<iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=tahiti&amp;hl=en&amp;gbv=2&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;hq=&amp;hnear=Tahiti&amp;ll=-17.65092,-149.426042&amp;spn=0.005022,0.006877&amp;t=h&amp;z=14&amp;output=embed"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=tahiti&amp;hl=en&amp;gbv=2&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;hq=&amp;hnear=Tahiti&amp;ll=-17.65092,-149.426042&amp;spn=0.005022,0.006877&amp;t=h&amp;z=14&amp;source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a></small>

Hoped that worked>

Neels

Edit: sorry it didnt.

First thing that comes to mind is $$$$$$$$$$$$$$. Have lots and be prepared to use it. The main island of papaeete is a bit of a shithole, with

black sand beaches,  though the water is very clear, seen just little reef fish, tiny queenies and the odd reef shark snorkelling. if you take a walk through the fish markets the main catches are usually small reef fish like goat fish and parrotys with small golden trevs and queenies thrown in.

If you want to experience the  elle macpherson bungalows over crystal clear water then you have to get a small plane to bora bora rangiroa or take the ferry over to moorea. I took a 24kg popping rod over hoping to get stuck into sum big south pacific trevs, but after snorkelling alot of areas found the lagoons to be pretty dead apart from the odd white tip or blue trev.

While in bora bora it cost 600 bux for the 2 of us to go "game" fishing for half a day. Wasnt expecting much when the guy rocked up in a  17foot boston whaler montauk my expectations dropped a lil lower, they dropped even lower when he pulled in the game rods and put a tiny xmas tree lure on a handline and handed it to the mrs. Yeah we caught fish, about 20 striped tuna, but not my style of fishing. he took them back to his place for sashimi, i was outa pocket 600 bucks.

best advice i can offer you is get yourself a lonely planet book asap and decide on what you want to do and what islands you want to visit, look on last minute.com or whatif.com for cheap acommodation in papaeete as they will slug you once your on the island in a big way. as for booking a good charter id say read over bluewater magazines or go on an east coast forum like fishnet and ask them for a reputable charter company, as once youre over there they will  all tell you that they are the best on the island. t

if you have a stopover in new zealand, stock up on as much duty free piss as u can carry, 6 packs of heinys go for about 8 bux in the airport compared to 12 dollars in a hotel, and if you want  a bottle of shitty houghtons red for the mrs expect to pay 100 bucks from room service.

And last but not least even though they are our pacific cousins alot of hotels managed and run by pompous french poofs that tend to irritate most of the western world, so dont go belting a frog eater even though u can tell they are asking for it.

I had a good holiday there but the bank account didnt

I see you have settled, but if you haven't 100% yet, consider Rarotonga.  Awesome people/friendly as, lots of beautiful beaches, awesome reefs and remote islands not far away - top place and would recommend it to anyone.

Me and the missus are heading over to Aitutaki in august, North of Rarotonga, Not the cheapest of places but it looks amazing, I have already booked some private charters If you get the chance google it. Hoping to get onto some big GT's. We did look at the Maldives and the sychelles but decided on the south pacific as we felt it was a better option and better value for money.

Dont fish in Phukhet.......was there last week with the family, strictly a no fishing holiday (enforced by the missus.........as payback for the Fiji boys fishng trip in March) but we did do some snorkeling at  the Phi Phi islands......saw heaps of 3 cm long reef fish and two nervous looking long toms......that was it.....they had eaten everything else, and by the looks of the 50 or so trawlers we saw, it aint going to get any better.................................the Thai guy chuckled when I asked hm about sport fishing in Thailand, and suggested Perth would be heaps better......