Hi Brooke! 

Please tell us about your beautiful trip to French Polynesia?🌴

This past May, we visited the Society Islands (the western archipelago of French Polynesia) for three weeks. Half the time was spent on a boat and the other half exploring on land. We invited some dear friends to join us (who’d missed visiting our boat in Greece), to introduce them to sailing-boat life. We had so much fun together; lots of laughter and memorable moments shared.

We are keeping the sailing dream alive until we buy the next boat, so we chose French Polynesia to bareboat charter a catamaran. It’s considered one of the more challenging locations to charter a boat and we really enjoyed experiencing a sailing environment that was so different to the Mediterranean and Caribbean. Such as passaging through the coral fringing reef and anchoring out on sandbars, rather than tucked in bays.

Each island has its own rhythm... Moorea, Taha’a, Tahiti, Bora Bora, Raiatea.

How did the feeling shift as you moved from place to place? Were there places that felt especially sacred or still?

Tahiti is the largest island in French Polynesia and home to Papeete, the most populated city found for thousands of kilometers across the South Pacific. So, while a striking island visually, it may come as a surprise that Tahiti is often not the main draw when visiting this region—more a launchpad to other areas. On arrival, we headed straight for world famous surf break, Teahupo’o, located at the “end of the road” and notorious for its heavy reef break. It was a dream to visit this dramatic, mountain-backed locale; one that I’d admired for years via surf event broadcasts. A holy grail for big wave surfers, Teahupo’o reminded us of Hawaii’s North Shore.

Despite its recent rise in fame, the area retains an underdeveloped, slow-moving charm. Where chickens and dogs roam the streets and you fall asleep under mosquito nets to the sound of crashing waves.

The honeymoon destination of Bora Bora is a household name and, while its shores are lined with iconic over-water bungalows, the vibe is decidedly peaceful and understated. We had the privilege of experiencing the island via sailing boat—our own floating bungalow, in a way. Anchored in quiet bays, we loved our time at Bora Bora. One evening here I captured one of my favourite photos “Under Bora Bora Palms”, a scene of impossibly tall palm reflections dancing over the inky water.

In contrast to Bora Bora, Taha’a, an island I’d not heard of before researching the trip, was particularly sacred and still. The small island was densely covered in rainforest, completely untouched, where many locals still lived in ramshackle shacks on the water’s edge, self-sufficiently existing on fish and coconuts. Taha’a was a dream scene and the locale where I shot both “Love Island” and “Polynesian Palms”. The latter scene I captured impromptu, dripping wet after a drift snorkel, when this golden light-drenched scene beckoned me to return as we drove away in the dinghy.

At the end of the trip, we particularly enjoyed our land-lubber time at Moorea and would highly recommend skipping straight there from Tahiti. Well set-up for visitors, it offers all the South Pacific beauty with jagged emerald peaks, swaying palms, seaside watering holes, colourful food trucks selling fresh fish dishes, laid back locals and a place where we quickly slipped in step with the slower pace.

The landscapes in your photos feel both wild and curated by nature. What kind of island scenes were you most drawn to framing? Were there natural shapes or elements you kept returning to?

It’s refreshing to know there are still plenty of places in the world that feel as remote and raw as they’ve been for decades. Aside from Tahiti and, a lesser extent Moorea, the other islands are largely undeveloped.

Here the palm trees grow impossibly tall—I’ve never seen anything quite like it. Perhaps because this region of the Pacific is rarely touched by cyclones. Naturally this delicious tropical foliage became the frame or subject matter of many of my photos—in various angles and light. I was just so drawn to capturing the majestic Polynesian palms.

Any Fun moments with your daughter Ella?

It warmed my heart to see how quickly Ella readjusted to life aboard a sailing boat. She truly thrives in this adventurous lifestyle and is now a bona fide boat kid! One of the sweetest things was hearing her describe scenes and settings that reminded her of the movie Moana. And another memorable moment was our drift snorkel together in Taha’a—a lively, colourful experience filled with the cutest fish encounters.

Did you encounter any of the local wildlife up close? Have you spotted eagle rays, manta rays, dolphins and was there a moment with nature that left you in awe?

The oceans are alive in French Polynesia which is heart-warming to witness. While we had a couple of magical dolphin encounters while underway, the most prevalent wildlife was black tip reef sharks, manta rays, stingrays, a variety of fish living around coral heads, and conch shells peppered across the ocean floor. One night at anchor, as we cooked over the BBQ with not another boat in sight, we laughed at how it felt like a scene from a David Attenborough documentary—with various marine life chilling beneath the boat in the soft glow of our lights.

What did the sky look like at night out there far from cities and light? Can you describe the feeling of watching the stars from the deck?

This is one of the things I love most about boat living. Not only do we watch the sun rise and set every day (rather than being stuck inside in the throes of dinner and bedtime routine, but we witness the night sky in her uninterrupted glory. Out there, away from any city lights, the sky feels endless. The stars and constellations are unbelievably clear. Watching from deck, it’s just you, the sea and a sky full of stars. The perfect time to find clarity, far from the noise and hustle of our everyday reality.

Were there moments shared with locals that left a lasting impression?

There’s a unique cultural blend here—native Polynesian roots infused with a French influence. The locals radiate a quiet sense of contentment. Many live simply, yet with a richness that comes from living in paradise, unhurried and at peace. In a world obsessed with more, they remind me that slow and steady is more than enough. This is the kind of life I feel drawn to—intentional, grounded, and free of excess.

What do you hope others feel when they bring these works into their homes?

With my minimalist, travel-inspired art prints, I always hope to evoke a sense of tranquility, wanderlust—or both. Whether the print is displayed in your home or a cherished retreat, these spaces are where we go to unwind and reconnect with ourselves. I hope my work brings a calming presence or perhaps gives someone a gentle, subconscious nudge toward that next adventure.

Thank you, Brooke, for capturing these moments and sharing a piece of paradise with us all.

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