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Transpacific Tahiti Race 2008 – It’s Back! FIFO – Tahiti’s Pacific Film Festival The Gardens of Tahiti “TAHITI” by Moon Handbooks Launches
Ia ora na Media Partners, After a brief hiatus, the Te Parau Api is back! This monthly communiqué loaded with story ideas, industry updates, and information specific to the islands of Tahiti. The following information is provided to our media partners in North America – including upcoming events and highlighting the history, culture, and news from the beautiful islands of Tahiti. If you would like to explore any of these story ideas further, or discuss alternate pitches with our team, please send inquires to: media@tahiti-tourisme.com Please include as much information about your outlets as well as clips of recent articles / projects. We prefer in-body emails as opposed to attachments. For those of you that are old-school, please rest assured that we also love receiving mail! Please address inquires to: Jonathan Reap Tahiti Tourisme North America 300 Continental Blvd., Suite 160 El Segundo, CA 90245 Note: Tahiti Tourisme North America requires an assignment letter or a letter of intent from assigning editors or producers in order to consider press trips. Thank you for your understanding.

Transpacific Tahiti Race 2008 – It’s Back!

The 3,571-nautical mile race from California to Tahiti will start Sunday, June 22, at 1 p.m. off Point Fermin in San Pedro, it will cross the equator and finish at the historic Point Venus lighthouse on the north end of the island of Tahiti, six miles east of Papeete. Participants may sail any kind of boat they have, subject to approval by the eligibility committee. Please visit the Transpacific Yacht Club’s website for more information on eligibility. Entries for the Transpacific Yacht Club's 13th race to Tahiti next summer opened on Dec. 1, 2007.The notice of race and entry form are now posted online at www.transpacificyc.org. There is no upper limit on boat size, as long as it fits in the Pacific Ocean. All entries must have a minimum crew of four. According to the new format, multihulls are welcome, as long as they're 45 feet LOA minimum.   For those that lack the time or inclination to sail their boats home, Dockwise Yacht Transport has told the Transpacific Yacht Club that a ship scheduled out of New Zealand could pick up as many as 15 boats at Tahiti the first week in August and deliver them to Ensenada 12 days later. Click here for more nformation on Dockwise: www.yacht-transport.com In accordance with the 2006-2007 ISAF Special Regulations 6.01, at least 30% of a yacht’s crew including the owner / charterer must have attended a US sailing sanctioned Safety at Sea seminar within the last five years before the start of the race.  Safety at Sea seminars are scheduled on the West and East coasts.    Balboa Yacht Club in Corona del Mar, Calif. will hold a seminar Jan. 26, 2008. For information contact Becky Lenhart at 949.673.3515.  A complete list of US Safety at Sea seminars, their dates, locations and contact information may be found on the US SAILING web site at: http://www.ussailing.org/safety/Seminars/index_new.asp   The race has been run intermittently a dozen times from 1925 to 1994. The record is 14 days 21 hours 15 minutes 26 seconds---an average speed of about 10 knots, modest by current standards---established by Fred Kirschner's Santa Cruz 70, Kathmandu, in 1994, the last time the race was run.   More information is available from the contacts listed below.   RACE CO-CHAIRMEN Bob Lane servritebob@hotmail.com   Dale Nordin dalenordin@gmail.com   ENTRIES Mike Nash 949.574.2772 cell 714.501.3494 mikenash@roadrunner.com   PRESS OFFICER Rich Roberts 310.835.2526 cell 310.766.6547 richsail@earthlink.net Back to top

FIFO – Tahiti’s Pacific Film Festival

After the viewing of nearly 140 movies, 17 of the best have been chosen for the 5th Pacific International Documentary Film Festival (FIFO). The festival will run from Jan. 29 through Feb. 3 at the Papeete Cultural Center. Three of the 17 movies were filmed in French Polynesia. The documentaries chosen for next year's competition have been described as culturally rich with an increased number of French productions, while the majority of the films remain  in English (? Anglo saxon sounds weird) . The program for the 5th FIFO Tahiti event was recently presented at the Quai Branly Museum in Paris. Wallès Kotra, festival president, welcomed the selection of "Tjibaou, le pardon", which he co-directed. It is a documentary about the New Caledonian FLNKS independence party leader who was assassinated in 1989 in Ouvéa. “The choice of this film for the FIFO program once again shows that the Pacific is a land of great diversity," Kotra said. Like French Polynesia, New Caledonia is a French Pacific overseas community, formerly known as a territory. He also emphasized "the strong commitment from the French Polynesian government," and welcomed the creation of a fund to help finance audiovisual and movie production this September. That effort followed discussions initiated by the key officials involved in Tahiti's audiovisual sector after successful FIFO events. The fund provides 100 million French Pacific francs (US$1.2 million/€838,000) in assistance for audio-visual and film production in Tahiti. The objective is to help film directors and local producers, providing assistance at the various stages of their projects—scenario, development, production, realization and promotion. Stéphane Martin, head of the Quai Branly Museum and a member of the FIFO jury for the second year, said he was proud that the museum serves as the embassy of a festival providing opportunities for unknown members of the motion picture sector. The Pacific International Documentary Film Festival yearly brings together in Papeete some 15,000 people; both professional and amateur followers of the  film industry. A total of 11 South Pacific countries and territories will be represented in next festival. An international jury comprising recognized film and television professions will award during the next edition of the festival the Jury Grand Prize and three Special Jury Prizes as well as the Audience Prize. Each award will include a cash prize. In addition to Martin from the Quai Branly Museum, the nine other jury members next year will be: Laure Adler, French writer, director of Editions du Seuil Geoffrey B. Daniels, senior deputy chairman, production & development, National Geographic International channels Jean-Jacques Garnier, cultural attaché at the French Embassy in Australia; David Jowsey, commissioning editor, ABC-TV documentaries; Pierre Lescure, journalist, producer; Richard Mann, deputy regional director of the Pacific Community; Emmanuel Priou, producer of Bonne Pioche; Dan Salmon, New Zealand director, winner of FIFO 2007 Jury Grand Prize and Audience Prize; Marie-Claude Tjibaou, president of the Tjibaou Cultural Center of Nouméa, New Caledonia. The 2007 FIFO awards were presented as follows: The Grand Prize went to the New Zealand film "Made in Taiwan" directed by Dan Salmon and produced by Georges Andrews Production. Cash prize of €4,200 (US$6,014) The Special Prize went to the New Caledonian film "Tjibaou, le pardon" directed by Gilles Dagneau and produced by ADCK, Tjibaou Cultural Center and RFO. Cash prize of €2,500 (US$3,580). The Special Prize went to the Australian film "Mr. Patterns" directed by Catriona McKenzie and produced by Film Australia. Cash prize of €2,500. The Audience Prize was awarded to the film "Made in Taiwan" directed by Dan Salmon and produced by Georges Andrews Production. Cash prize of €2,500. The following films will be competing this year: Mythen der Sudsee: Cosmos artificiel Try Revolution Dieu est americain Cuttlefish - The Brainy Bunch Lifting the Makutu Friendly Enemy Alien L'ile Nickel My Brother Vinnie Les aventuriers de l'ile planete Blowing up Paradise A chacun son Tahiti Horo'a Les derniers traqueurs australiens Constructing Australia: The Bridge Sur les traces de la fourmi de miel Papa Bilong Chimbu Sacred Ground Competing Films in 2008 Mythen der Sudsee Try Revolution Dieu est american Cuttlefish Lifting of the Makutu Friendly Enemy Alien L'ile Nickel My Brother Vinnie Les Aventuriers de l'ile Planet Blowing Up A Chacun son Tahiti Horoa Sacred Ground         Derniers Traqueurs Australiens         Constructing Australia     Sur les traces de la fourmi de miel      Papa Bilong Chimbu Back to top

The Gardens of Tahiti

The islands of Tahiti are world renown for their natural beauty. In fact, the 118 islands and atolls dispersed among the five archipelagoes that comprise French Polynesia are immense gardens in themselves. As the islands were all originally formed by hot spots – the rich volcanic soil that exists on the islands today, combined with the average temperature of 79 degrees Fahrenheit, offer an ideal environment for the endemic flora to thrive. Harrison Smith Botanical Gardens Adjacent to the Gauguin Museum in the Papeari District on Tahiti, this lush and manicured garden features hundreds of varieties of tropical trees, plants, and flowers including bamboo, bananas, palms, and hibiscus. The garden was originally planted by American botanist Harrison Smith who moved to Tahiti in 1919. The Gardens of Vaipahi The Vaipahi Gardens, with their rich cultural heritage that includes archaeological relics and legendary traditions, are located in the Commune of Teva I Uta not far from the 18-hole Olivier Bréaud International Golf Course on the southern coast of the island of Tahiti. The gardens are a mountainside park spread out over more than 2.5 acres of land that offers ponds, a waterfall and walking paths. There are more than 75 different species of vegetation at this tourist attraction 30 miles from downtown Papeete. Marked footpaths enable visitors to follow a river to a plateau with overhanging cliffs and a spectacular view of the entire park. This plateau is an ancient meeting place for Tahitians. The restoration work recently completed allows visitors to return to the circle island road where they begin a path with beautiful lagoon view. A traditional Tahitian fare, or house, was built, offering visitors a boutique including information about the site. Information is in French, English and Tahitian. Among the park's natural elements is the waterfall at the end of a short path, as well as huge tree ferns and giant leaves of elephant ear plants. Luxuriant vegetation is abundant throughout the gardens, including rambutan fruit, fragrant "pua" flowers, ground orchids and exotic jade vine. Photographs of the waterfall are frequently published in travel brochures. The water comes from Lake Vaihiria in the center of the island, Tahiti's only fresh water lake located at an altitude of 1,550 feet at the end of a winding 7.4 mile track. Vaipahi Gardens Tiare Apetahi Flower Vaipahi Gardens Local Transportation - bedecked for a holiday Back to top

“TAHITI” by Moon Handbooks Launches

Avalon Travel Publishing recently announced the release of the 6th edition of Moon Tahiti, one of the leading travel guidebook to the islands of Tahiti. Author David Stanley wrote the first South Pacific Handbook in 1979. Ten years later the handbook’s French Polynesia chapter was spun off as a separate guide and Moon Tahiti continues to draw on Stanley's three decades of experience in the region. Moon Tahiti’s 330 pages include dozens of photos, line drawings, and charts, plus a bibliography, glossary, vocabularies, and index. The 54 maps are clearly labeled. Including four maps of the capital or Papeete, and new town plans of Hauru (Moorea) and Hakahau (Ua Pou) as well as island maps of Fakarava and Tikehau. The book’s presentation has been entirely revamped with much of the introductory material moved to Background and Essentials chapters at the back of the book. In Essentials there’s now a Tips for Travelers section with specific advice for those interested in work or study, travelers with disabilities or children, and others with special needs. A new “blue section” in the front of Moon Tahiti features a five-page “Discover Tahiti and French Polynesia” essay with original color photos. Followed by “The Lay of the Land” with introductions to Tahiti, Moorea, and the Leeward, Austral, Tuamotu, Gambier, and Marquesas islands. “Planning Your Trip” in the blue section gives advice on when to go and what to take, while “Explore Tahiti and French Polynesia” offers precise day-by-day itineraries titled “The Best of French Polynesia,” “Underwater in the Tuamotu Islands,” “The Australs: Off the Beaten Track,” and “The Magnificent Marquesas.” “Romance on the South Seas” explores French Polynesia’s sensual pleasures, while “The Life Aquatic” is devoted to scuba diving, snorkeling, and surfing. All of the practical information in Moon Tahiti has been re-researched and rewritten, and the internet and email addresses are now embedded in the text for ease of reference. The travel chapters have become more strategic with “Must See” and “Top Pick” highlights coded with special symbols in both the text and on the maps. Boxes at the beginning of each chapter focus attention on the best of the best. Each chapter also has a new “Planning Your Time” section. David Stanley researches his books incognito and eschews the "hospitality" many other travel writers enjoy and the listings are thorough and critical. The 6th edition of Moon Tahiti was published by Avalon Travel Publishing of Emeryville, California, in November, 2007. Priced at US$19.95, the book is distributed in the United States by Publishers Group West, in Canada by Publishers Group Canada, in Europe by HI Marketing, and in Australia and New Zealand by Bookwise International. To order online, visit: www.southpacific.org Back to top

For more information, please contact us at media@tahiti-tourisme.com