jillballau: Blogging from A to Z 2026 - H is for Hiva Oa and Hinnoya

Thursday, April 9, 2026

Blogging from A to Z 2026 - H is for Hiva Oa and Hinnoya

As I travel the world I take many photos that pique my interest. During the year April 2025 to March 2026 our travels included visits to many islands large and small. My theme for 2026 Island Hopping will give precedence to Islands visited in the past year but for those difficult letters like X and Z I will dig into my photo archives for content.

I have previously blogged our 2025 visit to Henderson Island. One can read that post here https://ballau.blogspot.com/2025/10/circumnavigation.html.

For this H post I have selected an island from each hemisphere.

"With its 320 square kilometres (124 square miles), Hiva Oa (Marquesan: Hivaʻoa) is the second largest island in the Marquesas Islands, in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiva_Oa

Visiting the Paul Gaugin Cultural Centre and Grave had been on my bucket list for ages so there was no way I was going to miss them on Hiva Oa. We were fortunate to snag a lift up the hill in Atonua to visit Gaugin in the cemetery.

Aussie tourists say Bonjour to Paul

Also resting in the cemetery is Belgian Heartthrob Jacques Brel

After a steep walk down the hill we found the Cultural Centre which is set in lovely landscaped gardens near the site of Gaugin's home.

View as we wander down the hill

We've arrived

Plan of the complex

The several buildings on the site were complementary

Welcome to the Gallery

Inside the Gallery

While Gaugin's works are displayed in the Gallery
they are mostly copies

Traditional work in the garden

Reconstruction of Gauguin's home Maison du Jouir (House of Pleasure)

Interior of Maison du Jouir (House of Pleasure)

A few months earlier we were in Norway.

"Hinnøya (Norwegian; Northern Sami: Iinnasuolu)[1] is the fourth-largest island in Norway, and the largest outside the Svalbard archipelago. The 2,204.7-square-kilometre (851.2 sq mi) lies just off the western coast of Northern Norway." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinn%C3%B8ya

While on Hinnoya we visited the town of Harstadt.

Harstad from our ship

North of Hinnoya Island showing Harstad and Kasfjord

Our scenic drive out of the city took us west via Kasfjord and beyond. It provided us with some stunning views as we wound our way along the edge of Mokkelandsvatnet.

Watch out - Ski Training in Progress

Kasfjord City, a surprise miniature village located in Kasfjord

After a quick lunch back on the ship we set out for a short journey to the Trondenes Peninsula where we enjoyed visits to a museum, traditional buildings and the Trondenes Kirke, a medieval stone church.