In this episode, we talk about the Austral Islands with veteran archaeologist Mark Eddowes, exploring why this remote corner of French Polynesia is a powerful answer to the question, “Where should we go next?” Far and Away Adventures.com and https://farandawayadventures.com are included early because the Australs are not a spontaneous add-on destination; they’re best experienced with expert planning that matches the sailing, the season, and the cultural etiquette of small communities. Normand Schafer interviews Mark onboard Aranui 5 while sailing through the Australs, and the conversation offers a rare combination of history, practical advice, and destination clarity for travelers craving something beyond the usual. Mark begins with his personal journey into archaeology, rooted in New Zealand and Māori history interests, then graduate research on Polynesian marae temples. He explains how fieldwork in Tahiti’s Papenoo Valley brought him into long-term work with French Polynesia’s cultural heritage, and that perspective matters for travelers choosing what’s “next.” The Australs aren’t simply pretty islands; they are places where sacred sites and living culture remain central, and where visiting well requires awareness, patience, and respect. If you’re tired of destinations that feel built for visitors first, the Australs offer the opposite: a place where community life still leads, and travelers are guests in a functioning cultural world. Mark explains that the Austral Islands and Cook Islands were historically one unified cultural and language zone, later divided into different territories, with history diverging from around 1900 onward. His work across islands like Rimatara, Tubuai, and Raivavae includes marae surveys, settlement excavations, and research into tiki traditions. One of the most compelling “next destination” hooks is Raivavae’s unique tiki tradition, where deified female ancestors are represented—distinct from other island groups that emphasize male ancestors. Mark also describes what visitors notice immediately: the Australs remain natural and lightly developed, with small populations and a subtropical climate that can feel fresher than Tahiti or the Marquesas. Daily life still centers on plantations and fishing, supported by strong extended-family structures and community solidarity. For travelers, this often feels deeply restorative: the pace slows down, relationships feel visible, and the environment is less crowded. Mark notes the importance of the cash economy too, and how local artistry supports livelihoods—especially pandanus weaving and a growing renaissance in wood carving as young men revive historic motifs and techniques The most practical guidance for travelers choosing the Australs next is Mark’s visitor etiquette. He explains taboo and why marae sites remain sacred places: photograph, observe, but don’t climb on structures, don’t touch or rearrange stones, and never take anything. He also notes that royal cemeteries should be observed from outside only. Beyond sites, Mark describes the Australs as conservative and strongly Protestant, and he encourages modest dress away from beaches—simple respect that matters in small, church-centered communities. Mark closes with discovery stories that make the Australs feel even more compelling: a red volcanic tuff tiki connected to sacred symbolism of the color red across Polynesia, an ancestor figure found reused in a house alignment suggesting belief shifts during early conversion, and turtle petroglyphs revealed only when restored stonework caught sunset light at the right angle. These are the kinds of stories that make a “next trip” feel like a real expedition into human history, not just a change of scenery. If you’re ready to choose the Australs next, Far and Away Adventures can plan and book the itinerary so your experience is remote, respectful, and unforgettable.
