Atuona is the most windward official port of entry in French Polynesia, so many puddle jumpers make their first landfall there. The harbor, called Baie Taaoa (aka Traitor’s Bay) is small and it faces southwest. There is a breakwater reaching almost halfway out across the entrance to the bay to protect from some of the swell that comes in, but it is generally known as a pretty rolly anchorage. We found it quite pleasant while we were there. I guess when there is a particularly severe storm down in the Southern Ocean it can generate a lot of swells from the south which makes this anchorage pretty much untenable. Luckily, we didn’t experience that. When we arrived, there were 12 boats bow and stern anchored, and I think while we were there we saw as many as 18-20.
The town of Atuona is really nice even if it is quite a walk from the harbor. Traitor’s bay is actually a double lobed bay. Baie Tahauku is the eastern lobe where the harbor is, and Baie Atuona is the western lobe where, well, Atuona is. The walk takes about 30-40 minutes, and you get some nice views as you walk around the point between the lobes. But it’s also pretty easy to get a ride too. One time I was walking along alone, and someone stopped to give me a ride. At home, would I have ever accepted a ride like that from a stranger? He didn’t speak English, but I was able to tell him to drop me at the post office. Needless to say, the people there were quite nice. There are several stores, and provisioning was good. Our first trip to town I went a little crazy buying outrageously expensive fruit like pears and tangerines, since we had been out of fresh fruit for a while. But after a few days we were buried in the fresh local fruit, like pamplemousse, bananas, and mangoes, that people gave us. Contrary to all the hype among cruisers, you CAN get eggs here. I brought only enough eggs from Mexico for our crossing, and we’ve never been without eggs since arriving.
Our first trip to town we hit the Gendarmerie, the ATM (which had a much-loved air-conditioned kiosk), all of the stores, and one of the “snacks” in town for a pretty gross burger and a couple beers. We had a fine walk back to the harbor munching on baguettes the whole way. We learned that the gas station right on the harbor has baguettes in the morning, and you can pre-order, so you don’t have to go in crazy early to make sure you get some.
I thought the town smelled like Hawaii. Maybe it was all the tropical fruit and the moist air. But it definitely reminded me of Hawaii. It would rain a few times each day for just a short bit, making it a fire drill to get all the hatches closed on the boat so we don’t get drenched inside. This is where we made it part of the process when leaving the boat to make sure all hatches are closed. Yes, we learned the hard way.
Any tourist propaganda you read about Atuona will include the fact that Paul Gaugin and Jaques Brel are buried there. I had never even heard of Jaques Brel, but apparently, he was a famous Belgian singer. Of course, I knew the French painter Paul Gaugin, and I kept mentioning we should walk up to the cemetery. I never had any takers. So, one of our last days there I headed into town alone to see the cemetery and pick up a few final provisions. It was a short, steep walk up to the cemetery, turning right just before the Gendarmerie. There was some roadwork being done on the very narrow road, and the workers stopped so that I could comfortably pass. The cemetery was quaint, and yes, I saw and photographed both graves, but the view of the town and the bay from up there was spectacular. I was OK having that moment alone.
We met another kid boat there almost right away. They were on s/v Mojumbo and they were from Tasmania, finishing the final leg of a 4-year circumnavigation. Zeke is 14 (I think) and Nena is 12, and they were very welcoming to Alex and Brenden and took them to shore to play a couple times. Once Lady Carolina arrived, they were quite the gang, and when I just now asked Brenden what he remembered about Atuona, he said, “oh, that was my favorite place because we built really cool forts on the beach.”
Gresham Family Exodus 