About Haamaremare Iti and Haamaremare Rahi Waterfalls
The Haamaremare Iti and Haamaremare Rahi Waterfalls comprise the other two of the three Faarumai Waterfalls.
These were essentially dual waterfalls almost falling side by side each other.
That said, they were spaced out far enough apart that showing them together in a single shot is as difficult as the awkward angled photograph you see above.
A History of Closure
Typically, I’d put all three of the Faarumai waterfalls on the same page, but both times I’ve been here, the access trail for the last two falls had been taped off and closed.
It was only after doing a little act of rebellion and seeing what was beyond the tape barricades on the second time visit did I realize that they closed the trail due to at least one of the bridges not being finished.
However, it was possible for me (and another couple who did likewise) to see both waterfalls despite this bit of unfinished business.
So given such uncertainty to its sanctioned visitation, I just decided to keep this page separate.
Which Waterfall is Which?
While we’re on the topic of uncertainty, there was some of that (in my mind at least) regarding whether I’ve correctly spelled the names of these waterfalls or whether I’ve correctly referenced the individual waterfalls themselves.
You see, our 2002 LP book
However, I’ve basically gone with the spelling in our 2007 edition of Moon’s Tahiti
I’d certainly welcome someone who’s familiar with the Tahitian language to set the record straight on this one.
As for which waterfall is Haamaremare Iti and which one is Haamaremare Rahi, I’ve gone by the convention that the last waterfall on the trail gets the “Rahi” adjective.
Meanwhile the “Iti”, which I believe is the Tahitian for “little”, adjective goes to the thinner but taller waterfall seen before it.
Thus, what I’m calling Haamaremare Iti was basically a taller but more slender sloping cascade that was very easily seen from a footbridge spanning its stream.
I’m sure there were additional tiers above the visible ones seen from the trail, but without being able to see its whole context in one go (hard to do given its twisting nature), it would all be speculation.
What I’m calling Haamaremare Rahi was a shorter but much thicker and prettier waterfall (in my opinion) spilling into a plunge pool that looked very inviting for a swim.
The only caveat with swimming in this pool was that it was practically surrounded by steep vertical cliffs, which meant that it would be prone to rock slides.
During my 2012 visit, it was the bridge just before reaching the base of Haamaremare Rahi that was unfinished.
However, I had little trouble wading across the thigh-deep stream to access this waterfall’s misty base.
The only thing keeping me from spending more time at this waterfall than I did was the presence of annoying little gnats that were swarming around me as I took photos.
From looking at the two waterfalls together, I suspect that they both come from the same stream.
I think somewhere along the way, the main stream split into what appeared to be the two waterfalls pictured on this page.
If this is true, then I suppose you could argue that it really counts as one waterfall instead of two.
In fact, I thought I was able to see the merged upper tiers of these falls from the approach on the access road!
Exercising Judgment When Visiting Haamaremare Iti and Haamaremare Rahi Waterfalls
But semantics aside, I definitely found it worth my while to spend the extra 20 or 25 minutes each way to hike to both the Haamaremare Iti and Haamaremare Rahi Waterfalls.
The trail was neither as well-used nor as flat as that of Vaimahutu Falls.
In fact, it had some slight elevation gain with steps and minor slopes while crossing over two bridges (one in front of each waterfall).
However, it was still pretty straightforward to do the hike, and the only reason why they didn’t seem to be as well-visited was the trail closure.
Given that I was 0 for 2 over a span of 10 years in seeing this trail when it was supposed to be open, it made me wonder whether those bridges tend to get washed out very easily thereby closing the trail (to try to repair or rebuild those bridges).
Well whatever the case, in my mind, it seems reasonable to see both falls despite the closure infrastructure.
It’s just that good judgment would be required if the bridges weren’t finished and it would also be required when crossing the streams.
The same respect for the hazards here should also be observed when swimming at Haamaremare Rahi (I doubt Haamaremare Iti would be big or deep enough for swimming).
Authorities
The Haamaremare Rahi and Haamaremare Iti Waterfalls are on Tahiti Island near Papeete in Tahiti (or more formally French Polynesia). For information or inquiries about this area as well as current conditions, visit the Tahiti Tourism website or their Facebook page.
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