French Polynesia

Friday 9th of August 1985
It’s 5:30 p.m. at Sydney’s international airport, flight UT 594 has all its passengers on board including me, and as 265 tonnes of DC 10 lifts of the runway for Noumea, Papeete and Los Angeles.
I do my sums.
 (1 A$ = 71.9 US$
 1 A$ = 110 Central Pacific Francs
)

I have:
106 US$

13,000 CPF

2,950 US$ Travellers Cheques

10 £
 and 21 Ozzie cents, which represents my net gains after 12 weeks with John Ward’s Brisbane locum service, misery Midge’s memos, Nigel, Patricia, Wendy, Niall, Julie, Shirley, John and John, Pat, Elisabeth.

Ahh what a pleasure to feel that tropical warmth again. Timeless Tahiti, it’s Friday again! Arrive early in the morning, a smiling girl places a frangipani flower in my hair, this sweetens the wait for customs. Board 'Le Truck' into town for 90 cents, this funky bus has the biggest set of speakers ever to grace an automobile. Walk half way back to the airport again trying to find the youth hostel, no one seems to know where it is. Tired and fed up by the time I find it, Get a 3 bedded room to myself, 1500 francs per night, even with YHA card! Expensive. My own shower sink and balcony are a little bit of luxury, and I overlook the squalid tent site.

Slept a lot, did running repairs to pockets etc make antitheft devices ready for South America. Open up seams for $ notes, poke a fine chain using a coat hangar down the strap of my shoulder bag, and thread a metal guitar string through the belt of my money bag. I’m now impenetrable! Must leave the hostel tomorrow, there is a big group coming. Taihiti is very mountainous and populated by rich French yacht owners, it’s the sort of place where you own an island or two, prices as a consequence are sky high, street van pizza 500 francs.

Vacate room early and hang around the tourist office for an hour hoping it will open ( thinking its Monday) and entertained by a large pack of excited and fornicating street dogs. Wander down to the quay and onto the Moorea ferry just prior to departure, 1000 francs one-way 40 minute ride.

Hitch back to Pao Pao in Cooks Bay this morning to find a bank, hitch a lift in a van full of pineapples, very prickly ride.

After picnic lunch spend the rest of the day strolling home, 16 km. One lift for two km, two buses, but don’t stop. Arrive exhausted and have a beer. Dine on pork and cabbage with cold wild Taihitian spinach in vinaigrette and rice. The spinach tasted like artichokes. The whole island is very verdant.


lounge about doing my home work, Nigel Davies' book on the Olmecs, Toltecs, and Aztecs is proving excellent.
Spend a long time doing nothing. An English family have arrived, but they are away in their car.

Get a real ticking off from Madame at dinner time, I think I should have booked.
Make a clumsy attempt to book tomorrow’s dinner. My spoken french is appalling. I have poisson crude, a mild soused fish, salad with scrumptious dressing, prawns, bread and pineapple.

Wednesday 14th August
Sleep fitfully until dawn and then soundly until midday.
Do my washing and have biscuits and Milo on the whitewashed sea wall of the church under the shade of a flamboyant tree. The kids are fooling in the gentle surf with bits of plywood surfboards. Their wet skins shine brightly in the fierce sunshine. Try and learn some Spanish.
Lots of people for dinner, glad I booked! Two smiling flower laden girls do the serving. Soup, omelette, gruel, fish.

Thursday 15th August
Madame’s meals were 1600 francs. Phew.
Up at 6 a.m. before the hot water, have a cold sprinkle, pack and pay the bill. Catch the truck by chance and make it to the ferry in good time, return to Tahiti.
It’s a public holiday, no chance of a bus to the Gaughan museum which is 50 km away on the other side of the island. Get to the Taihitian museum only nine km away. It is small but leafy and I have a snooze. Crash for the night in the scruffy campsite near the hostel 300 francs. Up at dawn and walk to the airport.