Tongatapu
Trip Start
Sep 23, 2004
1
70
77
Trip End
Ongoing
Otuhaka Beach,
Tonga
Sunday, July 6, 2008
We stepped off the plane into the warm, humid airport and were soon at our resort, on the north west tip of Tongatapu. We were given a fale right on the edge of the beach, a basic wood and palm leaf construction, but sufficient for us. We had a brief wander along the beach, dipped our toes in the tepid water and collapsed into bed.
Until the storm hit.
I woke up feeling rather damp, which came as a bit of a surprise
01 At Otuhaka Beach
. I was also aware that the fan seemed to have got a lot stronger... The pleasant breeze had turned into a stiff wind and was blowing the sheeting rain through the mesh-covered windows of our fale. The curtains were blowing vertical and were no match for the weather, which was coming into the fale to join us. A quick examination revealed that the side windows had no shutters, and we hastily set about trying to duct tape the curtain to the mesh to keep out as much of the rain as we could. Lightning lit up the beach as we finally managed to tame the soft furnishings, and felt protected enough to attempt going back to sleep, a difficult feat in the stormy weather. The rest of the night was restless, but we awoke at 9 with the wind much reduced, and the rain slowed to a trickle. The day veered between light cloud, smatterings of drizzle, and downright gloomy skies. Not quite what we had expected. But at least it was warmer than Auckland.
On Monday, things had improved a bit further. The huge party who were sharing the resort with us had set off exploring for the day, so we had the long stretch of beach to ourselves. We donned masks and fins and swam out to explore the reef. The corals were mediocre, but we did see a sea snake and a few fish.
After lunch (our second day on cheese toasties- the resort was gorgeous but catering was monotonous and left something to be desired), we wandered out to the nearby village, and followed the road up to the north of the island
02 Relazing at Otuhaka
. The village was well-kept (a trait that we noticed was common to most properties in Tonga, however poor they were). Gardens were brightly planted, lawns were all trimmed and flocks of very free-range chickens and families of pigs scrambled about. Every few metres, there seemed to be a church, reflecting the spiritual nature of Tonga. We saw a family harvesting jackfruit by pulling the fruits off the trees with a notched bamboo pole. Everyone dressed in vibrant colours, and many people wore traditional woven pandanus mats wrapped around their waists. The view from Abel Tasman's landing site at the northern tip of the island was beautiful. We looked out onto a calm turquoise reef with crashing waves ringing it. Many islands studded the lagoon embraced by Tongatapu's northern arc. The sun almost came out for a while and we were given a hint of the full glory of the blues and greens. We walked back to our resort along the beach, pausing at Ha'atafu to relax in a lounger and listen to the waves. Dinner was grilled tuna (second night running), but the promise of a Tongan feast the next night gave the prospect of a bit of variety! Now all they need to do is vary their toastie fillings (and not add salad cream or honey to cheese toasties any more).
