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Published: September 24th 2008
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Palmerston Reunion
Kim, Paul, Anita, Maria We arrived in Tonga, the Vava’u island group to blue skies and lush green islands. The topography was different to what we both expected but not disappointing. We docked next to the main wharf and watched the procession of local bureaucrats…quarantine, customs, immigration and health come on board for us to fill out their paper work and a chat. They where all very sweet as Si had sustained a burn (cup of hot coffee) on route and needed to get it checked by the doctor. The health guy drove us to the hospital, the bank and back to the hospital rather than us having to catch a taxi.
The people of Neiafu are friendly & the village had good facilities for visiting yachts. We caught up with the Palmerston Island gang for a number of reunions. Neiafu had a real Margaret River feel with laid back bars and café’s (mostly run by Expats) that you could happily sit for hours and watch the world go by. I was amazed at the number of yachts in the bay as it is the last Pacific island group that most yachties visit before the big haul to NZ.
In the short time
we were there we quickly established our favourite “locals”, the Bounty Bar and the Aquarium Café. It was a joy to be able to eat out and have a drink without it costing a weeks budget as in the Society Islands. We experienced a Tongan feast with the crew from Flame ( Paul and Di) and Dolcia Vita (Vincent and Patricia). They had local dancing and the food was amazing. Most of it was cooked under ground in a hungie (spelling??) type style. The table was laden with food that we had to eat with our hands. It was good fun though a napkin would not have gone astray. After the feast, we visited Tonga Bob’s (Aussie owned pub) to watch the Rugby final. It was the first and only game we watched for the series and very excited. It was a great game of rugby with the exception that the Aussies were beaten.
Each Friday they have a yacht race around the bay. I crewed on Kind of Blue with Dick and Anita. We came 6th after missing the start. Afterwards we had dinner at the Bounty Bar where they held a cava night. Interesting stuff if you
can get past the fact that it tastes like mud. It momentarily anesthetizes your tongue and makes you very relaxed (not that we have any problem in that area). We didn’t consume enough to become intoxicated (sources say you need to consume more that 10 cups) but we did notice a distinct lack of energy the following day and could easily have spent the day in bed…of course it had nothing to do with all the wine and beer was consumed.
Each morning at 5.30am we were awaken to church bells. Half an hour later, the church choir could be heard over the bay. Even from a distance the voices were beautiful. We went to mass on Sunday morning to experience the singing first hand. All the Tongans were beautifully dressed, many wearing the traditional woven skirts. The service, although in Tongan, was lovely…and the singing…very time they burst into song, I burst into tears. I found the experience very emotional as the singing was amazing.
After spending five days in Neiafu, we decided to explore some of the islands in the area. All the islands are in close proximity to one another so we didn’t have to
go far. We went to a lovely bay of the island Falevai. When we arrived there were about 10 other yachts. We figured that we would stay for one night and more on in the morning. That evening everyone went to shore for a sundowner and bonfire on the beach. It is amazing how many interesting people you meet. The following morning we woke to howling wind and heavy rain. I took on anchor watch while Si slept through the whole thing; thankfully we put plenty of chain down (80 meters). The rain continued through out the day and thankfully, all the other boats cleared out. We stayed on and the weather improved. The snorkeling was great and I saw my first sea snake…what is my biggest phobia??? So needless to say I didn’t stay in for long.
The highlight of the trip was swimming with hump back whales. Though out our travels, we have only seen whales from a distance (thank goodness say Si) and we really wanted to take the opportunity to see them up close. The first whale sighting was a mother and a very young calf. They kept on moving and not responsive so we
continued our search. They took us outside the island group were they spotted a pod of 5 whales, a mother, her calf and 3 males. Si and I where up front talking to the driver so were unprepared when they told us to get into the water…I didn’t even have my wet suite on. So everyone was long gone by the time we got into the water…and fortunately while everyone else is swimming after them, we get dropped off right near them. I can’t explain how amazing it was. Si was so close that he could see the mother looking at him. We had about four more similar experiences. One time, Si got into the water over the top of one. He was looking around until he realized he was 15 meters (the visibility was great) above one and 5 meters from another. The baby was learning to breach so we would applaud it each time she came out of the water. The baby thought it was great and was very playful. We also watched the big ones breach which was incredible. It is amazing how far they come out of the water. We finished the day snorkeling in and
around some caves. It was a great day and one that we will never forget.
It would be fair to say that Tonga was one of our favourite places and would have loved to have spent more time. We spoke to a real estate agent who informed us that there are a number of islands for sale (99 year lease)…how cool would that be. It would be an ideal place to set up a small bar and café…maybe one day…
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