Distant of more than 994mi (1,600km) from Tahiti, the Gambier Islands have retained a traditional lifestyle. Particularly in Mangareva, a mountainous island bordered by a sumptuous lagoon which was the cradle of Catholicism in Polynesia. Far from the epinal images of a colorful and sweet Polynesia, the occupants of this island with rougher landscapes and a harder climate continue to use all the natural resources for the construction of their homes, from the coral stone rubbles to the breadfruit tree frameworks passing through the tied rushes or the woven coconut fluff.