The next day when I went SUP-surfing on one of the reefs in Ra’iatea I saw the fins of some more blacktip sharks but where before I would have probably slightly freaked out, I felt like they were my friends and that we were both enjoying the ocean together, it was really a wonderful feeling. But more than just the ocean, the whole island is also home to lush green mountains, waterfalls and historical sites. In fact Ra’iatea, which translates to “faraway heaven”, was once the cultural and religious centre of the Society Islands. Known in legends as Hawaiki, “the homeland,” many cultures believe that this is where the great Polynesian migration began, from which large double-hulled sailing canoes set out to colonise Hawaii and New Zealand. On the Island people live with the sun, this means that everyone gets up around 5:30 am and goes to bed at around 9 pm.
