Raiatea and Tahaa Islands

Raiatea island is about 120 miles from Tahiti and part of the Society islands of French Poly.
We spent a couple of days anchored off the main village on Raiatea, and explored the village and area. Then moved over to a small bay and took a free mooring ball in front of the Famous old Hibiscus hotel. They have a sea turtle recovery program and cages on the shore you can sea the turtles in. We also did a tour of a vanilla plantation, one of the only ones growing the vanilla beans naturally and organically, most are now grown in green houses. The lady even pollenates the flower by hand.
We next circumnavigated Tahaa island (right beside Raiatea)by staying inside the coral reef all they way around. On the way around we anchored off a $1000 a night resort for free and did a drift snorkel nearby between 2 motus. Dorothy thought this area was fantastic snorkeling.
All this time for the last week the wind has been blowing 18 to 25 knots making anchoring and navigating a bit more challenging. Even on the lee side of the islands you get big gusts every minute or so.
We went around back to Raiatea and took a mooring ball for a couple of nights and got laundry, water and showers included and this saves trying to anchor in deep coral infested anchorages in the wind.
Today we did a fantastic hike up a 900 ft hill on the edge of town with a super view.
We will be here a few more days and then head over to the famous Bora Bora which is about 20 miles away. This is the last stop in French Polynesia. Then we have a major ocean crossing of about a 1000 miles to Pago Pago on American Samoa with a possible stop on the tiny island of Suvarov, an island belonging to the northern cook islands. We will then be back in english speaking countries for a while which I am looking forward to as the last english was in the U.S.

INFO
For Raiatea anchored past airport in 60 ft at 16 44.203    151 29.331
On Tahaa island in Haamene bay is free mooring balls in Front of Habiscus hotel. was windy while we there but no more bouncy than any where else. can leave dinghy at hotel dock they layed back there.
  Couple days later anchored at 16 36.298    151 33.474  good snorkling nearby by resort.

Back at Raiatea took a mooring ball by mooring/sunsail base for $20  has showeres  moored at 16 43.624   151 28.785W
Moved to south end of Raitaea and anchored in 25 ft at 16  54.986    151 26.030   Though waves might get to big later and moved back to main anchorage by airport.

Haamene bay