Hiva Oa is also called Gauguin Island by some because the painter had his last creative phase here and is also buried on this island. There is also a Gauguin Museum on the island where the career of the painter can be traced and his works (as replicas) can be admired. The museum is in the main town of the island, Atuona. There are also some shops, a post office, a bank and some snack shops. All in all, more infrastructure than we have seen on the last islands. There is practically everything you need for daily life, but it is still all relatively small level.
Nevertheless, the island has much more to offer than the Gauguin Museum. For us, the most important thing is the Marquesas Maintenance Service (MMS). This is the reason why we have chosen this island as the first of the Marquesas Islands. Here we want to take Maya out of the water for the first time in a long time. There is some maintenance work to be done and cleaning of the underwater hull certainly can’t hurt. A bit surprising for us is that haul-out in the Marquesas (and also in Tahiti) is much cheaper than on the Pacific side of South and Central America. Normally, prices in French Polynesia are quite steep. However, we are quite satisfied with MMS. We have replaced our shaft seal, repaired the Furlex (furling headsail) and had our mainsail sewn. We also used the time ashore to clean and re-wax the boat. Fortunately, we don’t have to redo the underwater hull (see article Cuppercoat).
Furthermore, Hiva Oa is known for the largest Tiki (=traditional statue) in French Polynesia, but for that, you have to go to the other side of the island. There is also a beautiful anchorage there, but we take it as an opportunity to change our means of transport and rent an off-road vehicle for a day. The road on the island is not paved everywhere and crossing the island is a little adventure in itself, during which we are rewarded again and again with spectacular views of the islands and the Pacific. In Puamau, the place where the biggest Tiki is, we also met Therese. Her family owns the site where the biggest Tiki is (and many other Tikis). She also looks after the site with the Tikis and makes sure that everything is in good shape there. She is super nice and we also got some fruits fresh from the garden from her. The friendliness of the islanders here in Polynesia surprises us again and again and we hope that we can take this example and part of the relaxed attitude to life with us.
Besides the site with the biggest Tiki, there are also several other Tikis on the island. For example, the smiling tiki. It’s a relatively small statue, but a nice hike from Anchorage Bay. You have to walk along the main road, but there is not much traffic on the island, so it is not a problem. The way uphill, however, is exhausting in the heat. After a few months on the Tuamotus, where you hardly ever find an elevation above 10m, we are no longer used to mountains. You can also find Tikis in different places. Some of them are new and others are a bit older and of historical value.
There is also a lot going on in the anchorage of Taha Uku. There were between 10 and 15 boats in the bay. The supply boats also moor here, which is not easy in the narrow bay. Sometimes we meet up with other sailors in the evening at the “Semaphore” lookout point, where you have a beautiful view of the bay and can chat very well over a drink. The water in the anchorage is not clear because some of the earth is always washed up by the river. Swimming is therefore not very nice. Near the anchorage, there is also a petrol station with a small shop where you can get almost anything. To Atuona, where most of the shops are, it is a walk of about 20 to 30 minutes.
We liked the island. Nevertheless, we are looking forward to bays with clear water and more peace.
