TRAVEL

Clockwise from this photo: Fiona at Fenua Mata’i’oa; the Coral Gardeners; lush island surrounds; Captain Taina.

Fiona (left) and Captain Taina get to know the local stingrays and sea turtles.

Captain Taina shows how to harvest giant clams.

Just a 45-minute ferry ride from the main island of Tahiti, Mo’orea’s verdant mountains and bright blue waters feel a world away from French Polynesia’s bustling point of entry. As soon as we arrive on the laid-back isle, we know we’ve come to the right place for unwinding and exploring on our own time. We’re staying in the island’s north-west, at Fenua Mata’i’oa, a small lagoon-front resort with a maze of canopy-like gardens connecting its five rooms. Breakfast here is a feast worth experiencing. On our first morning we gaze out at the ocean as platter after platter arrives on our table. There’s more pineapple, papaya, croissants, pain au chocolat, banana jam, eggs, ham and cheese than we could ever get through. And unfortunately, we don’t have all day –we’ve got a date with Captain Taina. Maiau Taina has been running

An insider’s guide to… Mo’orea BEST SANDWICH: Casse-croûte chow mein is more of an experience than a sandwich – a melding of French, Chinese and Polynesian cuisines, consisting of a baguette filled with noodles. Grab one from Golden Lake, which you can visit on a Mo’orea Food Adventures tour. FLY WITH: Air Tahiti Nui will get you from Auckland to Tahiti in five hours, while Air Tahiti is the domestic airline for travel between the outer islands – you can fly to 47 of the country’s 118 islands. LOCAL ETIQUETTE: Join the locals in a greeting with either the Tahitian phrase “ia ora na” or the French “bonjour”. BEST PHOTO OP: Drive up any of the country’s mountains for stunning views of the ocean – which really is as blue as the postcards proclaim – or use an underwater camera for friendly stingray snaps. WHAT TO PACK: Along with the usual beach essentials, be sure to throw in some reef-safe sunscreen and insect repellent. If you’re staying on a rocky beach, you may want to bring reef shoes too. BEST DRINK: The locals love Tahiti Drink, a mix of pineapple, passionfruit, orange juice and rum made at Manutea.

glass-bottomed boat tours of Mo’orea’s lagoon for 16 years. Just minutes after boarding her small boat, we’re swimming with turtles, stingrays and sharks. It’s amazing how clear the water is, and how close you can get to these beautiful creatures. Suitably waterlogged, we pull up to Taina’s private motu (island) for a rest and long lunch. She shows us how to make poisson cru (raw fish in coconut milk), then barbecues tasty fish and chicken kebabs, before going in search of a giant clam for us to taste. Once back at the hotel, we treat ourselves to a three-course chef’s choice meal of local seafood with a dessert infused with vanilla, one of the country's most famous exports. After dinner, we take in the moonlit lagoon views, before clocking an early night in anticipation of filling our stomachs again tomorrow. We’ve been warned to have a light breakfast, as our Mo’orea Food Adventures tour starts early. Run by local chef Heimata Hall, it’s entertaining and informative, and most importantly, delicious. We sample foods from the country’s three main cuisines –French, Polynesian and Chinese –try island-style Italian at Allo Pizza, taste locally made rum and juice at the Manutea distillery, fill up on Chinese delicacies at Snack Rotui and Golden Lake, and stop on the side of the road for fresh coconuts and roasted mape, a local chestnut. Afterwards, we stop at Coral Gardeners for an eco tour that also helps to restore coral reefs. The seas are too choppy for us to plant our own coral, but we adopt a piece (and receive a certificate later that week showing where our coral has been planted). The inspiring founder of this non-profit, 21-year-old Titouan Bernicot, talks us through the work the organisation is doing to protect the reefs around the island. As well as acting as the ocean’s lungs, by absorbing carbon dioxide, coral reefs offer coastal protection, a food source, and a livelihood for fishers and tourism operators –and they’re in dire straits. It’s a sobering finale to a couple of days of indulging in seafood and exploring the ocean, and it’s with full hearts and stomachs –and a renewed passion for protecting the ocean –that we board our ferry back to Tahiti, ready for our flight back down to earth. m n Italian-inspired food served island-style at Allo Pizza.

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