Fantastic Tonga

View from one of the few high points in Vava'u

We've now been in the Kingdom of Tonga for a month and are absolutely loving it. As I write this, we are being dumped upon by an awful lot of rain but we have experienced some great weather as well. The season is now changing to the summer weather which brings more rains and, of course, the concern of cyclones. This is a La Nina year so predictions around about indicate that cyclones could come a little earlier. Fortunately, we can get some very good weather reports and predictions via radio and our on board email service.We had checked out of the Vava’u group with plans to sail down to the Ha’apai group further south but somehow haven’t managed to drag ourselves away yet.

Tonga is most certainly a jewel in the South Pacific. It is the oldest and last remaining Polynesian monarchy and the only Pacific nation never brought under foreign rule. It is made up of 171 coral and volcanic islands of which only 36 are inhabited. When we arrived in the Tongaan waters, we first visited the most northern group of islands called the Niuas where we anchored in Niiuatoputapu’s lagoon. The Niuas are only three islands and so remote that supply ships only visit a few times a year.

The Vava’u group lies 160 miles further south comprising of 60 very picturesque islands. We have stopped at quite a few anchorages and found the entire region to be wonderful cruising grounds with picture postcard islands, beautiful waters, corals, sandy beaches, rocky bluffs and incredibly friendly people. The entire nation is often referred to as the Friendly Islands and for good reason.

Within the Tongaan waters but off to the west, are several uninhabited islands where volcanic activity is prevalent. Islands often surface then sink only to erupt again later on. Definitely not recommended cruising grounds. Earthquakes are another regular feature in these parts. Almost every day on the radio, we hear of rumbles a few hundred miles away ranging from 4,5 to 6,5 in intensity. However, here in the established islands, life is more settled and it appears as though cyclones are the only concern.

Life is simple and the people very religious. On Sundays, no sporting events may take place and it is unlawful to work or trade. As visitors, we are asked to respect this and not show signs of working aboard our boats. Tonga is a traditional country and its customs and morals reflect its heritage. The mode of dress is very conservative and it is illegal for anyone to appear topless; women always cover their shoulders. When “dressed”, both men and women wear long skirts and ta’ovala or waist mats. This traditional garment is made of woven pandanus and wearing one reflects a sign of respect to “God, King and Country”. On formal occasions, it would be unthinkable to appear without one. In Niuatoputapu, we noticed that they were worn as part of the school’s uniform.

Wherever we’ve been, the locals welcome us warmly. They have many “feasts” where we would also be welcome and they love you to visit their schools and attend church services. Unlike much of the Caribbean, for people who have so little, their extended hand is one of greeting as opposed to that of begging.

I received some photos of whales taken by fellow cruisers when we were anchored in Palmerston so, although out of sequence, I've included them here to give you some idea of how close they came to us and just how big they are as well.

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Tongaan Dress (not my photos)

These photos of humpbacked whales were taken in Palmerston

Helping to dig trenches for the first telephone cables in Palmerston

Vava’u, Tonga

The Vava’’u group of islands is definitely an idyllic cruising ground. Although there are plenty of shallow coral reefs around the group, the majority of the good sailing areas are between islands in very deep waters. These are quite different to the other South Pacific islands we have visited to date in that they are rocky, not tall but rise straight up out of the sea. However, there are still plenty of beautiful beaches and coral reefs around for us to explore.

Paul likened the islands to blocks of chocolate floating out there. I know the photos will not do justice to the overall impression we are getting but they should give some idea.

The little town of Neiafu was our first stop in order to check in after our trip from Niuatoputapu, a very boisterous overnighter. The winds weren’t that strong but the seas were very choppy due to some huge swells coming up from Australia where they have been experiencing some rather foul weather. We were flying along at over 9 knots on a tiny bit of headsail and a triple reefed main.

After a couple of days in Neiafu, (see the photo of our anchor as we tried to extract ourselves from this spot) we headed out to visit a few of the outer islands, the first being a little bay with a lovely sandy beach. We boarded a friend’s catamaran one afternoon who took us to Mariner’s Cave, an underwater cave where we had to swim down a couple of metres then another four or five metres to get inside. Although I know I can hold my breath for a reasonable amount of time, I was a tad nervous especially thinking about coming up too early and not reaching the air inside. Paul, on the other hand, can hold his breath for many minutes so made it look so simple. I watched everyone else doing it so took a deep breath and headed in. Inside was incredible with the only light being the sunlight coming through the underwater opening – very spectacular.

Later, we went over to another cave called Swallow’s Cave. We didn’t have to swim into this one, we could actually take the dinghies inside but it was still a magnificent sight. Then we swam around to another small underwater cave nearby and went inside; by now I was an old hand at this stuff.

Our next anchorage had possibly the most pristine coral reef we’ve ever experienced. The colours were magnificent, the fish life abundant and the experience amazing. Apparently it had been totally destroyed in a cyclone 20 years ago but is now recovering very well. It was certainly a thrill to see this especially after seeing the devastated reef in Moorea. We could hear the whales nearby while underwater but they were a little elusive as we never saw them.

There are fabulous whale watching trips available where tourists are taken out to swim with them, usually with a mom and her calf. Unfortunately for us, this is beyond our budget so we have to be content with seeing them on the surface from our deck. Even though we saw plenty of whales while living in Simon’s Town, it is always such a thrill to have them come near our floating home.

The next anchorage was just a short distance away where the chaps were hoping to do some spear-fishing, however true to form, ‘dinner’ wasn’t playing the game and they returned empty handed. The next day, they set off again in Imagine’s dinghy, dropped anchor and were just preparing to get into the water when a huge wave came out of nowhere and flipped the dinghy, dumping them all unceremoniously. After trying to retrieve their belongings, swimming/paddling back and salvaging the outboard, they were all too exhausted to give it another go that day. Pasta for dinner AGAIN! Well, maybe next time.

We’ve just returned to Niafu for Saturday’s market day and then will head on off to a couple more anchorages. With any luck, we’ll be eating freshly speared fish on a couple of occasions.

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