The Marquesas Islands

It covers about 6% of the area of the HAWAIAN ARCHIPEL; the bigger Marquesan Islands are slightly smaller than the WAI.

It covers about 6% of the area of the HAWAIAN ARCHIPEL; the bigger Marquesan Islands are slightly smaller than the WAI. These islands are located in a NW-to-SE channel forming an axle almost identical to the other archipelagos of the East Pacific. Of the 12 islands, three are over 1220metres high.

The height of the islands varies from 360 to 1250 m. The youngest of the islands is 1.3 million years (Fatu Hiva) and the oldest 6 million years (Eiao). All of these islands have a striking middle crest, with the exception of Hiva Oa and Nuku Hiva, both of which have high plateaus.

1997 Studies on Marquesas vascular plants:

Marquesas Islands

Marquesa Islands is a group of vulcanic islands in French Polynesia, an oversee community of France in the South Pacific. Well-known as the home of the artist Gauguin and the Belgium vocalist Jacques Brael, the islands are one of the most isolated in the worid, about 1,371 km to the north-east of Tahiti and about 4,800 km from the western coastline of Mexico, the closest continent's landmass.

The way there is quite costly and requires some work. During my journey to Polynesia, I was able to get there with the Air Tahiti air pass, which made the journey much cheaper. Approaching Nuku Hiva is quite a spectacle, as this volcano is more than 2000m out of the sea.

As it is located on the arid side of the isle, it will take a few long hrs to reach the main city Taiohae. The majority of passengers come by chopper that waits for the incoming passengers at the airfield. A few workdays later I became a friend of the pilots and he asked me to go around the whole country for an while.

It is a beautiful place with many pristine falls, summits and jungles. Very few of us are living there who cultivate our tradition with a strong sense of France and, of course, many grants. My second visit was to Hiva Oa, the last home of the famous artist Paul Gauguin and the Belgium vocalist Jacques Brel, both of whom are dead on Calvary with a view of Atuona.

Its seclusion makes it even more enigmatic and gives a sense of Indian Jones when you see it in the desolate Puamau valley. A further feature of these islands are the one-of-a-kind inkpots, which are very similar to the Maoris in New Zealand. All in all, it is intriguing to attend the Marquesas, but be sure to have a purse full of cash as the prizes there are outrageously high.

As in all its territory, the system in France definitely does not make this a budgetary place. You will not be rewarded with the unspoilt countryside and islands that there are so many others in the South Pacific.