Carl Linné in High Society
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CARL LINNÉ IN HIGH SOCIETY The intriquing and beautiful Society Islands lie a 22-hour flight from Europe, a patch of the Pacific with amazing scenery, friendly people, balmy cruising waters and sensational sealife... and well worth the journey ying just south of the equator and east of the better option than returning to England under the ABOVE Carl Linné International Date Line, the Society Islands are harsh discipline of a British man-of-war. This view was enters Opunohu Bay, one of two picturesque often considered to be the most beautiful echoed in 1788 by the mutinous crew of Captain L anchorages on archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. Even the earliest William Bligh’s HMS Bounty. And who – other than Moorea’s north shore European visitors, Captain Samuel Wallis on His the British Admiralty – could blame their attachment LEFT A traditional Majesty’s Ship Dolphin in 1767 and, two years later, to these high volcanic islands, whose forest-clad French Polynesian welcome often involves Captain James Cook, who arrived in HM Bark slopes, incised by valleys and rivers, rise to tortured the gift of coconut flesh Endeavour to observe the transit of Venus across the peaks of bare rock many thousands of feet above the FAR LEFT Carl Linné in sun, held this opinion, as did his sailors. Before he protected turquoise waters of their encircling Cook’s Bay, Moorea departed, Cook recovered two deserters who had lagoons? The British, however, were not the only RIGHT Coconut crab is a tasty dish decided that remaining in Tahiti – a land of plenty visitors, nor the only admirers of these islands, and in where nubile women treated them like gods – was a the mid-19th century France took them under its <#l#> DESTINATIONS TAHITI DESTINATIONS TAHITI <#r#> water. To guide us in the latter, we were accompanied imperative. We stayed at the delightful Hilton by the French marine biologist and dive-master Moorea Lagoon Resort, where luxurious palm- Rodolphe Holler and his wife Christelle, who own thatched individual cabins sit on piles that rise Tahiti Private Expeditions, a company that provides from the warm turquoise sea. Our stay was far too customised diving services to visiting superyachts. brief, but somewhat refreshed after two days in Based in Moorea, their intimate knowledge of the heaven we had the luxury of being picked up by local marine life and the best diving sites in which to Carl Linné’s tender directly from our suite’s bathing observe it was invaluable in turning our cruise into a platform. Having sailed the 16 miles from her base voyage of wide-eyed discovery and learning. in Marina Tahina on Tahiti, the yacht was waiting Distance from the rest of the world is perhaps for us in Cook’s Bay, one of the two magnificent Tahiti’s main handicap and, at the same time, her anchorages on Moorea’s northern shore. salvation. Cook’s well-documented voyage from Welcomed aboard by Captain Greg Chivers and London in the Endeavour took almost nine months; his three delightful crew, and settled into our today it takes 22 hours of flight, sufficient to form a magnificent cabin, we relaxed on deck, cool drink in as the first boat to arrive secured the pilotage. Helped TOP The panoramic wing, establishing a strong and lasting connection. barrier to all but the most determined tourists. In hand, to plan our first day. Christelle was expected at by Gerry Dijkstra’s slim underbody with its modern ABOVE Moorean view from Moorea, Today, the islands are a French Overseas Territory and fact, the journey from Europe is not too arduous, any moment, but as an assignment with another fin-and-bulb keel (retractable to reduce draught for children play in boats looking over its lagoon from an early age their citizens French passport holders. broken as it is by a stop in Los Angeles that superyacht had prevented Rodolphe from joining us shallower anchorages), Carl Linné certainly lived up to towards the distant BOTTOM LEFT The island of Tahiti While Western civilisation has now overtaken the effectively creates two separate days, each with time for the first day, we decided on a day sail that would the design needs of her ancestors, thrashing to lighthouse on Point ABOVE Even when formerly relaxed yet warlike ways of their inhabitants, for a meal followed by a nap, which can add up to circumnavigate the island of Moorea, while making a windward at a steady 10 knots over the azure sea. Venus, Tahiti underway, Carl Linné’s these scenic islands remain among the brightest gems 10 hours of sleep in the 22. It is the 11- or 12-hour short stop in Tahiti’s Matavai Bay, another of Captain Three hours later we anchored in the lee of the low BOTTOM RIGHT Captain bowsprit net is a Greg Chivers of the Pacific, providing a magnetic attraction for blue time difference that causes the real difficulty for Cook’s anchorages. In the fresh 18-knot easterly, Carl palm-covered sandspit that is Point Venus, where comfortable perch demonstrates the BOTTOM RIGHT ocean cruising yachts. At the same time, their physical Europeans, while Americans suffer less and Linné really showed off her windward ability as we Cook had anchored 242 years before us. It was also yacht’s windsurfer Stewardess Gabi isolation (2,000 nautical miles to New Zealand, their Australasians and South East Asian visitors very beat towards Point Venus, the most northerly tip of the anchorage of HMS Pandora, the ship that later Amacker swims with nearest large neighbour, 5,000 to Japan and 3,200 to little. One simply cannot get the best out of a Tahiti. Her design was inspired by the Bristol Channel apprehended the 14 Bounty mutineers who had stingrays in Moorea’s North America) has ensured their exclusivity. holiday while suffering from jet lag, so an initial pilot cutters of the 19th century that raced to meet opted to remain on the island. Our visit was less lagoon Anchorages are never crowded with yachts, while stop at a beachside resort to regain equilibrium is incoming merchant vessels. Being fast was important historic. After a splendid lunch from chef Jinny superyachts are even rarer visitors, with few of those that do visit being available for charter. One such rarity is the 32.4-metre sailing yacht Carl Linné, which Distance from the rest of the world is will charter among the Society Islands and the nearby perhaps Tahiti’s main handicap and, Tuamotu Archipelago for at least a year, and we jumped at the opportunity to experience the reality at the same time, her salvation as a of these fabled islands aboard her. Designed by barrier to all but the most determined Gerard Dijkstra and built by Holland Jachtbouw, this tourists. Cook’s 1769 voyage took is a yacht with a pedigree that is of seriously high quality in every area, and it was a real treat to be almost nine months; today it takes just aboard. Our mission: to cruise the Society Islands and 22 hours of flight from Europe sample their delights, both above and beneath the <#l#> DESTINATIONS TAHITI DESTINATIONS TAHITI <#r#> Prinsloo, we took the tender ashore to Point Venus, now the site of a lighthouse, where we were disappointed to find that while the landing of French ABOVE The author missionaries was remembered with a plaque and takes the helm of Carl memorial, the early British presence of Willis, Cook Linné, whose steering is and Captain Edwards of HMS Pandora had no such light and positive BOTTOM LEFT There mention. Only victors erect monuments and, it are an abundance of seemed, the French have no interest in British visitors. high quality resort The remainder of the sail was mostly downwind hotels in French and thoroughly relaxing, passing to the south of Polynesia, which can be used to ameliorate the Moorea and her panorama of jagged peaks, while effects of jet lag before giving this heart-shaped island’s skirting reef a wide starting a cruise berth, especially its northern side, where huge surf BOTTOM RIGHT rolls in over the coral. Dusk was falling as we Brightly coloured pareos hang in motored through the Tareu passe and on into Papeete’s market Opunohu Bay, less well known than its easterly twin, Cook’s Bay, but far less developed. Perhaps it was the jet lag but, strangely, one does not really appreciate the impossibly scenic beauty of these northern anchorages until afloat, and this time we really took in the palm-fringed shoreline and the dramatic peaks that towered above us in the warm evening light. That evening, we collected Rodolphe from the shore and sat on deck under the brightest panoply of stars, discussing the next day’s plans. Of all the Society Islands, Moorea offers the best diving, and he wanted to show us a couple of nearby sites. We therefore planned to stay on the island until dusk and then sail overnight to the island of Huahine, some 90 or so nautical miles north-westwards. It metre-wide backs trailing a stiff rod of a tail and ABOVE A rain cloud was going to be a busy day. their frog-like eyes assessing us with some interest. rolls in over Bora Bora lagoon, which provides Next morning, after a full breakfast served in the ‘You won’t need your snorkels here,’ said Rodolphe, a safe anchorage in all cockpit by our delightfully irrepressible Swiss who, after hearing a sigh of relief, went on to add: weathers stewardess Gabi Amacker, we were soon in the ‘The water is shallow enough for you to stand.’ The tender on our way to be introduced to the local first reactions were: ‘Swim with those – wasn’t sealife.