And that was Tonga

Garry and I are homeward bound following a relaxing couple of days in Tongatapu. Thursday consisted of a leisurely wander through the local Talamahu Markets, followed by an outdoor lunch at Friends Cafe. At the markets, we secured a few handicraft souvenirs to remind us of our time in Tonga, including a simply carved wooden Humpback whale. It perfectly captured the essence of our whale swims on Ha'apai.

We've also bought a turtle print hand-painted on paper made from pandanus leaves. The artist is a delightful old woman who explained to us how she'd made the paper as well as creating the final artwork. The pandanus leaves are first softened by soaking them in seawater, then beaten, pressed together and dried to form smooth sheets of paper.  

Earlier in the week, while snorkelling, Garry and I came across long ropes of pandanus leaves tied to the seafloor by the locals. We'd initially thought these waving strands were farmed seaweed. It was fascinating to then see the same flowing strands carefully dried, trimmed and bundled, ready for sale in the market.

Friday was spent on a full-day private tour of Tongatapu Island. The itinerary included plenty of noteworthy highlights. Our first sight of the day was Tsunami Rock, also known as Maui Rock. This humongous rock sits in splendid isolation on the island's southern coast. It's one of several similar boulders lying along the coast.

This massive lump of coral reef, measuring approximately 15 × 11 × 9 metres, was swept more than 200 metres inland hundreds of years ago. These days, it sits on an open plain towering above the surrounding grassland. According to geologists, Tsunami Rock is one of the largest wave-lifted boulders ever found and the third-largest boulder in the world. Let’s just say it is big!

Our next stop, the Mapu'a Vaea Blowholes along the island’s southwest coastline, were unbelievable. We spent at least half an hour watching kilometres of blowholes going off again and again in a mesmerising sequence along the coast. Without a doubt, this experience made up for our failed attempt to visit the Alofaaga Blowholes in Sa'avii last year.

Our guide then drove us across the island to Anahulu Cave. Along the way, we stopped to visit Captain Cook's final landing place in Tonga. He visited the islands on three separate occasions. The last of these visits, in 1777, is marked by a small park and plaque. Our guide showed a partially hidden hole cut into the tidal rock shelf, revealing that Cook had carved it as a mooring point for his longboat. Who knows if this is true? It certainly made for an entertaining story.

Garry received a text message from his Dad while at Cook's Landing. Sadly, Murray's brother, Alan Smith (Garry's Uncle), had just died. The previous night, while walking to dinner, Garry and I called Murray to wish him a Happy Birthday via FaceTime. Murray told us Alan was in palliative care, so this news wasn't entirely unexpected.

We were lucky enough to enjoy the entire cave system to ourselves for almost an hour.  This included a 15-minute swim in one of the cave's crystal-clear underground freshwater pools. The caves were completely enclosed and lit by electric bulbs. We ventured about 50 metres into the interior, weaved around stalagmites and stalagtights, before reaching the swimming hole.

The water was surprisingly warm. Our tour guide's young nephew, who'd joined us for the day, demonstrated how to jump safely from a rock ledge. I decided to give it a go. Garry wasn't game to try. Enjoy the video above. I can honestly say, I've never swum in a cave before. It's a truly magical experience.

Our final two stops were historical highlights. First, we visited the ancient royal tombs at Lapaha on the northern shores of Tongatapu. They're the remnants of the first and second royal dynasties of Tonga. The precision stonework still visible on these decaying rock platforms is impressive to say the least. 

As we wandered through the grounds, our guide explained that the current Tongan Royal Family is actually the third in a series of dynasties. The first dynasty originated in the 10th century with a mythical figure called ʻAhoʻeitu. This line ended around 1470 when the reigning Tuʻi Tonga transferred his temporal powers to his brother. This second dynasty then ended in 1865 with the death of the last Tuʻi Tonga, Sanualio Fatafehi Laufilitonga. 

The current House of Tupou is a continuation of the Tuʻi Kanokupolu Dynasty led by the first constitutional monarch, George Tupou I.  We learned that the white marble lion we'd spotted adorning the modern royal tombs during last week's self-guided walking tour marks his grave.

  
Our final stop was Ha'amonga ‘a Mau'i Historic Park. This is the site of the second capital of Ancient Tonga, known as Heketā (Royal Compound). It was home to the first royal dynasty. The prominent feature of this park is the Ha'amonga ‘a Maui (Trilithon) - a monumental stone gateway comprising three coral limestone slabs. It is estimated that each slab weighs more than 20 tonnes and stands at 6 metres in height. It's colloquially known as Tonga’s Stonehenge.

Our tour concluded with a drive-by viewing of the island’s famous fishing pigs! They’re local pigs that go rooting for worms and shellfish in the coastal mud at low tide. Unbelievable.

 

  
We finished our final full day in Tonga, catching up with newfound friends we met on Ha’apai. We enjoyed cocktails overlooking the reef with Fee and Mary-Jo Van Hoppe before joining them for dinner at their hotel. Earlier this week, Matafunoa Lodge featured them doing an ocean swim in an awesome drone-shot video. 

Our time in Tonga has been an awesome experience. It’ll be hard work getting back to reality!

Farewell Ha’apai

Sadly, our time on Ha’apai has come to an end. We’re back on the main island of Tongatapu after eight nights at Matafonua Lodge. Before we departed, Darren, the lodge’s owner, took a stunning souvenir photo of Garry and me with his drone. That’s the panoramic image above. The original is a 28MB file. I’ve reduced it to 2.2MB for this post. Click into it for a higher-resolution view. I’ve also enlarged a section so you can see that it’s really us standing on a beach in paradise!

We’ve also enjoyed a second whale swim excursion. It was another breathtaking once-in-a-lifetime experience. The conditions were calmer, which made it easier for me to enjoy our time in the water. We swam a total of five times with the whales, including a brief encounter with four whales. The images and videos from this follow-up tour are just as spectacular as those from our first encounter. 

Here are just a few of the best images and videos we’ve commandeered from other guests on our tour. The last video was taken during our second encounter of the day. You’ll see my yellow flipper briefly making a cameo appearance. I was with Lily, our guide, at the time. We both thought the calf was going to “kiss” us as it came incredibly close. As you’ll see, Lily moved swiftly to place herself between me and the whale.

Garry and I also took a twin kayak out for a spin. We paddled across to Nukunamo, a small uninhabited island located a hundred metres or so offshore from our lodge on Foa Island. The video above showcases this tiny island in all its glory. Garry and I went swimming on its northern flank before paddling back. That’s me going for a swim in the photo above. The two women in the accompanying video, Fiona and Mary-Jo, were staying in the fale next door to Garry and me. 

We can’t believe how fortunate we’ve been with the location and our whale encounters. We discovered yesterday that the lodge and its sister venue, Sandy Beach Resort, are fully booked for the next two whale seasons. They’re not accepting new reservations now until July 2028. A few last-minute cancellations pop up as each season begins. In other words, Garry and I were incredibly lucky to secure a fale when we contacted the lodge in April. Unbeknownst to us, it had received a cancellation the day before we enquired.

Our second internal flight in Tonga was an interesting experience. We flew a Chinese-built Harbin Y-12, the smallest plane operated by Lulutai Airlines, from Pangai to Nuku'alofa. The plane was actually donated to Tonga by the Chinese Government in 2014. It seats 17 passengers, plus two crew. I think it’s the first Chinese-built aircraft I’ve ever flown. 

Fun fact. Lulutai Airlines has three planes in its fleet. This means Garry and I have officially flown two-thirds of the entire fleet. The boarding procedure was efficient. Passengers were herded across the tarmac to a narrow rear door by a woman with a clipboard. She then boarded us row by row, one person at a time.

The plane’s rear exit was a double-door arrangement - something I’ve not seen before. Both doors swing outwards, making it easier to load oversized freight (or an air ambulance stretcher). Much to my alarm, one of the doors didn’t seal properly after closing. As a result, we enjoyed the unnerving sound of wind whistling through the door frame as we flew across the Pacific.

We have just three days left in Tonga before flying home on Saturday. To make the most of these final days, we’ve booked ourselves into the Tanoa International Hotel in central Nuku'alofa. Its main attraction is an outdoor pool. We plan to make good use of it today after visiting the bustling Talamahu Market.

Tomorrow we’ll spend the day exploring Tongatapu on a private guided tour. Our itinerary includes a visit to the Anahulu Cave Pool, where we’ll swim in a natural underground waterhole. I’m also hoping we’ll see a few of the places my grandfather probably enjoyed while serving in Tonga during the Second World War. Our homeward flight doesn’t depart until 5:20pm on Saturday. I guess we’ll have to struggle through a final day lounging by the pool. 

Here are a few final images to close off this post. The first was taken by me on our second whale swimming tour. The final image is actually a moonrise. We enjoyed a full moon while on Ha’apai. At times, the moonlight felt like daylight. It made midnight bathroom breaks in the amenities block easier to navigate. I also ventured down the beach more than once to soak up the tropical seascape bathed in moonlight.

A whale of a time

Every year humpback whales migrate from the Southern Ocean to warmer waters around the islands of the South Pacific. For four months, between July and October, they breed and give birth. Tonga is one of the best locations to see them up close in all their glory. In other words, Garry and I couldn’t have chosen a better time to visit the islands of Ha’apai in Tonga.

Yesterday, we ventured out to swim with the whales. Months ago, we booked a half-day tour that promised us the experience of a lifetime. We weren’t disappointed! Over a period of five hours, we swam with the whales on three separate occasions. Each encounter was truly spectacular.

Our first encounter involved a mother and her calf serenely swimming past us in a series of leisurely arcs. The water was crystal clear. I couldn’t believe how close we were to these majestic creatures. The image that opens this post was pulled from a video taken by another guest on the boat. You can watch an extract from the video above. Garry and I were about ten metres to the left of the cameraman. We later, came upon a small pod slapping the water with their fins and flicking their tails into the air. You can see some of this behaviour in the final image above. 

Our second swimming encounter was the day’s highlight. Much to our astonishment we watched a mother and calf playfully engaging with one another underwater. The enormous mother then pivoted onto her tail underwater and slowly pirouetted in front of us. The video footage taken by other tour guests barely does justice to the incredible encounter. Sadly, I had an issue with my mask and missed most of the ballet while trying to fix it.

Our final encounter was almost as memorable. We initially came upon a young whale breaching and flipping in the distance. Our boat approached and quietly followed it and three adults before being given permission to enter the water. Suddenly, without warning, the young calf breached just metres from those already swimming. 

Garry and I were still on the boat as the drama unfolded. However, I can assure you the experience was just as enthralling from our vantage point. Check out the video above, taken by one of the swimmers, plus a brief video extract filmed from the boat. The still images were taken by me.

Garry and I then entered the water in time to witness the mother passing less than ten metres in front of us before returning to the depths. The video above captures this moment. I’m visible initially on the right-hand side in yellow flippers. Garry also appears briefly in yellow flippers, a little further on.

Without a doubt, today’s whale encounters rank up there with the best of our excursions in Antarctica and the turtle nesting expedition Mum and I enjoyed in South Africa. Enjoy the videos I’ve posted here.

PS. We’ve already booked a second whale swimming tour before we leave Matafonua Lodge. Conditions are forecast to be perfect for this next excursion. Stay tuned for more breathtaking footage.

Tongatapu stopover

Our first few days in Tonga have passed quickly. We departed Sydney on Saturday morning, but thanks to the magic of time changes, didn’t land on Tongatapu until shortly before 5:30pm. The flight took 4.5 hours, and Tonga is currently three hours ahead of Sydney. Our flight’s departure was also delayed an hour by heavy winds that saw the airport restricted to using a single runway.

We’ve spent three nights based at the Seaview Lodge in Nuku'alofa. It was a cosy hotel overlooking the reef and Pacific ocean beyond. Like many of the Pacific Islands, everything shuts down on Sunday, so we pre-booked a lunch buffet at the Katea Retreat, a modest venue on the southern coast of Tongatapu. We enjoyed a relaxing afternoon overlooking the reef and neighbouring Eau Island from a window table. The buffet was a little disappointing. In particular, the traditional umu pork carvery proved woefully stingy.

On Monday we filled our time with a leisurely walking tour of Downtown Nuku'alofa. By the time we were done we’d walked more than 8 km. Our route took us past the immaculate white timber Royal Palace and the Royal Tombs before stopping to view a limited selection of exhibits in the National Museum. Unfortunately, the palace isn’t open to the public so we had to satisfy ourselves with a view through its bolted gates.

The tombs were also off limits. However, we’d unexpectedly timed our holiday well. The tombs have been undergoing extensive restoration and until a week ago had then totally obscured by hoardings as new fencing and footpaths were being constructed around its perimeter. Interestingly, the works have been funded by Chinese Government grant. Just as we’d seen in Samoa last year, the Chinese really are actively pursuing soft power influence throughout the Pacific.

Opposite the Royal Tombs we came across the dramatic, ruined Centennial Church of the Free Church of Tonga. It was built in 1885 to commemorate the arrival of Christianity in Tonga by King George Tupou I. The building is an architectural masterpiece, blending traditional Tongan design and materials with European elements. This includes prominent red conical spires reminiscent of medieval churches, walls clad in local coral stone and traditional Tongan-style thatched roof.

It was badly damaged by Cyclone Gita in 2018. Its roof was torn off, and windows were blown out including its stained glass rose window. The structure is currently undergoing repairs, albeit at a slow pace, as funds allow. Its interior was filled with scaffolding as we passed by.

We walked back to the coast via the Main Street, stopping to check out Pangai Si'i, the new Government Office Building (built with Chinese aid), the National War Memorial, and the town’s working wharves. We also checked out a few roadside markets. I was delighted to finally see native plants like Taro in their raw form. 

Two highlights stood out along the waterfront. The first was a local cemetery filled with billboards memorialising the dead. We since seen similar billboards everywhere we’ve gone in Tonga. One relatively new grave was beautifully cloaked in fabric and decorated with oodles of colourful flowers.

The second highlight was an unexpected encounter at the War Memorial after lunch. We’d had the elegant white memorial entirely to ourselves that morning. However, by mid afternoon it had been overtaken by uniformed military personnel rehearsing a ceremony for the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War scheduled for the following day. This included a somber honour guard silently holding vigil in each of the memorial’s four corners.

We learned later that Tonga is another Pacific island that commemorates ANZAC Day. Much as we do in Australia and New Zealand the day begins with a dawn service. You may recall we learned that Vanuatu commemorated ANZAC Day during our New Year cruise in January last year.

While preparing for our private day tour of Tongatapu next week, I asked our guide if there was any sights or infrastructure associated with foreign troop stationed there during the Second World War. My Grandfather served in Tonga. However, until now, the family knew very little about the assignment other than he was medically discharged in 1944. 

His service was cut short after he caught lymphatic filariasis, commonly known as elephantiasis. This mosquito-bourne disease is caused by a parasitic worm. It was once endemic throughout the Pacific islands before its eradication in more recent years. Tonga has been free of the disease since 2017. Auntie Pam recalls that my grandfather was very unwell for several years after returning home. 

Much to my surprise, the guide’s tour company uncovered some interesting artefacts including my grandfather’s service record. We now know that he served in Tonga in 1943. They also found the archival image posted here. It shows servicemen in camp with T-Force,  the Tonga Defence Force of 2nd NZEF, on Tongatapu. I wonder if one of the men visible in the photo is my grandfather?

On Tuesday we caught a flight to Ha’apai with Lulutai Airlines, Tonga’s domestic airline. I was a little nervous about the flight. Barely six weeks ago, two of the airline’s three planes were grounded for several days after their airworthiness certification was revoked. This included the plane we were scheduled to fly on. However, I needn’t have worried. Our flight passed without incident.

The flight itself was a spectacular. Our route traced a trail of atolls encircled by white sand beaches and aquamarine reefs between Tongatapu and Ha’apai. In the distance we could see the perfectly symmetrical cone of Koa Island, an active volcano, rising 1030 metres from the sea. Incredibly, we could even see the occasional whale breaching in the ocean below.

For the next eight days we’re based at Matafunoa Lodge, a rustic resort on the northern tip of Foa Island. Our fale, as cabins are called in Tongan, sits right on the beach, separated from the surf by a modest row of sandhill shrubs. The accommodation is basic to say the least. It’s really little more than a cabin based campground with slightly shabby shower block. However, with few distractions beyond the iridescent blue sea, we’re bound to unwind a little in the days ahead.