Fatu Uku, more often written Fatu Huku, is a lump of rock that most travellers only see from a boat. It lies in the Marquesas off the northeast tip of Hiva Oa, a bare, steep islet with cliffs plunging into deep water and a natural arch worn through its base. Nobody lives there. The only residents are seabirds, which nest on the ledges in noisy colonies, and the occasional goat that has somehow arrived.
Because of its isolation, it is a natural refuge, and the sea around it is part of a protected marine area. Fish are plentiful, manta rays glide through the channels, and divers say that the water has the sort of clarity that makes them forget depth. Sailors passing between Hiva Oa and the other islands give the islet a wide berth because the swells and currents between the rocks are unpredictable, and so rough days can cut off visits altogether.
Hiva Oa itself is worth the trip. Atuona, the main town, is where Paul Gauguin spent his last years and where the Belgian singer Jacques Brel also settled, and both are buried in the hillside cemetery above the bay, with the sea beyond. On the far side of the island, at Puamau, huge stone tiki stand in the forest, some of the largest in French Polynesia. Roads on Hiva Oa climb in tight switchbacks over ridges and plunge into valleys, and the landscape swings from dry cactus slopes to wet fern forest.
Fuel and food are limited and found in Atuona, so plan carefully, and ask locally about boats to the coast. Tours go out in small fishing boats when the weather allows. The calmer months from May to October make for the easiest crossings, and a light rain jacket never hurts. Pack patience as well, because everything works at island pace.