Three things defined Hiva Oa for me and the topography, outrigger canoes and traditional tattoos are forever etched in my memory from the second largest island in the French administered archipelago of The Marquesas
Hiva Oa’s topography is stunning- think sheer rock faces ascending from the sea, a lush interior with volcanic mountain spines, fertile ridges and deep, secluded valleys.
As we entered the Baie Des Traitres (the Bay of Traitors) we were approached by a canoeist paddling like crazy towards us. At first we thought he wanted us to stop or needed to tell us/sell us something!? …then we realised that he was not chasing us, rather a ride on our wake! He settled into position and sat off our port side surfing the surge from our stern with impressive speed. This became a familiar scene during our time in French Polynesia – we regularly had an outrigger on our heels careening on our wake. The outrigger (te va’a) is ingrained in Polynesia culture and the history and connection runs deep. Eastern Polynesia had been explored and settled using the voyaging canoes long before European, open ocean exploration began. The slender hulls connected by two wooden spars lashed together are stable, fast and seaworthy. We saw single person canoes everywhere, but also 3 person, 6 person (up to 13m long) and even 12 person, double outrigger canoes.
I was in awe of the many Polynesian ‘tatau’ (tattoo) designs I saw on faces, necks, backs, calves, thighs and arms. It was rare to see a local without intricate, ornate ink adorning some part of his or her body. We learnt that each tattoo depicts significant meaning and many are on-going works in process that are added to as a life journey progresses. The Polynesian tattoos are very much a part of an individual’s identity, personality and life story. Sharks, shark teeth, turtles, manta rays, spearheads and the ocean are some of the more common, recognisable designs, but there are many more and we learnt that to ask someone about their tattoo was equivalent to asking about their history, their passions, their experiences, how many children they have; who they really are! The tattoos to me gave the people an attitude that reflects their warrior (and cannibalistic!) ancestry.
The ancient art of tattooing (traditionally done with a bone and hammer- ouch!) was banned by the missionaries in 1797 but experienced a massive revival in the 1980’s. There are world- renowned tattoo artists in French Polynesia and many of the good ones have a following that requires an appointment to be made weeks or months in advance.
It is a custom amongst yachties to get a tattoo ‘trophy’ in French Polynesia after the Pacific crossing and the local chandlery at Nuka Hiva has installed a permanent tattoo parlour at the back of the shop! I was sorely tempted and tried to convince Russ to join me, but we really didn’t spend long enough in the Marquesas to make a well researched decision on the right artist and design (also, Russ, who is campaigning to take the roaring 40’s route back to French Polynesia next year from N.Z, bribed me with a ‘if we come back next year, I’ll get a tattoo with you…’ It’s my one regret because I am not yet convinced about that cold, gale-infested route east along latitude 40!!)
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We took a tour that involved sitting in the back of a ute and bouncing over dusty, steep inland roads- with phenomenal scenery. Hiva Oa is home to some of the largest tiki sculptures in French Polynesia…we picked wild chillies and limes as we walked through the dense, tropical forest to get to some of the more interesting half God/half human tiki in the secret valley. These fabled tiki have been standing watch over their islands for thousands of years and each one seems to exude a personality- from cute and squat to powerful and daunting!
Below; The islands rugged terrain limits present day agriculture to the narrow valley floors with the exception of the Ahao plateau at an elevation of 305 m. Coprah (dried coconut kernel used to make coconut oil) production is one of French Polynesia’s only exports and these drying racks can be found throughout the islands. It takes around 4500 coconuts to produce a ton of copra….
Above; mountain goats with a view! The free-range goats hang out on cliff tops throughout the elevations of the Marquesan isles.
Hiva Oa is every bit as exotic as a Paul Gauguin painting (the post impressionist painter lived, died and is buried on the south coast) Overwhelming colour and the rich texture of Polynesian mythology is infused throughout a green landscape of succulent mangoes, brown skin, black ink, tropical flowers, deep blue ocean, bright outriggers, melancholic, dreamy lifestyles and a proud, ancient culture.
Above right; Pamplemousse, a type of grapefruit-on-steroids with thick, white, fleshy skin and massive, sweet, tangy segments, are abundant here and a staple throughout The Marquesas.
Below right; check out the birds feeding just a mile or so offshore from Hiva Oa! The surface of the water was thick with diving, swooping seabirds and jumping, flapping fish. A sign to get our line in the water!
As we were sailing between islands, we passed another yacht in full sail and I snapped some shots of her- we had heard rumours that this boat had kids aboard so we watched wistfully as we crossed paths going in opposite directions. We later meet ‘Pesto’ in the Tuamotos, the kids hit it off like a house on fire; and (below) it turned out they got some shots of us too! (photo credit S.V Pesto)
Hiva Oa is separated from the nearby island of Tahuata to it’s south by a 4km wide channel called Ha’ava. On our short sail there we had a pod of dolphins riding our bow wake….magic.
Tahuata is one of the only islands in the Marquesas that offers a white, sandy, sparkling beach (mostly it is black, volcanic and silt-lined) We decided to stay a while and contentedly snuggled into this tranquil, sun-gilded bay.
Below; hours of fun sailing the big board with two kids up!
Tahuata heaven….
Next Post; Nuka Hiva and Ua Poa; the world’s third tallest waterfall and some speccy drone footage of the Marquesas…
This entry was posted in The Sail.
