16/4/2019 Before we arrived at Fakarava airport, out of the window of the plane we saw some atolls that were exciting to see. We landed and found a sign that said Tatumanu lodge, so we got in the open back truck and our bags went in the trailer. She then drove us to a boat which went to where we found the family that we were sailing with for a month. Their names are Joe, Lara, Cobin, Marin and Tully their boat is called Charm. When we arrived it was lunchtime, so we had some food that we ate over the water. Then we all swam with black tipped reef sharks and also saw Christmas tree worms. At first I was a little bit scared but then they didn’t worry me.

17/4/2019 Today we found coconuts and used the sun and a magnifying glass to burn stuff into them. We made some new friends called Eva, Henry, Ed and Gemma who are English. We went out to dinner with them and whilst we waited for food Cobin gave us riddles which we managed to work out (nailed it!).

18/4/2019  Today we did school and in science we played a game about primary, secondary and tertiary consumers and that was fun. At the playing field there were also men throwing spears at a coconut that was approximately 50m off the ground, it looked really hard. After we finished playing we moved Charm to the anchorage and went snorkeling. At the end of the day we played another game named Empire.

19/4/2019 Today was a special day because we went to a pearl farm and we were told about how pearls were produced by the oyster. Some of us had a chance to get a pearl. It was my lucky day and I got the biggest pearl there was [I was speechless]! Whilst they were making it into a necklace we were doing school. When we went to collect them Cobin took us there at top speed; that was the best day ever.

20/4/2019 It was a good day to go sailing so we decided to sail to another place called Tuau. Whilst we were sailing we were making Easter baskets. When we arrived we got some food colouring and coloured eggs which was fun.

21/4/2019 Happy Easter! We found our Easter eggs but it was hard, so we all needed help, even the adults. We went for a swim over a big reef which was nice, there was loads of fish – Parrot, Butterfly, Trigger, Puffer, Eagle rays and I even saw a frog fish which was amazing. Yay! It was raining, because it’s so hot here that it was good to have rain. We had a lovely dinner that was sausage and rice yum.

22/4/2019 It was a lovely day so we decided to go to the beach. We found loads of hermit crabs and we played with them. Marin and I were taking care of the medium sized ones and Tully and Jessica were taking care of the baby ones. We all made a big house for all of them but two separate ones, one for the medium ones and one for the small ones, whilst Cobin Lara and Daddy went looking for a better beach as the one we were playing on was small. When we got back to the boat the children had dinner because the adults where going out for dinner so Cobin was in charge and he made us all a chocolate cake but in a cup so it was a cup cake. We made something called clay beads which are beads that you can make out of different coloured clay and are then baked in the oven for 15 minutes. When we had finished we watched LEGO BATMAN the movie.

23/4/2019 We left to go to Rangiroa another atoll and it would take all day and all night. Before we left, we played with the other children that we had met. We had a lot of fun, when we had to leave we said see you at the next island.

24/4/2019 Today we did dinghy catapulting it was awesome. We swam and played on a sea bob (it’s a hand held electronic motored water toy that powers you through the water). Lara asked Hugh on Nickytoo if she could go water skiing and so she did. She was very good. Then Lucia and Alejandro from Naiobe had a turn too and they were pros at this, when they did a sharp corner they were still standing whoa they were good. The day ended like that. It was fun like every day.

25/4/2019 We found an aquarium and went snorkelling as it was an underwater one which had a route to follow. We read some information (stuff) about coral and fish, it was extraordinary but it was kind of like school too. We went out to dinner in the evening and there was a children’s table and even more friends called Max, Daisy, Chris and Sophie. We played with Max and Daisy for some time and all the others, then we played cops and robbers’ boys’ vs girls and obviously the boys won.

26/4/2019 It was a lovely day so we decided to sail to Tahiti and it took us all day and all night to get there. It was tiring.

27/4/2019 It’s a lovely morning and are still sailing, but not far now. When we were at the entrance to the channel, there were dolphins to greet us. They were fun to see. We had moored up and we had a McDonalds, it was delicious. Then we set off to a shop to restock. On the way we stopped in a pearl museum which was interesting, and when we were done we set off to Carrefour again.

28/4/2019 After breakfast we did cleaning as usual but it was fun. We started to play with the others when a new bout came in with two children on it named Catherine and Pavel they were Canadian and nice to play with. At the end of the day we went to the cinema to watch a film called Shazam. It was great!

29/4/2019 Today was fun because dad was teaching school. Whist everyone else went shopping 5 year old Tully did 13 pages of writing and 2 pages of math which was awesome for her age. Near the end of the day we played a game called pit, later we did riddles.

30/4/2019 Today we hired 2 Kia cars and went shopping in them. The cars were red and silver.

1/5/2019 WELCOME to the first day of the month It was a day that felt amazing we set out in the cars and saw a water fall and here is a picture and a video. Next was the blow hole and here is a video of it. Now we went to a surfing place and watched the surfers surf Finally we went to the beach and Jessica found 20 Franks on the beach which was good.

2/5/2019 YAY!!! Its dads half birthday today and we climbed a mountain, there was a beautiful view. Dad had found some interesting places to explore, one was a river walk. As we entered the place to park we saw two small things that looked like rocks by the side of the car, but mummy noticed that one moved- they were actually tiny puppies. I wanted to keep one! We found the river that had fresh running water and we went swimming in; it was cold. Charm had signed up to do the world arc which is a rally of lots of boats travelling together round the world. They meet up in certain places and have a big party. The local dancing was amazing at the party we went to. I was given a flower lay by one of the dancers which was beautiful and smelt lovely. Food trucks are good for dinner and they are trucks that you can sit anywhere you want and order mainly anything. We had our dinner then moved onto a bar which had a Karaoke machine. Karaoke was astonishing and I was nervous at first, but for the rest of the night I sang loads and I just wouldn’t stop singing. It was so much fun.

3/5/2019 Slushies: – we haven’t had them for ages so it was a treat to finally have one again. I had a blue one which coloured my tongue a vivid blue colour. Song of the sea we watched and I would highly recommend it for you.

4/5/2019 Tahiti – we left it behind to go to Moorea which was a stunning place.

5/5/2019 Today Tully did her swim test and she passed. We went over to play with Raid, whilst we were playing Jessica saw a turtle and I saw a spotted eagle ray when we were swimming over.

6/5/2019 Today we left Moorea to go to Raiatea, when we arrived we went up a river and found a man who showed us the way to where we were going. When we got there the man gave us free bananas and at the end of the tour of his garden, we got 5 pearls for free which was kind of him.

7/5/2019 Today was the sign up day for the TAHITI PEARL REGATTA which we were entering. Tully and I went swimming around the boat and we made a horse and carriage. Then Daisy came round and we played credit card monopoly.

8/5/2019 Horse riding was amazing and my horse was called Lyla, mummy’s horse was called Brownie, Jessica’s horse was called Pia and daddy’s horse was called Everest. My horse was naughty and kept pushing the lady who was leading us into the mud, as we were in the enchanted forest. When we were out of the forest we went to the sea, I had to get off my horse because she likes to roll around in the water. Whilst there the ladies asked us all to turn around on our saddles so we faced the wrong way. It was hard to do but also fun as it felt like you might fall off into the sea. Once back at the ranch we fed the ducks, chickens and geese and found a chicken egg. We saw turtles, rabbits and guinea pigs that we held. There were also cats and a big fat pig who had fallen asleep with his head in his bucket.

9/5/2019 And we’re off coming in 1st place racing from Raiatea to Huahine, then our sail ripped and now dropping back ………to end in 10th place. No more racing for us but it was fun whilst it lasted. Joe was racing on TinTin who had a bit of an accident at the beginning and Cobin was crewing on Nica who came 1st.

10/5/2019 Today instead of doing the second race we (all the girls and dad) went on a tour of the atoll. We saw blue eyed eel’s, a vanilla factory and a shell museum. We stopped for a picnic lunch at the beach before finishing the tour and going back to Charm. I also bought a Paraoe which has all the atoll names on it of the Tuamotu islands.

11/5/2019 Sailing to Tahaa today as it’s the end of the race. We anchored at the finish line to see our friends boat, Nica, crossing 1st with Cobin on board. Tintin and Joe came in about 6 boats later. There was a big celebratory party on the motu for the end of the regatta and they had a fire dancer. He was really good but poor Jessica got bitten by red ants whilst watching him perform.

12/5/2019 There was an adult girl party on Nica and they sailed round the island and we followed them in secret.

13/5/2019 This is the end goodbye French Polynesia and charm and we left to go on our big flight home. Hope you enjoy my blog thanks for reading. Olivia