While still waiting for the genset spare parts, we decided to make a hike to Mt Temehani, the highest peak of Raiatea. The background was that we wanted to see the aphetaki flower, which is the symbol of Raiatea. It’s a pretty interestingly shaped flower. People told us that it is to be seen at Mt Temehani’s two plateaus.

The plant is an endangered species. Endangered by humans who need to take their own flower home like trophy, instead of just looking at them and enjoy their beauty. It’s also endangered by a type of rat, which came to the island by foreign ships. These rats don’t have natural enemies and are a plague in many islands of French Polynesia.

A while ago, I attempted already alone Mt Temehani but at the end took at one Y-junction the wrong direction. Therefore, I decided we go by the more southern entry, which a local lady knew and showed us.

The way up was pretty easy. The trail was easily to be seen and easy to be walked.

Once we were high enough up, we had a great view down to the outer reef and the mainly sandy shelf at its inside, displaying an emerald green water in which MaRe was swinging at her anchor.

When we already were in the shrubs of the first plateau we looked out for the apetahi flower but first didn’t see any.

The explanation came in form of a young lady, a hiker who walked the opposite direction with friends. She told us that their are almost non of these flower existing, and they are in a small area with a fence around and further up deep in the shrubs.

Now we understood why we didn’t see any. Searching in the higher up shrubs was not an option for us as the lady told us that the fenced area is small and difficult to find.

So we continued through the second plateau as well until we found a trail leading downhill.

Early on the way down we crossed two streams with very fresh water. In one stream there was even a natural bath tub looking so invitingly to sit in an cool down for a while. But we continued.

Then the trail became pretty narrow and was partially pretty difficult to seen. At two steep parts of the trail, there were even ropes prepared for an easier descent.

It was long way down and whenever we thought that it will be easier from now on, it became again difficult.

Finally we reached the first houses of a place just about 3 km south of the center of Uturoa.

It was a nice challenge having crossed the island via its highest mountain trail from very easy to walk to parts where it was difficult to identify the trail.

The end was, like the beginning: hitch hiking. A way to travel I discovered again in French Polynesia.