They came in search of Paradise and found…… Moorea. Without a doubt the most beautiful island I have ever seen. Extraordinary deep green volcanic peaks, jagged pitons, flat topped cones. Then the blue sea: turquoise out to the fringing reef, then the surf break and the deep royal blue as the ocean drops away. White sand beaches…. No high rise development at all. Nothing visible at all really as it is all hidden in the palms. Absolutely beautiful and largely unspoilt.

We sailed into one of the two fjord like bays on the north side of the island arriving just as we went up for breakfast and even so early the beauty was stunning. Kept snapping photos as I ate!!!! We got the first tender ashore to find the TopDive boat waiting for us on the dock. A very different dock from Tahiti. Just a wooden jetty coming out from the tree-lined shore, not a shop in sight. There were already 4 other divers on the boat so we went straight out to the first dive spot, outside the fringing reef.

I was quite nervous that my ear was not going to let me get down which would have been massively disappointing. However, it was actually easier than yesterday. It did take a few agonising minutes to clear but I did get down just in time to see a black tip reef shark sashay past flicking his tail at us. There were more fish here than at Tahiti and the water was much clearer. Not gin clear as the Red Sea can be sometimes, but pretty good. There were lots of fish but the coral was all bleached out. A wasteland. So sad to see.

We saw several sharks and some different pelagic fish on the first dive but the second dive was much better. Firstly the coral was healthy, more colourful, and even beginning to regenerate in areas of damage. Then there was more life too. Big schools of jack fish and the usual pelagic fish. Quite a few black tip sharks patrolling around. They came in close, very unafraid. We also saw three different turtles and a green moray eel. Like yesterday, the water was a delightful temperature, no need for any suit at all.

After the dive we went back to the base at the Intercontinental hotel and rinsed the kit off and then decided to stay there for the rest of the day. It was a lovely spot with a good lagoon that you could swim in, a white sand beach, pools and good shade which was necessary. A few people from the ship found their way there. We sat back and rewarded ourselves with a beer and a nice cold glass of white wine. Life felt very good, very lucky. Moorea is paradise. Everyone was saying so, and they were right. Would love to come back here again someday, although it is very far. I expected a lot from Moorea and it exceeded my expectation. That's all I can say. 50 years of waiting to see a South Sea Island and finally made it. Fabulous place for a honeymoon or extra special holiday.

We got back to the ship late afternoon, showered off the salt and had a bit of tea to hold us over to dinner. Too expensive to buy food at the hotel so we were starving. Then Bob had a Power Nap for 2 hours and I sat out on the rear terrace with my Kindle and a glass of cold white wine (bit of a pattern) and watched the sun set over the green mountains of Moorea. The night was still so warm and velvety. After a while everyone else drifted off for dinner and I had the whole deck to myself, sitting at the rail looking out at the sea and the twinkling lights. Perfect magic.

Dinner, a stroll round the deck as the ship sailed out along the pass from the lagoon to the open sea, and then a show featuring a man who picked pockets, removed ties, belts and braces without people noticing. Very clever but not a favourite.

So tired…. Diving, the heat and a long day takes its toll. Shan't forget today though and hope we can return one day.