In April 1969 I was privileged to travel to Tahiti as a part of my work. This was just ten months before the advent of mass tourism courtesy of the Boeing 747 and later the Douglas DC10 and Lockheed Tristar. Flights between Australia and Tahiti were by Qantas Boeing 707 or Air New Zealand Douglas DC8. These were infrequent, which meant that, while waiting for a flight out, there was an opportunity to visit that gorgeous island just across the water from Papeete – the island of Moorea.
Below is a slider that contains the photographs I took that day together with some of Papeete and the island of Tahiti itself.
These are images of a world long gone… Sadly, I have never been back to Tahiti, but one or two of these Kodachrome slides contained a hint of things that were to come …
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The Hotel Tahiti, Papeete April 1969
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Approaching Moorea from Papeete, 1969
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Approaching Moorea , 1969 (#2)
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overhead
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Mini Moke – transport for the day – April 1969
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Cook’s Bay, island of Moorea – A few houses are visible in the original Kodachrome side – April 1969
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Cook’s Bay, Moorea – 1969 (#2)
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Shoreline,
Moorea 1969
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Shoreline,
Moorea 1969
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Moorea, April 1969
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Moorea, 1969
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Looking back from Moorea towards the island of Tahiti , April 1969
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Moorea, April 1969
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Moorea, April 1969
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Moorea, April 1969
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Shoreline,
Moorea 1969
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(Probably)
Opunohu Bay,
Moorea, April 1969
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Shoreline
of Opunohu Bay,
Moorea 1969
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Head of Cook’s Bay, Moorea, 1969
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Moorea, 1969
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Moorea, 1969
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View from the new (in 1969) lookout towards either Cook’s Bay or Opunohu Bay. Not a good road for the brakes to fail on…
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“The Road” 1969
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Moorea 1969…
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Moorea… 1969
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Moorea… 1969
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Moorea – airport 1969
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Approaching Faa’a airport on return from Moorea
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Papeete 1969
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Banque de L’ Indochine, Papeete with traditionally carved columns, 1969
