TS Today - Creating a Vision for the Future of Vacation Ownership Issue #142, Jul/Aug 2015 | Page 46

TimeSharing Today Page 46 Jul/Aug, 2015 Mo’orea: Rain and Resort Fees Put a Damper on Paradise -DJJHGSHDNVWRZHUDERYH&RRN¶V%D\ &UHGLW$OOSKRWRVDUHFRXUWHV\RIWKHDXWKRU By Tom Gorham, Emery, SD While planning a vacation to New Zealand, I discovered some of the airlines offer a IUHHVWRSLQ7DKLWLZKHQÀ\LQJEHWZHHQ/$; and Auckland. After a quick check with RCI showed availability at Club Bali Hai on the island of Mo’orea, a week in French Polynesia became a somewhat whimsical addition to our trip. 0\ZLIH&KDUORWWHDQG,ÀHZRQ$LU Tahiti Nui from Los Angeles to Pape’ete on Tahiti, the main island of French Polynesia. After a few days in a bed-and-breakfast there, gazing across the channel to exoticlooking Mo’orea, we took a 45-minute fast ferry to Mo’orea. Two ferry lines right next to each other on the Pape’ete waterfront have ferries running every couple of hours from about 7 AM to about 5 PM, and scheduled air service from Pape’ete to Mo’orea also is available. A few taxis meet each ferry and a bus runs in each direction from the ferry around the island. While buses meet each ferry, we found no other scheduled bus service. We had a car for the whole week, rented from Avis at the ferry landing. It wasn’t cheap, but we’re glad we did it. Our visit was in January, high summer and the rainy season. We had a couple of days of heavy rain on Mo’orea, causing ORFDO ÀRRGLQJ DQG