From the towering volcanic peaks of Tahiti to the tropical rainforest of Papua New Guinea, the myriad islands in the South Seas offer spectacular sights of nature-as well as a variety of historical and cultural perspectives.
Here’s a roundup of highlights on selected islands.
French Polynesia
The myth of South Sea sensuality owes much to Gauguin’s quest for “paradise,” a lost innocence in Tahiti.
This fantasy may remain an unattractive trait, but if your search for the South Pacific begins in Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia, you will at once become aware of another kind of tropical sensuality as you are garlanded with Tiare blooms (gardenia), the national flower.
Their rich perfume will prepare you for the violent, almost rotting, fragrances of the island’s flora and the rich textured light. The French colonial influence has been absorbed producing an amalgam of coquetry and Polynesian gentleness.
You’ll not wish to linger long in the fray of Papeete. Move on to Moorea, a five-minute hop by plane from Tahiti, an island of immense natural beauty with towering volcanic peaks.
But don’t miss Bora-Bora, a further 30-minute flight onward. The runway (built during World War II) is on one of the reef islands that ring the atoll: Boats wait to speed you to your resort. You will not be able to take your eyes off the central island’s mountain core, a sheer densely vegetated mass topped by a plug of bare rock.
For information on French Polynesia, contact: Tahiti Tourism Board, 300 N. Continental Blvd., Suite 180, El Segundo, Calif. 90245; 310-414-8484.
The Cook Islands
Aitutaki is the very picture of a South Pacific atoll, a turquoise lagoon ringed by a reef and a sprinkling of tiny islands, most uninhabited. It is 160 miles north of Rarotonga, the main island in the Cook archipelago, itself on the edge of nowhere.
Apart from its gentle Maori people, Rarotonga is one of the less interesting of the South Pacific islands. Aitutaki, with three villages, 2,000 people, two small hotels and a handful of guest houses holds a greater charm.
On a day-trip (the 45-minute flight sets off at first light), I encountered a sub-Kontiki vessel on the dockside-two solid 30-foot canoes with a deck lashed between them. Tua, the huge Maori skipper, explained that it was one of a dozen such craft built around the Pacific islands to re-establish traditional methods.
“The winds are fickle but we have 40 paddlers,” he said with a grin. I looked toward a group of Maoris resting in the shade. He laughed and pointed to two outboard motors. “We couldn’t get a license to carry passengers without the engines,” he said.
On Aitutaki, you might meet Tua. You will certainly eat the best tuna you have ever tasted.
For information on the Cook Islands, contact: Cook Islands Tourist Authority USA Office, 6033 W. Century Blvd., Suite 690, Los Angeles, Calif. 90045; 800-624-6250.
Western Samoa
This is an island for travelers rather than tourists. Western Samoa does have a sprinkling of beach resorts, but you’ll want to stay in Aggie Grey’s, one of the South Pacific’s legendary hotels. It has been rebuilt, one of the better buildings in down-at-heel Apia, but has retained its character.
Western Samoa has come to prominence as a leading rugby-playing nation. There is a hint of menace that is reflected in a culture that has an underlying history of violence. Yet there is great kindness and hospitality, for this is a society that clings to its traditional mores, fa’a Samoa, based on village and family loyalties.
Samoa has a complex culture ill-served by the anthropologists. Robert Louis Stevenson loved the Samoan people and lived in Apia for the last four years of his life. His home, late the German colonial administration residence, is being restored as a memorial and should be ready for the centenary of his death in December.
For information on Western Samoa, contact: Polynesian Airlines, 6053 W. Century Blvd., Suite 1157, Los Angeles, Calif. 90045; 800-592-7100.
Tonga
Imagine a whitewashed palace on the seashore, the Queen playing golf on the nearby links and speedboat trips into blue-water caves and you have Tonga: two parts Alice in Wonderland to one part Octopussy. Though not the most beautiful or prosperous of the Pacific island groups, Tonga has charm.
It is and feels thoroughly remote and time seems oddly meaningless. All this can give sightseeing a rather languid feel, but the landscapes are inspiring. After the sights of the capital Nukualofa, which include the markets, a fine basilica and the palace (from the outside only), there are active geyserlike blowholes off the main island and the kind of beaches that feature in Bounty-bar ads.
The most alluring Tongan island group is Vavau, reached by Royal Tongan Airlines or ship if you have time. The approach is spectacular, the main island hilly and the harbor memorable. A tiny place like this, population 17,000, nevertheless boasts the Paradise International Hotel.
For information on Tonga, contact: Tonga Consulate General, 360 Post St., Suite 604, San Francisco, Calif. 94108; 415-781-0365.
Vanuatu
A former colonial aberration, these islands were once administered by both the British and the French, and both influences survive, in the towns at least. There are several good hotels in the capital, Vila, which sits at the bottom of green hills and overlooks a natural harbor.
Some hotels are on lagoons with beaches; another on an island in the harbor; another in a grove of coconut palms. As in many small Pacific islands, the way to see the main island, Efate, is to hire a car or moped and set off on the circular road, stopping at beaches and spectacular points as you go. There is nothing quite like it, having an entire sandy beach and lolling palms all to yourself.
But in the outlying islands and village communities you still can find tribal traditions and customs. You will almost certainly want to explore some-especially Tanna. It is a beautiful, brooding island with an active volcano.
Papua New Guinea
Mention of Papua New Guinea usually evokes tales of primitive, remote cultures, and it is hardly surprising. There are thought to be over 700 different tribes on PNG, which is one-half of the second-largest island in the world, (the other half, Irian Jaya is Indonesian). Each tribe has its own language and traditions that are incomprehensible to the others. It is in PNG, too, that Pidgin is spoken and written, and a more colorful, inventive and expressive language it is hard to imagine. What better word for a traditional dance, for example, than singsing?
In the capital Port Moresby the influence of Australia is strong and the country continues to give large amounts of aid. But the tribal traditions of Papua New Guinea are firmly embedded and evident in wonderful carvings, many covered in overt phallic symbolism, to admire and buy.
You usually have to fly into the tropical rainforest interior because the capital is ringed by mountains. The overwhelming attractions lie in the variety of natural phenomena from fast-flowing rivers to swamplands, active volcanoes, upland valley grasslands and extensive coral reefs. Ecological tours are spectacular.
The Huli Wigmen of the Tari Valley, accessible from a lodge in the Highlands province, model their traditional dress on the flamboyant Birds of Paradise with whom they share their habitat.
Perhaps because of the yawning gap between the interior settlements and the towns and cities, there are still reports of violent incidents in urban areas. So joining groups is probably preferable, though cautious independent travel is possible.
For information about Papua New Guinea, contact: Papua New Guinea tourism office, 1615 New Hampshire Ave. NW, 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20009; call (9 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday) 202-745-3680.
