The following is a list of things that surprised Kaarel in Oceania.
I had seen various things in the bottom of a crater before (lake, village, safari park) but the bottom of the Rano Kau crater looked like a swamp. Later it turned out that there is not a swamp but a lake covered with totora reed (the same reed used in the Uros islands on Lake Titicaca). Some of the original flora of Rapa Nui still survives in the bottom, protected from the ocean and the humans.
The money used in French Polynesia (French Pacific Franc, CFP) looks like toy money — large paper bills and aluminium? coins (their lightness reminds chocolate coins).
(This was the first impression when seeing the 5 CFP coins, later it turned out that the larger coins (e.g. 50 CFP and 100 CFP) are actually quite nice.)
An hour or so before the sunset tried to kayak from the south-western cost of Parea (Huahine island) to the reef (where the waves were breaking) but it proved to be too far away. At some point the ink blue water became almost transparent so that one could clearly see the white sand bottom of the lagoon at least 3 meters deep in some places.
In Faaie there is a little river loaded with eels. (An eel is a snake-like fish with surprisingly slimy body.) A local policeman (?) encourages you to buy a can of mackerel from the kiosk and feed it to the eels. This attracts the attention of three local kids and one dog who all want your mackerel, the dog wants to eat it, the kids want to feed it to the eels.
The eels are very tame, sticking their heads out of the water and eating almost from your palm.
Almost ran over one of them on a scooter. (Most of them are very attentive and shy though, spotting you already from the distance and running away.)
Entering the Bora Bora lagoon on the King Tamatoa ferry, saw a fish (a needle fish?) perform at least 10 consecutive jumps (in attempt to get out of the ship's way?) which looked like flying. Didn't know that fish can jump like this...
A guy making sounds with his voice and the microphone [BUG: what's the correct term], downtown Auckland.
Auckland
In the winter garden next to the Auckland Museum came across the Mimosa pudica plant that folds its leaves when touched. Don't know when/if it would open them again.