My seventh decade begins

And just like that, I turned 60. Last Saturday, Garry and I hosted a party for 35 people in our apartment (we had at least four last-minute dropouts). Garry has been secretly beavering away for months, preparing for the big day. While I was privy to some details, he’d successfully kept me in the dark regarding much of what ultimately unfolded.

 
Matt and Shelley, and Hamish (who’d just returned from Europe a few days earlier) flew in on Friday evening. I collected them from the airport after work. They stayed with us over the weekend before flying out again today. As Hamish noted, this is the first time all three brothers have been together in Sydney. 

The weather forecast was perfect. Saturday dawned warm and sunny with a predicted high of 31°C and an overnight low of 19°C. However, temperatures were forecast to be around 22°C at midnight (which they were). It was perfect weather to host a party outdoors on our rooftop balcony. And what a party it was!

Hamish was assigned the task of keeping me out of the house while a team of friends and family prepped the apartment. This included Matt and Shelley, who were roped into helping with the set-up. Garry transformed our apartment into the most extraordinary venue in less than seven hours. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves. I was absolutely blown away by what greeted me when I arrived home at 5:40pm.

 

Hamish and I kept ourselves busy from about 10am by walking into the city to venture up Sydney Tower. It’s been a decade or two since I last visited this landmark attraction. As part of our excursion, we made a last-minute decision to do the Skywalk experience. This involved putting on a harness and walking around the outside of the tower’s observation pod more than 268 metres above the street.

At first, Hamish was a little dubious about the hour-long experience, but came away glowing. Afterwards, we walked down to The Rocks, wandered through the weekend market, and took the Argyle Cut through to Barangaroo. We completed our city excursion by walking along Darling Harbour and catching a tram from Chinatown back to Moore Park. I did try to tempt Hamish into the Lord Nelson for a boutique beer, but he was having none of it.

Hamish went directly up to the apartment while I changed into my party clothes at a friend's apartment. Earlier in the week, Garry and I had gone shopping for new outfits to ensure we looked our best for the occasion. In essence, the plan was for me to be as surprised by the transformation of our apartment as our guests were.  And surprised I was!  I was genuinely stunned by what I encountered as I walked up the stairs last night.

Hamish was under strict instructions to ensure I didn’t eat a big lunch or knock back too many beers. As a result, we arrived home sober and hungry. I’m glad we did. Garry booked a private chef, two waiters and a barman for the party, thus releasing the two of us to host our guests. The evening kicked off with canapés and champagne, before a sumptuous buffet dinner was served. As a gift, our friend Bee created a towering birthday cake decorated to match the black, white and gold theme that Garry had envisaged. Again, I’ll let photos do the talking.

The evening was a roaring success. The crowd was a wonderful blend of friends, old and new, plus family members, young and old. The longest-standing friendship in attendance was Adam Benson, whom I met in 1994, while the newest friends were Stu and Sally, whom Garry and I met in Tonga earlier this month. We also had guests attending from Ballina, Newcastle, and New Zealand.

Apparently, the City Council’s Noise Abatement Officer made an appearance around 10:30pm. We were politely asked to turn down the music; otherwise, if he returned, our stereo would be confiscated. I had no idea this had happened until Matt revealed all at breakfast on Sunday. Now that's what I call a party!

Hamish delivered an impressive, heart-warming speech before I launched into a pre-prepared monologue (queue groans as I pulled out my sheet of paper). I wanted to acknowledge the bond that united everyone in the room, beyond just family ties. In essence, those attending all share an innate curiosity about life and an annoying habit of pushing the boundaries. Each, in their own way, was an entrepreneur of some description, personally or professionally. Someone taking risks in life, giving everything a go, and rarely accepting 'no' for an answer. 

I also took the time to list some numbers beyond just 60 that have meaning in my life. Numbers like 35, the number of years since I migrated to Australia; 10, the number of years Garry and I have owned Artiwood; and, of course, 2, representing the two mothers we lost last year.

As the cake cutting and speeches concluded, purely by chance, the skyline lit up with fireworks over the harbour. Garry and I farewelled our final guests around 3:30am. It really was a night to remember. I couldn’t have asked for a better celebration.  I think it may have even topped my 40th birthday weekend.

Welcome to my seventh decade!

Count down to the big event

We're into the final week of preparation for my 60th birthday party. Garry and I are hosting about 40 people in our apartment on Saturday. It's going to be huge! We have guests flying in from New Zealand and driving down from Ballina and Newcastle.  Hamish, Matt & Shelley fly in on Friday evening.

We didn't do anything grand for my 50th birthday, so it's been twenty years since our last big bash (although we did host Murray's 70th birthday in our home).  Garry is making up for lost time and is going all out with the festivities. We have a private chef coming in to prepare canapes and cook a sumptuous buffet meal, plus we have a dedicated barman and two waiters working hard to keep everyone happy. Garry has also hired furniture for the evening, including bar tables, bar stools, a temporary bar and outdoor gas heaters.

Garry has a mammoth decorating plan in place that I'm not privy to. I've been instructed to leave the home at 9:00am on Saturday and not return until it starts at 5:30pm.  He's roped in Matt and Shelley as his decorating crew, while Hamish has been assigned babysitting duties to ensure I stay away from the house. 

Garry spent yesterday cleaning the entire northern balcony, water-blasting the tiles, walls and shade cloth.  I washed more than 70 wine and champagne glasses, as well as weeding pots and potting replacement plants around the balcony. We now have four lovely new Woolly Bush plants in place, ready for Summer.

The night is going to be epic!  Watch this space.

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.  In the image below, our souvenir was displayed in the gap visible in the top row of artwork.

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 made 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 incredible 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.