Marquesas
"Very often when lost in admiration at its beauty, I have experienced a pang of regret that a scene so enchanting should be hidden from the world in these remote seas, and seldom meet the eyes of devoted lovers of nature."
- Herman Melville writing about Nuku Hiva, Marquesas
Operating Location
TX7G will operate from Hinako Nui (Chez Yvonne) bungalows in Hatiheu Village on beautiful Hatihe'u Bay on the North shore of the island of Nuku Hiva, Marquesas. This is the same location chosen by the very successful TX7M operation of 2011, the last significant operation from Marquesas (thanks to TX7M operators US7UX, UT5UY, and FO5QB for their helpful information on this QTH).
The QTH provides an ocean-front location with verticals directly on the beach with paths to all of N. America, Asia, and Europe.
Marquesas is the top of an ancient volcano. Sharp volcanic spires surround Hatihe'u Bay - "volcanic needles like the pinnacles of some ornate church," as Robert Louis Stevenson described them in 1880. (Stevenson loved Marquesas and spent much time there.) The terrain provides some blockage toward S. America, Australia, and Southern Africa, though we will take special care to listen exclusively for these locations when propagation is optimal.
Beach location for TX7G verticalsMarquesas Islands
Beach location for TX7G verticals
The Marquesas Islands are a group of volcanic islands in French Polynesia. They form one of the five administrative divisions of French Polynesia. The capital of the Marquesas Islands administrative subdivision is the settlement of Taiohae on the island of Nuku Hiva.
The sparsely populated Marquesas Islands (9,264 inhabitants at the August 2012 census) are located 1,371 km (852 mi) from Tahiti, the most populous island and dominant political center of French Polynesia.
Access to Marquesas by TX7G will be on the once-daily 4 hour flight from Papeete, Tahiti, then a two hour drive across rough terrain and mountains to cover the 10 miles (point-to-point) from the airport to Hatiheu Village. Marquesas is a very remote island group, with generally dry climate and warm temperatures.
Read more about Marquesas and Nuku Hiva on Wikipedia.
We look forward to working you from this island paradise.