tales of adventure in the South Pacific.

Matavia Bay

Matavia Bay is on the north coast of Tahiti.

Point Venus & Venus Lighthouse

Point Venus is a peninsula on the north coast of Tahiti. it is the place where Captain Samuel Wallis landed in 1767. Navigator James Cook was commissioned to observe and record the transit of Venus in 1769. Cook anchored in Matavia Bay and set up a camp on the peninsula. Tahiti’s only lighthouse was built in 1867 to commemorate the anniversary of Wallis’s arrival.

Jardin de Eau de Viapahi

A private water garden with a waterfall, pond, and multiple flowering plants.

Marae Arahurahu is an ancient temple. At one time, worshipers here practiced human sacrifice and cannibalism. Today, it is an archeological site and tourist attraction.

Moorea

Sites visited included a beach, a church with an outdoor altar once used for human sacrifice, a pineapple farm, and scenic views from the highest point on Moorea accessible by vehicle.