… would be a finalist in any competition to judge the most beautiful island in the world … a massive central mountain surrounded completely by a fringing reef enclosing a spectacular lagoon …

We appraoched before sunrise …

…wind and rain gone … the lagoon was a mirror …

…we found Wind Spirit had made it here before us …

Here we decided to rent our own boat, and set off for a day of exploration of the lagoon (well, the southern half anyway) … Captain Corageous at the helm, with occasional “help” from the navigator up front …

For morning tea, we stopped here …

We then moved on to explore where all the 4 and 5 star resorts have expensive over water rooms …

… found some different angles on the mountain (someone’s getting the finger here I think)

… and then it was time for lunch … dropped anchor in the lagoon and ate our baguettes and drank local juice …

We then found our way to Matira Beach …

… where we met some of the locals who were having a hard day …

… then past the Sofitel, before dropping off the boat …

Back on the ship, a point blank view of the mountain as sunset approaches …

Then farewell to Bora Bora under a full moon …