Ahe Tuamotu – Trip 21 June 2024
We woke early – about 6.00am as we had to be ashore by 7.00am to meet the man who said that his friend would take us on a bit of a tour. We had a bit of breakfast and went ashore. It was a bit grey and looked like it may rain.
We met the man and he took us to his friend in the village called Betanya. He was an amicable man – always smiling and laughing and this continued through the day. He spoke very little English. He had a large plot with a number of buildings and at least 4 dogs and a pig in a sort of pen. There were lots of outbuildings with lots of that flotsam and jetsam I have talked about. Lots of tools, fishing equipment, containers, washing machine and large black water containers etc etc. He was growing a number of plants in half cut water bottles and he had a number of established shrubs. There were pictures on the wall and a number of what clearly was his father. We sat and he gave us a coffee (instant with coffee mate – which I have not seen since I was at school!!). On the left was what looked like a smart sitting out area which was walled with a sort of curtain round the top. I walked over and had a look and it was a shrine to his father with a grave, picture, flowers and decoration on the grave.
We communicated and it became obvious that we needed petrol to go and so we went to a few other houses and luckily at the second the couple agreed to sell us 20 lts. He loaded this and his cool box into a tricycle and we headed off toward the lagoon and found his boat in a coral creak. It had a 60 hp outboard on it. We clambered in and he started the engine and off we went. The locals know their way through the coral mommies and we were soon on the plane (when the boat goes fast enough for it to go flat and fast on the water) and were zooming along about 15-20 kts. There were some wavelets due to the wind and the weather and we bounced a bit on the waves and we had to hold on. Our driver just laughed and thought it was very funny. Before we started he said that it may rain and did we want to go (or at least the drift I got) and I said we are English and he laughed his head off.
We had agreed to go to the Pearl farm at Kamuka -which we had read about in the guidebook run by a Patrick Humbolt. This was about 25-30 minutes along the lagoon and en route we passed many bommies and oyster buoys which Betanya missed by a few feet. We soon saw a large shack on stilts ahead of us which had a raised wooden walkway to the shore at the end of which was a large catamaran. We approached and saw that it was quite rickety and had lots of flotsam and jetsam so no surprise there. We got off the boat and climbed a ladder with a sort of jetty that had a few planks but with holes in between so we gingerly walked across and noticed a number of blacktip reef sharks swimming underneath and lots of other fish. Betanya took us into the shack which was quite large and sitting at a table was an old thin man with grey hair and a ponytail. This was Patrick Humbolt who was friendly and spoke some English. He explained that he came here in 1973 for the first time and then returned in 1990 to start the pearl farm. He then went to New Zealand in 2002 and returned in 2012 and has been here ever since.
He said he was rebuilding his farm and factory and the issue is that the nails he used only last for 30 years and rust and rot the wood. Looking around – everything was a mess, with tools and stuff everywhere and you wondered whether the floor could collapse any minute!! He kindly made us a coffee and then told us about the pearls. You take baby oysters called spats which they collect from ropes they put out and then separate them from other sea material and put them in plastic crates so the fish cannot eat them. The crates and the oysters have to be cleaned every 2-3 months and after two years they are opened and an impurity is inserted into the oyster. They are then kept in cranes for another 12-15 months by which time a pearl will have grown if the impurity was inserted properly. The pearl is then removed and with good oysters and pearls you can insert an impurity again and if you are lucky can get another pearl in about another 12 months. The value of pearls depending on their colour, size, imperfections etc can be for one pearl from $10 to 25,000. He showed us some of the pearls he had some of which he had put on necklaces, earrings and bracelets.
We went along the wooded walkway (we looked down at the sharks and other fish and had to concentrate so as not to fall off as it was quite wobbly!!) to have a look at his catamaran which he had had made and he had sailed back from New Zealand. It was one of those with a wing type sail on a mast with no rigging. It was however quite old and would need a lot of work to get it usable and liveable again. His shed on the shore which he said was his old workroom was a mess and needed rebuilding.
Patrick kindly gave us a green lettuce type thing which looked like Pak choy and some bananas and a pineapple. We thanked him and left with the impression that whilst he still ran his business his age and health meant that he was not really by the looks of things rebuilding anything and I am not sure when he goes whether it will survive. He used to employ 30 and now only two.
We left and the idea was to snorkel at the pass but the weather and waves meant that this would be a long slog so Betanya took us some way and then pulled up next to a buoy and tied on, He said the snorkelling was good and we saw a lot of bommies and coral under the surface. We got in and he was right – and the coral was healthy and growing and there was a lot of fish especially around what looked like new coral. Betanya dived down and with a knife removed a couple of clams which he ate back in the boat raw. The snorkelling spot had been excellent.
We left this spot and headed back toward the village but Betanya then said he wanted to visit a friend so we diverted slightly away and came to another hut on stilts and a mutu (islet) with some shacks on it. The rain came down hard on the way so we were soaked and the rain stung as we were going about 20 kts. We came to the shore and tied up and were greeted by a lady and there was a man making bits of roofing from palm leaves. He was platting the leaves and weaving them together to make what looked like a fine mat.
The lady offered us a coffee and we noticed a home made outside fire which was going and she was to cook bread in it. It was bent corrugated iron with a stone at the bottom and the fire was inside – a sort of homemade pizza oven. We had coffee and the lady also was making the roof mats and Joyce and I had a go. I am not sure I would have the patience to do a lot!! There were ducks wandering around and a cat. The buildings were the usual run-down state but they do not seem to mind that. However, the location is stunning being right on the edge of the lagoon with the coral shore. Behind the properties looked like a wild garden and the lady showed us around. They were growing the same lettuce type, potatoes, marrow, beans, chillies etc and the was a chicken hoop. They sold eggs and the lettuces to the village. Then a man came by boat and looked Polynesian and the lady said he was the boss. He was the owner.
We sat and had our coffee and chatted in pigeon English and French – the picture of the day is us under the shack which they are repairing the roof of. We then left and headed back to the village with some more rain. It was like April showers at home!. The trip had been very interesting and we had seen quite a bit of lagoon life with Betanya’s house and plot, Patrick’s place and then the last mutu. I am not sure what a lot do to earn a living – fishing, pearl farming and building and being a boat taxi. There is no real tourism here.
We retuned to Stormbird and had a late lunch. I then tried to fix the watermaker again but need to consult my electrical expert again. I think I now know what may be the problem and I so hope I can fix it.
We had invited Betanya – somehow I got the name wrong – his actual name is Tema for a drink at about 6.00pm as a thank you etc. Tema turned up at about 5.30pm with a Ukelaly and his cool boxes. He was laughing and effusive as always and we offered him a beer and he was amazed to see the boat. We had a lovely evening with our pidgin French and English and thanks to translation apps. We asked him to stay for supper and he accepted and we served melanzana – i.e. mince and aubergine with cheese etc. He played some music and then we put on some music – Jack Johnson and Coldplay and he knew them and joined in with his ukulele. He has 18 siblings in various atolls and Tahiti etc. He lives on his own and has a little girl. He really enjoyed the evening and you realise how welcoming and warm the French Polynesians are. I mentioned about a haircut and he said he would do it tomorrow. He also invited us for a barbecue tomorrow.
What a day – we have seen quite a lot of the atoll and its people. How lucky we have been to be able to do this. Tomorrow beckons.
Crewing Opportunity Year Two
In addition, in year two I will be going from New Zealand in early January 2025 across to Sydney and up the Eastern Australian Coast, Indonesia and probably across the Indian Ocean to Cape Town and I will need some more crew.
If there is any interest do email me at hine.nick9@gmail.com
The blog will continue as we move through French Polynesia and beyond.
If you have any comments or suggestions about the blog do email me on hine.nick9@gmail.com I can only upload one picture a day and visit our website www.stormbirdgoesglobal.co.uk