Tahiti thrives in shadow of nuclear tests

Press, 3 July 1985, Page 42

Tahiti thrives in shadow of nuclear tests

Tahiti and Moorea, the two largest islands in French Polynesia, are becoming increasingly popular holiday resorts for New Zealanders. Tahiti is about five hours flying time from Auckland. The climate is warm, tempered by sea breezes. About 70 per cent of the population is Polynesian, and there are strong French and Chinese influences. The pictures show: TOP LEFT: Part of the waterfront of Papeete, the capital of Tahiti and a popular resort for cruising yachts. With the development of French Polynesia as a testing site for French nuclear weapons, the harbour has been expanded to include a French naval base. TOP RIGHT: A schooner outward bound from Papeete heads west towards the island resorts of Moorea and Bora Bora. CENTRE RIGHT: Holiday makers from New Zealand and Australia enjoy a palm-fringed beach at the Club Med resort on Moorea. BOTTOM RIGHT: Part of the jagged skyline of Moorea Island. The island, 17km from Tahiti, is the remains of a huge volcano. The mountains rise to 1200 metres and two deep fiords — the remains of volcanic craters — cut deeply into the north coast of the island. One of them, Cook’s Bay, discovered by Captain Cook in 1777, is regarded as the safest anchorage in the group. BOTTOM LEFT: Papeete street scene. A portion of Boulevard Pomare, the main waterfront drive in the town. Modern buildings, with a wide variety of shops, bars, and restaurants, have replaced the old Polynesian town. CENTRE LEFT: A corner of the French naval dockyards, built as a base for the French nuclear tests at Mururoa. Mururoa, about 130 km south-east of Tahiti, was first used for nuclear testing in 1966.