Austral Islands/Raivavae: Exploring The Island

Next, I went for a complete circumnavigation of the island of Raivavae, about a 3-4 hour endeavor. The road goes all along the shore with constant views of the motu small islands at the edges of the reef lagoon, they are 28 of them. In the center of the island – there is a steep mountain range with the highest point being Mount Hiro at nearly 1500ft. Several nice beaches line up the island, although they are all inner beaches surrounded by the lagoon. There are three small settlements around the island – each with an absolutely stunning colorful church. And Raivavae also has an ancient stone statue of a smiling tiki god, the only such statue outside the Marquesas.