Tourist in Tahiti

Te Ao Hou, October 1956, Page 56

Tourist in Tahiti Tahiti, by George T. Eggleston, is a travel book. The story begins at Papeete, the main port of Tahiti, if not of Polynesia itself. Here the author and his wife eventually find a small schooner to take them the round trip, and the reader finds himself roped into a rather monotonous and superficial conducted tour, islands being dealt with and ticked off, chapter by chapter. We pause to note the difficulties of the harbour entrance, sample the food and hospitality of the inhabitants, admire the dancing and the scenery, always visit any outstanding landmarks, and if there is nothing tapu to fossick out, move on. Bad weather between islands provides some variation. If Mr Eggleston had stayed in one spot long enough for the novelty to wear off and the reality to sink in, he wouldn't have done what he set out to do, but he might have come nearer to capturing the reader's imagination. However, the book must be recommended for its superb photographs.