Living a Bali Hai life on Moorea

A summer dive vacation takes a Newport Beach couple to five French Polynesian islands.Bali Hai conjures images of swaying palm trees, tropical breezes, emerald green mountains and clear blue waters along sandy beaches. James Michener’s mythical Bali Hai in “Tales of the South Pacific” exists on the island of Moorea in the South Pacific.

Our summer dive vacation took us to five French Polynesian islands: Fakarava, Rangiroa, Bora Bora, Tahiti and Moorea.

On Moorea, we stayed at the Club Bali Hai Hotel, which sits on Cook’s Bay and has breathtaking views of the bay and the peaks of the island. Club Bali Hai is the remaining hotel owned by three former Newport Beach men who in the 1960s decided to find their Bali Hai in the Tahitian islands.

Some Daily Pilot readers know the story of how Hugh Kelley, Don “Muk” McCallum and Jay Carlisle first bought a vanilla plantation and then got into the hotel business in Moorea when the vanilla plantation failed. With their friendly approach and great service at the hotel, these three charming and adventurous young men enticed tourists getting off the dock to stay at their hotel even before the island had air travel to it. Soon news spread of their success and magazines, including Life, had run articles on the Bali Hai Boys.

That was 45 years ago. Two of the three men still reside in Moorea -- Kelley died in July 1998.

McCallum still gathers hotel guests every evening for a friendly chat near the pool, reminiscing about the Bali Hai Boys through the years and talking about Moorea as it is now. When we were there, he also enjoyed swapping Newport Beach tales with us, telling us about the Tahitian-themed parties they had in Newport before leaving for Moorea years ago.

Carlisle visits the restaurant on the bay every morning for breakfast. We joined him in July on his birthday, quite an honor for us. He was also interested in chatting about the changes in Newport since the Bali Hai Boys left.

These two gentlemen, now in their 70s, are truly living treasures. Their friendly charm and love for Tahiti still shows in their conversations. Anyone fortunate enough to visit Moorea should stop by the Club Bali Hai Hotel and see McCallum and Carlisle. Better yet, stay at the hotel and experience your own Bali Hai every day.

* TOM and LINDA NORTON live in Corona del Mar.

* TRAVEL TALES runs on Thursdays. Have you, or has someone you know, gone on an interesting vacation? Tell us about your adventures in about 400 words, accompanied by a couple of photos to choose from that do not have the Daily Pilot in them, and send it all to Travel Tales, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626; by e-mail to dailypilot@latimes.com; or by fax to (714) 966-4679.