A week in Pointe Vénus, Tahiti
Where the sand is black and the waves are rolling!
When we decided to have our baby on Tahiti rather than in Australia, we discovered through meetings with the midwives at the hospital on Mo’orea that we couldn’t actually have our baby there (you can read about the whole experience of having a baby as an expat in Tahiti here). We’d have to go to Tahiti in advance of the due date… they recommended a whole 4 weeks prior!
This kicked off an epic search for accommodation that we’d enjoy to be in for a few weeks. I couldn’t stomach the idea of being right in the centre of town; Papeete is too hot, too concrete, and way too busy while dealing with being 9 months pregnant.
I didn’t want to be too remote either. The traffic around Tahiti can be terrible and I didn’t want to have to deal with an hour commute while in the middle of labour.
When I stumbled across a little Air B’n’B in Mahina, it was perfect. Only a 10-15 drive from the hospital, right near a beach, walking distance to the shops and a few little snacks.
Around Mahina
The drive to Mahina is around 25 minutes from the quay in Papeete, the city giving way to a climbing coastal road. Our B’n’B was perfectly situated with the driveway to the house ending in a gate right onto the beach.
We were near two supermarkets, a Champion and a SuperU. I was surprised that the availability of fresh fish, fruit and vegetables was worse than what we get in Mo’orea.
The two snacks we visited were good but nothing to write home about. They all seemed to have a similar vibe; chicken and fries, steak and fries, skewers, maybe some Chinese dishes like chow mein.
Unfortunately the scooter battery packed it in, so we weren’t able to do as many meals out as we would’ve liked!
The famous lighthouse
Situated at the northern-most point of Tahiti, the lighthouse stands at a spot chosen by Captain Cook to observe the passage of Venus in order to calculate the distance between the sun and the earth.
The lighthouse was built by masons from Mangareva in 1867, a beautiful and remote island that boasts the first cathedral in French Polynesia. We did a trip there, and the cathedrals and buildings are so beautiful; it makes sense they’d hire such artisans to complete the work.
During WWII, locals painted the lighthouse with coconut trees to disguise it and prevent the Japanese from landing.
The lighthouse was so well hidden that even the guardian could not find when he had been drinking. Thus, he used to climb on coconut trees thinking that he was taking the stairs of the lighthouse.
– From Moana Voyages
The lighthouse is now the only one standing in all of Tahiti.
The beach
Unlike Moorea, which has white sand and coral beaches, all of Tahiti is black volcanic sand. It’s silky soft and burns the soles of your feet.
Point Venus is a surf beach. I found it a bit disconcerting at the beginning to be playing in the waves after so long in calm lagoon; however unlike some beaches in Australia, the waves didn’t feel like they were going to dunk me. There were lots of families present having picnics and playing in the shallows.
The boys took a surfing lesson while I sat on the sand with my sketchbook; at 9 months pregnant, surfing was unfortunately out of the question for me! I enjoyed splashing in the water while watching the surfers, long-boarders, paddle-boarders, boogy-boarders and bodyboarders.
The current can be quite strong, but we had fun coasting along the channel. Next time I’d be interested in doing some snorkelling.
After the storm…
The first week in Mahina was perfect, with ideal weather for lazing about on the beach. We’d planned to hire a car and do a tour of the island, when… surprise! Baby arrived 9 days early.
We caught the edge of a tropical cyclone, so there was no more swimming or lazing on the sand after that. It was the perfect weather to stay inside and hang out with our new baby.
Watching, reading, thinking about…
I’m sad that Rest in Pieces is no longer doing classes, a while ago I did a rat taxidermy class (read about it here!) and it was a lot of fun. Nat and the team are in the process of selling off stock and miscellanea, and I am so intrigued by all the cool and creepy stuff going up on their Facebook page. Even if you’re not in the market (they do have taxidermy kits available if you want to try your hand!) it’s worth checking it out just for the weird factor.
My cousin opened a postnatal mum’s space in Melbourne, and it was on the news! I wish I was closer so I could join in.
3. Keeping a creative sketchbook by Emma Block
This book looks very beautiful - once again I’m hanging out for an English language bookshop here.
