Austral Islands

Antoine's view

The archipelago of the Austral islands, which stretches a few hundred miles south of Tahiti, has always worried sailors, practically sure to encounter a gale when they head for them. The improvement of weather forecasts has reduced the risk of an unpleasant surprise, but the archipelago's five islands remain widely away from the beaten track. As for tourists, they are very few to visit these islands: they find there Polynesia such as it was thirty years ago.

Raivavae is on the route of sailboats sailing from New Zealand to Tahiti; it is endowed with an excellent anchorage in front of one of the island's three villages, and its lagoon offers good shelters to adventurous sailors; Christian faith is very strong among the island's inhabitants, who meet on every Sunday in the temples of three villages. It is from Raivavae that originate the most beautiful tikis of Polynesia.

The anchorage off Tubuai, the archipelago?s administrative center, is less sheltered, and dangerous when the wind veers north; the lagoon is less sheltered, but the island, vaster, more cultivated, offers more resources, such as stores, a bank, fruits and various vegetables.

Rurutu is one Polynesia's most spectacular island, with its mountains, it cliffs stuffed with caves, and divers come to admire the whales which come to reproduce a short distance away from the island's shores.

Rimatara, whose airport dates only some years, almost never receives tourists; nevertheless it has a few beautiful beaches, historic remains, and its population is charming.

I never had so far the opportunity to visit the most isolated island in the Australs, Rapa, but it is famous for the mysterious forts which stand on the mountains of the island. Rapa has no airport, and the boat that serves the archipelago makes it stopover only a few times each year.

Photos

Videos

Google Maps

Agrandir le plan

My favorite links