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Published: January 28th 2015
TAPA PAINTER
She uses ink from the mulberry treeLast year when we arrived in Tonga, we were deluged by a rain storm of biblical proportions. This year all was calm and bright. In 2011 a new pier was commissioned by King Tupou V and it is a welcomed addition to the island. It is situated in downtown Nuku’alofa near the Royal Palace. Tupou V died in 2012 and is being succeeded by his brother Tupou VI. The coronation is scheduled for July 4
ththis year. This will be a very formal occasion and the islanders are already preparing for the big day. Dignitaries and royalty will come from all over the world for this special celebration to honor the new monarch of the sovereign state of Tonga.
Tonga is expanding as I write. An undersea volcano has been erupting for the past month and has created a new island 30 miles northwest of the capitol. The volcanic plume spewing ash into the atmosphere has been disrupting air traffic to and from the islands.
A troop of native Tongan dancers and the Royal Tonga Police Band greeted the Silver Whisper. This big band group has been entertaining royalty and visitors for over 100 years and they could give Tommy
THE ROYAL PALACE
Home of the King of Tonga Dorsey a run for his money. They were especially brilliant performing Broadway show tunes.
We headed up to the market to check out the tapa making and wood carving, and then over to the Royal Tombs to pay our respects. You may note that “royal” is a common honorific used in Tonga. That is because Tonga is now the only monarchy left in the Pacific and Tongans are proud to tell you that their lands have never been ruled by a foreign power.
We hosted a sunset dinner party at the outdoor grill for our Cruise Specialists on what turned out to be a perfect evening weather-wise. We picked up some small carved wooden magnets as party gifts in Nuku’alofa and made name cards for our dinner settings. It was a fun night with many toasts to our health and good fortune of being at sea on a lovely ship, on a beautiful evening.
Often called the “Paris of the Pacific,” Noumea, New Caledonia is an attractive island at the bottom of a string of South Pacific paradises. We took the city bus to the end of the island where several deluxe resorts are located. Le Meridien
TONGAN LINE HANDLERS
Assisting in docking Silver Whisper Hotel allowed us to use their facilities to swim and snorkel and even gave us fifteen minutes of internet time, gratis.
On the bus we passed large marinas filled with yachts and catamarans attesting to the prosperity of this island. Many Americans are familiar with New Caledonia as it was the launching pad for the Allied Forces in the Battle of the Coral Sea in WWII. Also if you wear jewelry or use batteries, there is a good chance that the nickel metal used in those products was mined in New Caledonia, which produces much of the world’s supply of this mineral and is the mainstay of the country's economy.
This is our last stop in a tropical island until we reach the Indian Ocean in mid-March. Now we are heading for the big city lights of Australia and on up to the teaming metropolises of Asia. As if on cue, as we cruised out of Noumea, the weather switched and quickly became cooler and stormier with choppy seas. But then, after all, change is an integral part of traveling the world by ship.
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Dick Fowler
non-member comment
Tonga----
Isn't Tonga where the prince is buried with the jug on the top of his moseleum? I remember some story about it as a fitting tribute to his heavy drinking. Thanks for the updates. I enjoyed Tonga in the several times we were there Dick