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 I 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 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 four whale encounter. 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 in glory. Garry and I went swimming on its northern flank before paddling back. That’s me going for a swim in the image above. The two women in the accompanying video, Fiona and Mary-Jo, were staying in the fale next door to Garry and I. 

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. Apparently, they get a few last minute cancellations as the next whale season approaches. In other words, Garry and I were incredibly lucky to secure a fale when we booked in April. Unbeknownst to us the lodge had received a cancellation the day before I 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 time the moonlight felt like daylight. It made midnight bathroom breaks in the ammenities block easy to navigate. I also ventured down the beach more than once to soak up the tropical seascape bathed in moonlight.