The Veritable Kingdom of Tonga
“Malo e lelei” means “hello” in Tongan
Wednesday, October 13th – We are to leave Niue today, an island nation that The First Mate found quite topographically interesting and that impressed both of us with its smiling and friendly people. The morning is overcast. Though we are not planning to leave until the afternoon, we do not have time to head out to a reef for a swim nor is the weather enticing of such. The First Mate sleeps in knowing that such a luxury is not to be enjoyed on a passage. “Take it when you can” is her maxim.
Later in the morning, we head ashore to return our rental car, to buy a few groceries and to officially check out of Niue. At the Immigration Office, we learn that the Customs office has recently been moved from its convenient, if somewhat dingy, location near the harbor where it receives most of its business to a less convenient, though more luxurious, spot at the airport where it monitors the once weekly flight in and out of the island. The airport is about 5 miles down the road. Our car is already returned. The Customs vehicle which should drive into check us out is kaput, and there is no other car available to drive an official to the harbor area. There are no taxis on this island, and it is too darn hot to walk! Now what do we do? The Immigration Chief, a New Zealander stationed on the island to help in the education of its citizens toward greater autonomy, is irritated at this recurring snafu. He offers us a ride to the airport so we can check out while hoping at the same time to further his point that the inappropriate airport location and the “broken down” vehicle are not in the best interest of getting things done right around here. An hour plus later, we are duly checked out of Niue by Customs and deposited by the very helpful Immigration Chief at the grocery store to obtain the last of our needs.
1510 – Captain’s Log – “Started engine, dropped mooring and headed west.” Though the weather is gloomily overcast, we have good winds in the 15 – 18-knot range and make good time into the afternoon and evening.
Thursday, October 14th – 0510 – Captain’s Log – “Autopilot disengages and would not reset right away. Steered manually for a while. Then successfully reset autopilot. WHEW!” Ranking high among our top 3 mishaps on a passage is losing autopilot. “Auto” is a third hand aboard a short-handed boat. Without its assist, the helm would have to be manned 24/7, and the demands of that station day in/day out on a passage are something neither of us want to contemplate. We love, love, love our “Auto!”
We spend an uneventful and overcast day alternating between sailing in light winds to motoring in no wind. Occasional rain showers hit us, but by the midnight report, we are 40nm from the island of Vava’u, Tonga’s more northerly check-in point.
Friday, October 15th – 0540 – Vava’u is spotted at first light. No rain, but it is overcast. By 0800, we have motored around the north end of the island and turned down the southwestern side to enter the main channel. An hour later, we are turning into the bay leading to the town of Neiafu where we will check into Tonga.
It starts raining in earnest as we motor the last bit of channel toward the commercial dock. The Captain attempts to contact the Harbormaster, but no one answers. Instead, we are hailed by “Lighten Up”, a former cruiser turned expat now living on land in Tonga. He tells us that Customs and Immigration are not available on weekends. Weekends? This is Friday, isn’t it? Well, physically, yes, it is. According to the charts, we are still east of the dateline and should be in the same time zone as Niue. However, prior to The Millennium Year of 2000, the King of Tonga decided that a good marketing slogan for his country would be “Tonga: Where Time Begins” and disregarding its location well east of the date line, decreed that Tonga was going to be the first country to welcome a new day. According to the standard of Greenwich Mean Time, Tonga is now in the +13 time zone — same time as Niue, but one day ahead. Thus, upon entering Tongan waters, we moved from Friday, October 15 to Saturday, October 16, and officially we cannot step on land until we have cleared customs on Monday, October 18! Need it be said what The First Mate thought – and still thinks to this day? She could have had her extra day in Niue! She could have snorkeled those beautiful blue waters and those fantastic reefs that just get better and more beautiful the more she thinks about them. Oh, the mutinous thoughts that spiral through her mind!
Well, there is nothing to be done about the lost day now. We are now in the veritable Kingdom of Tonga, the oldest and last remaining monarchy in Polynesia. Tonga is also the only Pacific nation to never have been under foreign rule. That fact may be a source of pride to Tongans, but the negative side to this independence is that they do not have a “Big Brother” relationship with a stronger nation. They have no benefactor supporting their economy, and it shows. The monarchy and its attached royalty have done quite well for themselves while they have ruled their country with an attitude of benign neglect or disregard. As a result, the living conditions of much of Tonga outside its two major areas of population are quite behind that of its neighboring Polynesian nations. This fact has lead many cruises to quip their own marketing slogan: “Tonga: Where Time Stands Still!” Recalling our visit to Palmerston Island where time did indeed seem to stand still, this cannot possibly be any worse!
The Kingdom of Tonga is long and skinny spreading across a vast swath of the Pacific Ocean. It covers over 700,000 square km in total. Made up of 170 islands, of which only 42 are inhabited, the total land area of this little kingdom is only 691 square km. That adds up to a lot of ocean between islands and helps to neatly divide the country into 4 island groupings, all of them featuring different topography and scenery.
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The Niuas comprise the most northern group. These are isolated volcanic islands. Seldom visited and little noted, the remoteness of these islands interests The First Mate. She reads about white sand beaches, good swimming, scenic hikes and islanders eager for any contact with the outside world. She would like to stop here first, but The Captain maintains that it is too far off their course. Maybe someday — maybe on their way back to Niue
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The Vava’u Group is 300 km due south across open ocean. Its immense landlocked harbor of Neiafu is our intended port of entry.
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The Ha’apai Group is about 100 km south across more open ocean. It is a land of low-lying coral islands and soaring volcanoes.
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Tongatapu is the fourth group and lies a further 100 km south. This group includes the capital city of Nuku’alofa and is the official residence of king and entourage.
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Our Australian friends, Cyndy and Steven Everett, on our sister ship, Salacia, traveling across the Pacific a few months ahead of us have told us that Tonga was one of their most enjoyable cruising spots. We are looking forward to seeing what this country has to offer.
Saturday, October 16th – Not particularly interested in roosting on a boat at anchor in the harbor for the whole weekend, we turn around and head to a bay called Port Maurelle. We cannot go on land, but no one says we cannot explore by sea. There are 2 nearby caves of interest. Swallows Cave is easy to spot with a wide opening in the cliff face. The opening to Mariner’s Cave is underwater. One must swim down to it, through the tunnel-like opening to pop up inside the cave. Its underwater opening makes it more difficult to find which, thinks The First Mate, may be just fine with her. “Swim down and pop up” into a dark cave does not sound like her comfort zone of exploration.
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Launched in the dinghy, we easily find Swallows Cave. The sun has broken through the clouds turning the water a glorious blue.
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Slowly we motor inside this large cave and are greeted by elephant head rock, the cave’s noted landmark.
Securing the dinghy to a rock protrusion, we jump into snorkel around the edges of the cave. How strange it feels to be swimming inside a cave! Swallows, for whom the cave is named, have built their nests above our heads and are swooping around above us.
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Below us, the sunlight streaming through the opening makes it possible to see boulder formations deep in the water. It is fascinating and beautiful! Enjoying the solitude of just the two of us in this cave, we stay until another group of cruisers enter the cave for a visit.
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We motor along the coast searching for the entrance to Mariner’s Cave, but we cannot find it. We had read that it was hard to find, and with the seas churned up in the brisk wind, it certainly is. We’ll return with better directions, hopefully, on a calmer day.
Marion and David Paul from Kilkea are anchored in the bay. They invite us to join them on the beach this evening for a barbecue which we “unofficially” do. On shore, we catch up with a couple we had first met and last seen at a potluck dinner on Fakarava in the Tuomotus, Sheryl and John Ellsworth on Sea Mist, their Oyster 56.
Sunday, October 17th – Rain all day again. We stay aboard working on projects and general clean up.
Monday, October 18th – Our anchor is caught on coral! The Captain is forced to dive on it to see in which direction we have to turn the boat in order to release the anchor and chain. He is able to see what needs to be done and shortly we have the anchor raised. We motor into Neiafu to clear customs into the Kingdom of Tonga. Another big rain squall hits us as we motor into the bay. We arrive at the commercial wharf by 10:00.
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Yellow Quarantine Flag flying, Avante is dwarfed by the commercial dock she is tied up to on this dreary day.
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Clearing customs here in Neiafu proves to be one of the most time consuming exercises of officialdom we have thus far encountered. We had read and been told what to expect. Four bureaucracies: Immigration, Public Health, Customs and Quarantine, muster to clear one into this country, though “muster” implies speed and alertness. Neither is part of this process. We initially feel lucky, for there are several boats ahead of us clearing in, and we can see officials on the boat in front of us. Maybe these guys are on their toes! Two officials eventually come our way. These men are striking in size and in dress. The First Mate strives to hide her amazement. Not only are these men tall; they are broad of shoulders, broad of beam and heavy as in solid body mass, not in flabby fat. Dressed in the more traditional black shirts with woven mats of pandanus leaf tied around their waists over either slacks or a vala, which is a kilt or skirt, they descend upon us. They wait to be invited on Avante as one is supposed to do. We invite them. There is no doubting the effect on Avante as they step aboard. She resettles herself in the water as they look around. They go below, each man capable of blocking sunlight as they climb down the hatchway. We gamely follow. The First Mate offers them soda and cookies as they expect and we have been told to do. They sit and eat and drink — and eat and drink until all the soda and cookies are gone. Finally, they pull out their forms, ask their questions and leave. We are told we need Tongan money to pay our fees to the various bureaucracies and to the commercial wharf for use of their dock. The Captain is allowed to leave the boat for the short walk to an ATM while The First Mate waits for the last 2 departments to show up.
While The Captain is gone, The First Mate watches the final preparations for a modern-day War Canoe on a goodwill voyage to Fiji and New Zealand. The crew and guests gather round for a final prayer before the War Canoe motors (modern, remember?) away from the dock and raises its colorful sails.
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The Captain returns, but no other officials appear. We wait. We talk to all and sundry on the dock. We wait. The Captain walks over to what he has been told is an office. He returns. We wait. Finally, an official from Quarantine arrives. This time, The First Mate has tucked away the box of cookies after placing an offering of 6 cookies on a plate. No wonder these guys are so heavy and slow of movement. Their sole activity consists of moving from boat to boat all day while in between they drink soda and eat every cookie in sight! We invite this man aboard and below. Impossibly, he appears larger than the first two, but there is a difference. We had been told by our friends that there is one official whose mental processing and vocalizations were so slow they were painful to endure. This must be the man. Everything about him is a study in slow deliberation. As with our first 2 officials, we ask questions about Tonga to show our interest in their country, and we inquire about various spots around the town of Neiafu. Though English is taught in all the schools from an early grade, for a government official, this man is barely proficient. He cannot understand us, and we cannot understand him. So we sit while he eats and drinks. Upon rising and before heading up the steps, he turns to The First Mate and slowly asks, “ Do … you … have ……. (“yes, go on,” I silently urge.) ….. eggs?” Eggs? “Yes, I have some eggs,” answers she wondering why he is asking about eggs. There is nothing illegal about bringing eggs into the country. Looking up at him, she waits for his response, but none is forthcoming. Does he want to see the eggs? Should she pull them out? Does he want an egg or two? What is it? She stares uncomprehendingly up at him. He stares into space. Finally he turns and climbs up onto the deck. Turning around, The First Mate thinks he is finally going to say something about the eggs. Instead, he wordlessly hands her his empty can of soda. Now what was that all about? To this day, she remains puzzled over the exchange, and none of the cruisers she has told the story to understand what it was all about either.
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Four hours after arriving at the wharf, we are done and out of there! In no time, we are secured to one of the many mooring balls in the harbor and eager to explore ashore. We always try to learn a few common words or phrases in the local language. Here we learn that “malo e lelei” means hello in Tongan. It is a melodic phrase and easy to say.
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The countryside is lush and green. How could it not be with all the rain we have had and continue to have?
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The view from the hillside of Feia’u over a harbor dotted with cruisers from many countries is delightful.
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Traditions play a strong part in the life of all Tongans throughout the islands. The Church is a dominant force.
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We hear the church bells ring out loudly and soon see a large group of people leaving the church on the hill. A funeral service has ended. This group of women is returning home wearing the traditional black outfit of blouse and skirt or pants. Around their waists they each wear a ta’ovala, woven mats of pandanus leaf. These mats are often prized possessions passed down in families. Both men and women wear ta’ovala as we saw when the male officials checked us into the country.
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School children are coming home from school as we walk through town. Every child sports a uniform, and each school has its own color. We learn that attendance is mandatory through the elementary grades, but the expense of sending a child beyond those early grades is too costly for many families.
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Girls wear jumpers with white blouses, while boys sport valas, wrap-around kilts worn over shorts. The First Mate finds it amusing to watch the younger boys twisting and pulling the vala to keep it in place, straight and neat as they walk along the street.
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Out for a stroll along the sidewalk and intently heading from one green patch to another, these little porkers roam freely.
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Portraits hanging, King and royal family watch over the 2 rows of goods that make up the local grocery store. A freezer holds items that have been sitting there a long, long time. The lack of healthy alternatives and the overall poor quality of items shipped into these island nations for sale are appalling. The only explanations must be that the better alternatives would be too costly for these people, and companies like Green Giant, Kelloggs, etc. have to come up with a way to make a profit out of lower grade produce and items.
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To our delight and relief, the local fresh market is all we could ask for and more. What a joy! Bright, colorful and healthy. Plumb eggplant, fragrant tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, carrots, green onions, basil, thyme and fresh lettuce. Forget those pasty canned peas!
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Neiafu is Tonga’s second largest city, but it still gives the appearance and feel of a sleepy, little town. We soon discover that a large percentage of its 6,000 inhabitants are expats from a wide range of countries. Many are former cruisers who arrived here, liked the welcoming, laid-back lifestyle and decided to stay.
The expats run the restaurants and many of the tourist shops and activities along the harbor adding a colorful, eclectic touch to the scene.
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We find ourselves spending a lot of time at “The Aquarium” sitting on its refreshing outdoor deck where for a pint of beer one can relax all afternoon enjoying the company of other cruisers like Captain Guiseppe and Crew mate Cezar from Chloe, a Swan 59, wending its way back home to Italy.
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That same pint of beer or morning coffee and omelet gains one internet access.
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Other establishments that entertained us and kept us well fed were:
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“The Dancing Rooster” where we enjoy a lobster dinner on one very rainy night. They gave us an empty gallon plastic jug to use as a bailer on our dinghy when we inadvertently left ours back on Avante. We also buy several frozen pasta entrees for our passage to New Zealand.
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The “Giggling Whale and Thirsty Turtle” where a whole group of us dine one evening before venturing off to see the Faguerafa “Ladies”. The “Ladies” are all Tongan men in drag putting on a dance show at a local bar. Some of these very big men become very big women! Homosexuality is an accepted part of the cultural tradition throughout the Pacific. From a very early age, young boys will declare themselves, and we learn that it is not unheard of for a family of male offspring to choose to raise the youngest as a girl.
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Back on Avante, The Captain spends several hours plotting the 60 or so uncharted reefs dotting the ocean between Tonga and Fiji. It would be nice if they were on the charts, but we are grateful they are at least documented for cruisers to mark on their own charts.
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Knowing where these uncharted reefs are is important because our plans are to continue on from Tonga to Fiji where we are meeting friends who are joining us for the ocean passage from Fiji to New Zealand. We learn, however, within weeks of their intended arrival, that our friends have conflicts and will be unable to join us. Hearing this, we decide that Fiji can wait until next year. We will now head directly from Tonga to New Zealand. The First Mate is disappointed that our friends cannot come. She was hoping for some extra crew on the passage to New Zealand which has a reputation for being difficult. On the other hand, this takes the pressure off our schedule. The only schedule requirement that we now have is to be in New Zealand before December, for our marine insurance company requires that we be out of the tropics before cyclone season.
The mix of Tongan culture and expat influence in Neiafu make it an interesting place to visit, but after three days, we are ready to explore more of the islands up here in the Vava’u Group.
Blue sky, warm sun — they do exist! We consider ourselves truly lucky to be anchored off the sandy beach of Ovalau Island on this gorgeous day. We snorkel around the coral reef, swim over to the island inhabited solely by a family of goats and hike along the narrow goat trails.
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Our sun-filled day was just that. One sun-filled day out of every 14 or so! This is not the weather we had expected out here in the Pacific — at least not at this time of year. It is filling all of us cruisers with a bit of foreboding as each of us contemplates the passage ahead to either New Zealand or Australia.
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Over the morning Cruisers’ Net, we hear about a Tongan feast to be given by the residents of Lapa Island. They had lost their dock several years ago in a cyclone, and the small group had come up with the idea of offering these feasts as a way of raising money for a new dock. Along with the Pauls from Kilkea, we decide to experience a Tongan feast to help these islanders.
As we anchor, we observe an old man and young child in what looks like a vintage wooden outrigger. They are paddling in toward shore. Later when we dinghy ashore, we find the old outrigger on the beach. Painstakingly hand-carved from a single log, it offers us an opportunity to examine an ancient skill still at work on many of these more isolated islands.
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The islanders put on more than just a feast for their guests. We follow the sound of music along a path through a collection of mostly one-room houses to a porch where local musicians are playing and singing.
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Not far from the musicians, a woman shows us the art of weaving a ta’ovala from the dried pandanus leaves.
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The lawn in front of the one-room school house is the location of our gathering. We are invited in to inspect their classroom.
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Husking The Coconut 101 – The local men demonstrate. Sharpened stakes are driven into the ground. With a few sharp and well-placed blows of the husk against the point of the stake, the husk is quickly removed. Now it’s our men’s turn at the stake.
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This isn’t as easy as it looked!
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Not at all as easy!
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The crowning glory of the feast is this fine spit-roasted pig.
The women prepare the remainder of the dishes many of which were first cooked in the traditional umu oven.
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What a feast! The First Mate cannot remember the names of most of the dishes. There is breadfruit served fried, mashed and steamed, Poisson Cru, Octopus in a flavorful sauce, Potato salad, a minced meat leaf-wrapped and steamed, fried chicken legs, tomato salad, and so much more.
Wearing a flower necklace made by one of the children, Marion Paul fills her plate.
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For The Captain and The First Mate, though, looks prove to be deceiving. The poor porker is dry and tough. The other dishes, though attractive, were often tasteless to us. Our experience with traditional island cooking is that the use of spices, herbs or simply salt and pepper to either enhance or bring out flavor is not a part of their cuisine as it is in ours. Accustomed to more flavor in our dishes, we still enjoy our meal and are impressed with the amount of thought and labor that went into it.
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The finale is a display of singing and dancing put on by several adults and the local children. The style of dancing is fascinating and done sitting on the ground with graceful hand and head movements.
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What an interesting and well-planned event this little group of island people planned and put together! The First Mate, who loves to plan a party and knows what it takes to do so, is impressed by their effort. We gladly give our donation to the basket that is passed around at the end of the evening and wish them well with their venture.
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Tuesday, October 26th – It is time to continue south. We return to Neiafu to replenish our supplies and refuel before continuing south to the Ha’apai Group. We note s/v Epiphany in the harbor and dinghy over to talk to Cornelia and Joseph, a young Hungarian couple we had first met in Tahiti. We agree to all go out to dinner at Mango’s in town and with them, enjoy a last evening in Neiafu.
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Wednesday, October 27th – We have an overnight passage ahead of us and decide to anchor at Vaka’eitu Island rather than leave from the harbor. This will put us closer to the pass out of this island group, and ……..
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…… under another blustery rain squall, we motor out and turn south.