Adventure Magazine

Small river crossing - a lot more fun on the way down
The trail was very clear and straightforward to ride,
not technical at all. Teiki explained there were more
technical options, but we were on the main track.
Encased by native bush, trees and vines, we got the
odd glimpse of blue sky and the peaks that lay ahead,
the infamous valley of Titaaviri. Vegetation-covered
mountains, like dragons’ teeth, pointed out of the
island. We often stopped to talk of birds, plants, trees,
and the culture of the area. Teiki had a vast local
knowledge and a natural retelling of historical tales that
just fitted well with the trip.
It was hot, and at times it was wet. It rained, and we
were told it rained a lot, ‘it’s that green for a reason’. But
the rain only added to the enjoyment. There were some
small river crossings, we passed by swimming holes
that were marked for the return trip. It is around 9 km
till you come to the dam. Let me make this very clear,
this is not a hard ride, the idea of mountain biking in the
tropics might seem like a no-go, but it was easy, and the
gentle intermittent rain just added to the fun.
When you arrive at the dam at Titaaviri dam – you
stand on the dam wall, and the lake rolls out before
you. The other end of the lake is just mountain walls,
peaks and more valleys. It really looked like prehistoric
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Pterodactyls should be flying around. The word
majestic does not begin to describe what lies before
you. As a travel writer and photographer, on occasion,
you come across something you cannot put into words
or take a photo to explain how remarkable it is: The
Grand Canyon, Milford Sounds, Zion and now Titaaviri.
Weak as it sounds, it must be seen to be believed.
We stayed and sat in awe, trying to capture a moment,
a scene that was far beyond anything you could
capture with a camera or write in words.
‘What goes up must come down’, and although the
uphill track didn’t seem that daunting the down hill
run back to the water ‘baths’ (as the locals call them),
basically pools of water was fast and fun. A ride
through some streams, a dip in the ‘baths’ and we
were back at the start.
Repeatedly I have tried to explain how impressive this
experience was, but simply you can’t. It just needs to
be experienced.
So on your next trip to Tahiti don’t just look out, look in!
Thanks to:
www.mooreafishingadventures.com/
www.facebook.com/Local.Motion.Tour.Tahiti/
www.tahititourisme.nz/en-nz/
Jungles everywhere...