How many Tongans...

Tuesday and our last full day on Vava'u and we've had a great time and can't believe time is up already. Karen had a cleaning job so we decided to get a car and go for a drive around the island. 

We started out at Bella Vista for breakfast, the same restaurant we went to on our first night in Tonga. It's an open restaurant that has a perfect view of the harbour where you can see boats as the enter. 

With full bellies, we headed out looking for the brown information signs dotted around the island. What we didn't know is that are not terribly reliable. We drove down some roads that we had been on the previous week then we finally found a new area that we hadn't seen.  

As we headed down one road we came across some kind of military exercise. There would have been at least 100 soldiers walking along the road in full military gear complete with guns and camouflage makeup.  It was a bizarre sight to see and I wasn't sure if I should be taking photos as I had no idea why they were. After a few nods and smiles from the soldiers I decided it would be OK and got one last few. Not a good photo mind you, but I'm going to pretend I was trying to protect their identity.

All was going well until we turned off for the a lookout that had a big sign saying it was 3.4 km. Well...it all started out fine and the road got narrower and narrower. We passed a few workers in the taro plantations so at least there people around. 

Probably about 2km along the track it got worse. Obviously the rain last week caused a bit of a bog but it looked to have dried up. Terry decided that it looked solid so decided to go through. Despite the small scrape on the bottom of the car we got through it fine. After that the road got even narrower and the grass up the middle was getting longer. Eventually we thought the track was going nowhere so we decided to back up to a spot where we could turn around. I have a funny feeling had we got out and walked a few hundred metres we may have reached the lookout. The area along the road had thick undergrowth and was probably full mozzies and after Terry's recent fight with mozzies at the botanical gardens we felt very unprepared for this environment.

Having turned around safely, we headed back and got through the bog much easier and got back on the main road. A bit further along I spotted a great view and asked Terry to stop. 
We stopped for a few minutes and then headed on foot up a track but there was nothing but more taro plantations. These Tongans do like their taro...it's everywhere!

We got back to the car and started heading back toward town. I looked at Terry and he had a funny look on his face and told me the car was losing power and all the warning lights were on. Then it died! He tried to restart and it sounded like the battery was flat. We were pushing it over to the side of the road when a man pulled up in an old beat up car and offered assistance. He pushed us and we were able to coast for a while and then came to a stop again. 

By this time a second ute turned up with two old guys and about five young ones all sitting in the back. 

They all piled out and offered and pushed the car off the road and then proceeded to look at the engine to help us out.  Have you ever wondered how many Tongans it take to assess your car...well here's your answer.


When I looked at the state of their utes, I wasn't sure it was a good idea but we didn't really have an option. After a bit of deliberation they decided the need another battery to start the car but they needed to go and get another car with a good battery. Obviously the two they arrived in were no good. One of the young guys and the original old guy headed off and in no time they came back with another car. They whipped the battery out of their car, started our car, swapped our battery back in and we were back on our way.

With that all fixed we were extremely grateful to these people and couldn't thank them enough. Now six Tongans under the hood seemed to be the most bizarre thing that happened on our trip, so far until one of the old guys who was keen for a chat told us his name was Abraham Lincoln. So there you go, we we saved by Abraham Lincoln and his mates...who would of thought that would happen in Tonga?  We gave them some money for their troubles and don't really think they expected it but I hope it was enough. Although the Tongans may not be the most motivated people they certainly make up for it with their friendliness and generosity.

They told us to follow the road and it would get us back to town unfortunately there was one turn that wasn't obvious and took us into an other village. We soon turned around and got back on track and when as we hit the causeway we knew we were fine. 

It seems we can't have an overseas holiday without some kind of drama!

We have had ten days of fun, relaxation and adventure. Vava'u Tonga is a beautiful place to visit despite it's rustic appearance. It's laid back people and lack of things we take for granted make you appreciate what you have but at the same time make you wonder if we need it all to make us happy. Tongans certainly don't seem to need it all. I admit that I'm not at a point I could give it all up and live like they do though.

I was great to spend the time with Karen and Andrew and share a little slice of their Tongan life. 

Life on Sunday

 Sunday is a day of rest in Tonga as I think I told you last Sunday so there's not a lot to do. After sitting out on the deck for breakfast and looking out on peacefulness of the still water in the harbour, we decided we would walk down the road to listen to the church service as we had heard the singing is great. 

There are about four church within three minutes of each other.  The first one we passed was the City Impact Church which is a large shed like building. In this one the the music is quite modern and uptempo as we found out when we were walking back. This one also has English speaking services and is advertised to the yachties over the morning radio station.


The next one was the Mormon Church, I'm not sure when they run there services as there was no activity at that one. 

Then we heard a drum beating down in the village so we walked down to have a look. Since I've been here I 
often woken to hear a church bell. I think this might be the one I've been hearing

The church is truly for the locals and is in Tongan. Their music is the more traditional serious Christian hymns.  As we stood outside waiting outside for the service to start people just kept drifting  in. As they arrived, many of them invited us in but we didn't think we were appropriately dressed for church when compared to all who were entering the church

Church # 4

We had one gentleman come out of a pretty blue and white church to invite us in and the he went back inside and came out a second time to invite us to join his family for the weekly feast after the service. We were really touched at his generosity but had to decline. 

 Karen knows one of the ladies that was going into the church and asked her to let this gentleman know that we felt honoured that he had asked us into his home and that we sorry we could not accept. I hope she passed the message on. The Tongans are such lovely people.

We had planned to go for another drive around the island but the fuel tank in the car is low and the petrol stations have run out. There was a church conference (or something like that that) that they ferried in extra cars for. Unfortunately the didn't think to bring extra fuel as well, so the locals have all either run out of petrol or are very low. Luckily, as I sit here writing this, relief is on it's way as the fuel tank has come into the harbour and passing the house as I type. Tomorrow afternoon all should be back to normal.

I can't believe we have been here a week. I honestly thought yesterday (Saturday) was Friday. It took some convicing from Claire for me to believe it was actually Saturday. Two and a bit days to go.

Early Monday morning a massive charter boat which was more like a ship came cruising into the harbour. Apparently there was a rumour that Charles and Camilla were coming to Tonga. It was flying a British flag and it was big enough to be a royal yacht so who knows...maybe it was them.

After breakfast we walked (as we had very little petrol left) into town to get some supplies and check if fuel was available. When we got there the fuel truck had made deliveries so we we good to go as long as we got in quickly. Karen suggested we stay in town and have a coffee while she walked home to get the car.



We had a lazy afternoon because Karen had to attend a big meeting regarding whale watching. The Tongans want to impose new rules that would severely impact foreign operators. Not sure where it will end up but it's certainly a worry.

Whales, Whales, Whales

Saturday was the day I went out on a actual whale watching charter with Andrew, Po'uli, Claire (Po'uli's wife, who is also a qualified whale watching guide) and another guest Andy. It felt quite lucky to have only two guests on the boat. The boat is very spacious with plenty of room to move around.  

The day started out great with Po'uli spotting our first whale about 1/2 hour out. It was actually a heat run. That's where there is one female being followed by a group of males who want to mate with her. There were about five or six in the group and they were moving pretty fast. Andrew got the boat in front of them and we were told to get ready to get in the water. Originally I wasn't going to swim with the whales as I get quite nervous in the water and I'm not a strong swimmer, but somehow I got talked into it. 

Well, like my previous attempts to swim in ocean water this didn't end well either. This time however, I realised when I was about three metres from the boat I wasn't confident enough to swim any further so I turned back to the boat. It wasn't all bad though because as I was hanging onto the ladder Andrew told me to put my head back under the water and I'm so glad he did because I saw the whale swim right past me probably only about 15-20 metres away. Pretty amazing! 

From there the day only got better. We followed the heat run for a little while longer then found another three whales swimming together. They weren't on the move as much as the others. Claire and Andy got into to swim again but I decided that I preferred to stay on the boat. 

At one point we were with two or three whales and over a bit further into the bay there were more being playful and breaching around another boat. One in the group of whales we were watched breached and rose right up out of the water and looking absolutely incredible. It was then I realised how big the really are. It was such a spectacular sight and unfortunately I was just in the wrong position and not quite ready to take the photo. I may have missed the photo of the day, but it was the one thing I wanted to see...and I saw it!

It was surprising how many whales were out there. Not sure if we had a lucky day but if that's the case, I'm glad we did. 






Andrew found another really lovely spot to stop for lunch. I never cease to be amazed by the colour of the water. It honestly looks like someone has spilled a big bottle of blue food colouring into it. Lunch was delicious again. Karen does a great job. 
After lunch we went for a tour along the western coast of the main island. There is some pretty spectacular scenery along the way. 

One little island looked like some kind of cartoon duck with the head of hair and then from the other direction it looked like a skull with a wig. Weird I know, but look at the photo. It was obviously a haven for birds as they were flying all around it. We travelled along this coast line for about 3/4 and hour and then tuned back. On the the way back Po'uli was keen to put some fishing lines into the water. I think he was hoping for something they could have for in their Umu (an earth oven) for Sunday feast. Unfortunately we got nothing on the way back and then when we were all relaxed and thought that was it for the day Andrew shouts there's a whale in front of us. The fishing lines got wound in quickly and the guys were ready for another swim. They were getting pretty good it by then. Up until that point they probably had at least five or six swims, maybe more. 

You can see how close they are to the whale

This whale was a bit more docile and casually swam off. He was going away from the swimmers then must have decided that he needed to take another look. He turned around and headed straight for Andy and Claire and at one stage looked like he was going straight for them. At the last second he gently veered away from them, raised his tail and slapped the water close enough to Andy to give him a fair wash.  When Andy got back in the boat I think his heart was still thumping. He captured some great footage.

With that little adventure over we headed to Swallow's Cave to snorkel into and have a look. On our way back we saw some more whales and was able to get a few more good photos. At Swallows Cave I decided I would give the snorkeling another go. Claire was extremely patient with me and kept me calm. The cave was amazing. It was really deep and had this massive shoal of fish swimming in circles below us and then when you looked up it was almost cathedral like. It's a pity I didn't have a waterproof camera, although that would have been too much for me to think about and I probably would have drowned. The cave went quite deep into the island and then was opening that let a shaft of light down into the cave. I'm sure if you were there at the right time of the day, it would be spectacular.

That was the end of our day and we headed back home home. It was an awesome day and I can't believe how many whales we saw. I loved seeing it all for the boat but every time Andy got back in the boat all he could say at first was "That was so cool". What an absolutely fantastic day...I'm sure we could finished at lunchtime and been happy with that but Andrew, Po'uli and Claire just kept finding more. AMAZING!

When we got back to the house Karen had prepared a delicious meal of the fish she caught on Thursday. I've never had Spanish Mackerel before and doubt that I would ever have such a nice one again. Good job Karen, oh and Andrew for cooking the fish to perfection.

Note: I would like to thank Andy Routley for sharing his underwater footage and allowing me to post it in my blog...thanks Andy 

The one that got away

At the bottom of the swell looking out the back of the boat

We've...actually I've had two days out on Andrew's boat. Terry wanted to have a picture with a big fish so Andrew decided to take us out Marlin fishing. With  lunch all packed by Karen we headed out toward the ocean. The further we got out the rougher it got, not to the point where I was fearing for my life, but it was reasonable swell. At one point I looked back to an fairly large island and the land disappeared as the swell rose up behind us.

Unfortunately after dragging four fishing lines around out there for a few hours, we got nothing...not even a nibble. The one highlight  was that we spotted a whale off in the distance and it was exciting to see it breach up out if the water. 




We headed back to Hunga Haven for lunch. It is a beautiful spot with stunningly clear and very calm water. 
There was an vacant fishing resort, a village and Barry's house. Barry is one of the the guys that hosts the daily information radio program that we've started to look forward to each morning. 

Boris's island that faces the stunning Blue Lagoon.

Before we came to Tonga we saw an episode of a series that Kevin Macleod (Grand Designs) hosts about people who live in extremely remote areas.  The couple on that episode actually live on an island that forms part of the Hunga Haven. The program suggested that there was no-one close by and if they were ever in trouble it would take hours for someone to assist. Not true Kevin! The nearest person is about a five minute boat ride. Yes, the island about an hours trip to the main island but it's certainly not as isolated as was suggested. I guess the old saying "Never let the truth get it the way of a good story" is true. Anyway, having said all that the island and the blue water that fronts it is stunning and you can see, with an idealistic view, why they decided to live there.

After lunch we set off again this time aiming for something a little smaller for us to catch. As luck would have it, we did hook a fish and it was Terry's turn to fight with a fish. Andrew was getting so excited and told Terry that it was a big one! Terry struggled with if for about 20 minutes then it broke the line and got away. Unfortunately while all this was going on the wind blew Andrew's phone off the bridge of the boat into the water and it was lost too. Now, according to Andrew the fish was probably another Dogtooth Tuna like the one I caught only this one was at least a 50kg fish. Not, sure how big it was and wondered if Andrew just said that to make Terry feel better about it getting away. Someone on the radio told us that Boris (the man that lives "far" from civilisation) caught a 68kg Dogtooth Tuna last week in the same area. Maybe what Terry missed was it's little brother. 

There was also a small hiccup with the boat which Andrew & Po'uli (the deck hand and guide) had fixed in no time. After all that excitement we decided it was time to head home. 

Didn't catch a fish but we did see a whale so they day had some success.

Holy Mackerel!

Today was full of excitement. The weather finally settled enough for Andrew to take us out in his boat Blue Sky. He decided that he would take us out for a tour around the outlying islands.

As we headed out it was a bit overcast but it was warm. Once we got out of the harbour Andrew threw out a fishing line in the hope we land a fish. We were also hoping to spot a whale. 


We travelled around the islands taking in the view and the stunning colour of the water. There are lots of islands dotted around and many a very small with the water eroding the base so they almost look like a mushroom. 
Many of the islands have caves and some are big enough to go into. 

One is Swallow Cave where if you are in there at the right time of day you will see a shaft of light come through and light up the cave. It was too far for me to swim but it would be great to have a dinghy or kayak to go in and have a look.

At one stage it started to get a bit choppy as we were heading for an island to stop for a while and poor Karen started to get a bit worried...she still hasn't got totally comfortable about being out on the water. Andrew started heading off to find some calmer water when all of a sudden the ratchet on the reel went off and it took a few seconds for us to realise that we had a fish on the line. Karen soon forgot about the choppy water and started reeling in the line. She leapt into action reeling the line in and as it got closer we realised it was a decent sized fish. As it reached the surface, Andrew was the one to get excited because it was a Spanish Mackerel (the fish must have been on holidays too) and apparently they are a very good fish to eat and they are usually difficult to catch.

Once on the fish was on board the excitement didn't end there. Poor Andrew is the only experienced fisherman on the boat and was left with the task of gaffing the fish and getting it onto the boat. Then unhooked it so that Karen could celebrate her catch. It turned out to be over 7kg...not a bad effort for your first catch.

Once we had a fish on board we decided to focus on trying to spot a whale. Andrew said if we went behind another group of islands there was a place he always saw lots of whales. As we headed toward the area the were lots more interesting islands to see but still no whales. 

We started heading back and just after we passed between two small islands the line went again. This time it was my turn and there were a few times I thought I had lost it. Eventually I got it reeled in enough to hook and this time it was a Dogtooth Tuna. Andrew was thrilled again because this is another good eating fish.

After all that excitement we started heading back to Hakula Lodge still hoping for a last chance glimpse at a whale but no luck.

With another day over and back on the deck of the lodge, eating sashimi and looking out over the harbour while the sun was setting in front of us. We've had an awesome day with fun, relaxation and excitement. Just remember the charter boat Blue Sky if you're ever in Tonga and want a great day out on the water. While they can't guarantee you will see a whale or catch a fish you will have a great time trying and if nothing else the scenery is stunning!

Couldn't resist adding one more photo of our catch!

Oh, what a night!

Our day started the same as usual...sitting out on the deck taking in the view and drinking coffee. Every morning we also sit and listen to the radio program they run each day. It's service where they tell you the weather, any upcoming events and buy swap and sell. It's interesting and sometimes a little bit funny. It's amazing what the yachties ask for.

Karen and I are on a bit of a health kick and decided to walk into town which about a 20 minute walk. We we a bit concerned and the dogs and the pigs that wander along the roadside but our worries were unfounded. None of the animals were in the least bit interested.









Walking gave a different perspective and the harbour is quite pretty with all the yachts that are moored out there. 









I'm starting to know the shops and I think they are starting to recognise although when we went into this shop with our back packs we had someone follow us all around the store. Loaded up with our shopping we headed back home and called into the church to have a look but the doors were closed so we could only look through the windows. We plan to go to a service on Sunday because we've heard the singing is amazing.

The highlight of the day was going out to the Bounty Bar to see the Fakaleiti show. Fakaleiti translates to "like a lady" so I think you can guess where I'm going with this and when you pronounce the first syllable is "fu"... so I guess you could probably guess where that's going too. During the high season they run show where the local transgender residents perform. Karen and Andrew both told us that it wasn't that good but they downplayed it. We thought it was lots of fun and the "girls" were much better than we thought they would.

There are three performers and although the weren't great lipsyncers they certainly do know how to work a room. They are very good at working out who they think may be the most uncomfortable with attention and make a beeline for them.

In all it was a really good night with lots of laughs and great fun. Definitely a must see if you happen to visit Neiafu during the high season.