Back to The Holler expecting hum-drum….but no, The Holler hates hum-drum, so look who chaired the welcoming committee!
Isn’t he a beaut! He’s been hanging around here. His wingspan clocks in at almost exactly 5 inches.
He’s a Ceanothus Silk Moth. His larvae feeds on the wild lilacs (ceanothus) that grow all over Hollerdom.
The adults fly at The Holler in January and do not feed. This is the first one I have ever seen.
If you’re feeling winter weary, here’s a couple of clicks of the tropics to warm you up!
This traditional Polynesian Canoe House is built to catch the tropical breezes and is amazingly cool even on morbidly hot tropical days. Remember Frost saying, if the world ended in fire or ice, he’d “go with those who favor fire?” He is one of my favorite poets, but he must not have spent much time in the tropics. The heat and humidity can get to you, just like the ice and cold.
This big guy is aptly named a unicorn fish. He can grow up to two feet in length and seemed curious and unafraid.
Flying away from paradise. Check out the surf on the fringing reef!
Cheers to you (and stay warm) from the rarely ho-hum Holler~
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Tag: Huahine
Paradise~
What would it be like to live in paradise? Can you try and imagine? (Please click to enlarge). Here are the tools of trade for living in Huahine, outriggers, fishing boats, nets and boat hangers. Guava, Papaya, Coconut, Breadfruit, Passion Fruit, sweet potatoes and Bananas are everywhere growing wild. Fish are teeming in the lagoons. Chickens roam at will.
This man was fishing with a drop line, he saw my camera, and performed an ocean akido for us! How beautiful is he and so at home in his sea?
This is Huahine’ main archeological site with a traditional house, even the palm trees are laid back here.
Lots of folks want to experience paradise on their own terms.
They sail The Society Islands, stopping where and when they choose. They stay for a long time in Huahine. Smart sailors.
And always the pounding surf on the fringing reefs, sings you to sleep at night and awake in the morning.
The fringing reef protects the island and gives it such ethereal hues.
And at the end of the day, this is home!
Oh, and if you are thinking of visiting Polynesia, consider Huahine. If you like to avoid tourists and development, you will be very happy here. Just watch out for the coral!
Cheers to you from incredible Huahine~
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Huahine Storm Surf~
Huahine is in the middle of a massive tropical storm bringing monsoonal rain, winds and massive tubular waves to the far off fringing reef. These photos were taken from shore with zoom up to 1200 mm equivalent.
In order to give you perspective, check out this photo which shows where I shot from on land during one of the lulls in the rain. You can see the waves on the horizon on the fringing reef.
Waves form tubes like this when big ocean swells hit shallow reefs.
Some waves like the one below, blow out due to the erratic nature of the storm, but I think they are beautiful too. I don’t look at waves in terms of their surfability.
This wave below had a broken, or double tube!
Here’s another blown out beauty.
The Huahine locals went out in force in their outriggers to watch the show from just inside the reef break zone. Here they are getting ready, you can see the breaks on the reef in the horizon.
Paddling out in outriggers was a beautiful sight.
Cheers to your from still storming, still spectacular, Huahine~
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Huahine~
Huahine, also known as The Garden Isle, is one of the least visited islands in French Polynesia and retains a strong sense of early Polynesia.
We are staying in Lapita Village. Lapita refers to the ancestral culture of the ancient Polynesians. The village consists of thatched bungalows built around a natural lagoon in the style of an ancient Polynesian Canoe House.
In addition to jaw dropping natural beauty, the area is an important archeological site, with settlements and artifacts found nearby dating from 750 AD. Lapita Village maintains an onsite archeological museum.
Huahine is essentially tropical jungle, exotic flowers and fruit are growing everywhere in abundance.
Our accommodations here are far more lux than in Raiatea, in that we actually have AC and island critters can’t enter our abode, and beds, through all the open nooks and crannies! Woo Hoo! I have never loved AC this much! Not to mention beds shared only with my husband!
Far nostalgia purposes, here is a look at our over water bungalows in Raiatea. Pretty? Yes. Comfortable, errrrrrr….. AC and closing those nooks and crannies would work better for me in summer in Polynesia. Oh, and scraping the coral off the dive ladders would work too! My up close and friendly coral cuts still prevent me from going in the ocean.
Am I complaining? No. It is gorgeous here and the food is fabulous so I am a happy non-camper!
Cheers to you from our ‘very cool’ abode in gorgeous Huahine~
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