Dances with Tahitian stingrays

SHANDELLE BATTERSBY finds some unusual companions to share a lagoon with in Tahiti.

With fingers wrapped tightly around the edge of the boat, I gingerly ease myself into the warm, transparent lagoon. A cluster of stingrays, each at least a metre in width, circles below. With a deep breath and one last check that no narrow and dangerous tails are in range, I let go and slip into the shallow water.

Willingly getting into the ocean with a stingray is not something I ever pictured myself doing, but in Tahiti it's a popular tourist activity. As long as you move carefully in the water and avoid giving them a fright, the stingrays are not a threat. Two or three rays will rise against you, almost horizontally, the mouths on their underbellies gasping for food. They are used to human contact and don't mind the tourists patting and stroking their surprisingly, soft skin.

As undesirable as it sounds, the stingrays are nicer ocean companions than the reef sharks we have just shared the water with on the outskirts of the lagoon. The small sharks don't seem interested in the tourist flesh dangling helplessly in the deep water and the guides successfully keep them away with the odd piece of fish.

But my first image of Tahiti is the wave of fragrant warmth that envelopes us as we walk off the plane, even at 1 am. Musicians softly serenade our arrival. Everyone is given a piece of tiare, a native flower. Single people tuck the flower behind their left ear while those who are spoken for put it behind their right.

After a few hours' rest we head to downtown Papeete to experience Tahiti's French Polynesian culture. Among the sea of sarongs, stacks of tropical fruit and piles of woven baskets you can buy baguettes and espresso coffee and find out about the black pearl industry. The Pearl Museum is worth a visit. Tahitians are proud of their black pearl industry and almost every second shop in Papeete is an outlet.

From the main island of Tahiti, it's a seven-minute flight to neighbouring Moorea, our home for the next two days.

We check into Club Med and are soon swimming in the salty lagoon. With its casual atmosphere, the resort feels like a holiday camp. Staff encourage guests to participate in the many activities it has on offer such as water-skiing, scuba diving, snorkelling, volleyball and even crab racing. And, after all the exertions, there's an impressive buffet selection, with a vast selection of traditional island and French food, to tuck into.

The shark and stingray tour that we went on also involved a stop on a motu (islet) where we were shown how to dissect a coconut with a stick. It's a half-day trip with plenty of time for a swim in the lagoon.

After some water skiing, we visit the Tiki Village in the evening for a taste of traditional Tahitian life. Olivier Briac, a former dancer and choreographer of Parisian shows, started this village 12 years ago. It was established to nurture native culture including arts, crafts, tattoo and dance, and is open to the public. The village even provides facilities for a romantic marriage ceremony, where the bride and groom are dressed as a Tahitian princess and chief.

After the unearthing of the ahimaa (the Tahitian version of our hangi), we tour the village and are entertained with some spectacular fire dancing. On our final day I try an Aquawalk - a 30-minute trek along the seabed which involves wearing a heavy helmet that has air pumped into it through tubes from the boat above. It's a surreal experience "moonwalking" along the ocean floor, surrounded by hundreds of beautiful tropical fish, while breathing normally.

Despite being laidback, Tahiti is serious about looking after its visitors and lives up to its reputation as an island paradise.

* Shandelle Battersby travelled to Tahiti as a guest of Tahiti Tourisme and Air New Zealand.

Casenotes

GETTING THERE: Air New Zealand flies to Papeete four times a week direct from Auckland with connections from Wellington and Christchurch. Return fares start at $991. Contact your travel agent for holiday packages.

WHERE TO STAY: Beachcomber Parkroyal Hotel, Papeete, ph (689) 86 51 10, fax (689) 86 51 30; Club Mediterranee Moorea, ph (689) 55 00 00, fax (689) 55 00 10; Sheraton Hotel, Papeete, ph (689) 86 48 48, fax (689) 86 48 00.

COSTS: Tiki Village, $80. Aquawalk, $80. Pearl Museum, $9. The sting ray/shark tour costs $24.

MORE INFORMATION: Tahiti Tourisme, Level 1, 26 Ponsonby Rd, Auckland, ph (09) 360 8880, fax (09) 360 8891, e-mail office@tahiti-tourisme.co.nz