Last days on Tongatapu

Trip Start Sep 23, 2004

Trip End Ongoing

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Flag of Tonga Tongatapu, Tonga
Friday, July 11, 2008

On Thursday, we visited what has to be my highlight of the Tongatapu part of our trip. We drove round to the spectacular Mapu'a 'a' Vaca blowholes, timing our visit to be there at high tide. The current, swell and wind combined to create an impressive display. Along about 5km of coastline, holes riddled the shore. The surging water was forced through these holes, creating spouts of water up to 15 metres high. Add to this the powerful waves smashing against the rocky outcrops, and we had a very dramatic scene. In the right light, the scattering spray created rainbows in the air. Catching the spouts at their peak proved to be a photographic challenge, as was keeping the camera dry! We lingered on the rocks in splendid solitude, only sharing the scene briefly when a tour group of 5 stopped by for 10 minutes.

Eventually we had to drag ourselves away. We headed back north, stopping at Korovai, where the trees were alive with fruit bats, who chattered and squabbled and flapped amongst the trees

01 Mapu'a 'a Vaca blowholes

. A few were in flight, large brown creatures with a golden ruff around their neck, and handsome pointy faces. We explored the pretty beach by the Good Samaritan Inn, and spent the afternoon relaxing on the sand before returning the rental car in Nuku'alofa.

The following day was spent basking in glorious sunshine, and snorkelling off Otuhaka beach. We even ventured past the surf breaks, until the surge convinced us that it was not a great place to be, and we headed back to the still waters inside the reef wall. The corals had been decimated in a cyclone a few years ago, but there were many fish and bright blue starfish. Rick spotted a lionfish lurking under a rock. I braved the cold showers to clean off, and returned to the sun to dry off.

The resort owners announced that the kitchen would be closed that night (we had been aviooding grilled fish and bizarre toasties by eating in town, so it was no big loss). They packed us off down the road to the Good Samaritan for their feast night, which proved to be a great night out. Tourists seemed in the minority amongst enagagement parties, farewell parties, family planning advisors and the Tongan Ladies' Association (comprised of fa'afafine- drag queens). The programme for the evening began with keyboard renditions of 1970s easy listening classics, followed by shout outs, speeches by brides to be and retiring heads of the Immigration Service, a rendition of 'Pokare kare ana' by the head of the TLA, 'Happy birthday' sung in English and Tongan then lots and lots of dancing

02 Blowholes

. The usually conservative Tongans showed their appreciation by sticking banknotes onto the oiled bodies of the entertainers, or tucking them into waistbands or cleavage. The food was great, and I had a great chat with a French nun, and even tried out my rather rusty French with her non-English speaking friend.

After a grand finale of frenzied dancing, exhilarating drumming and dance-offs between embarrassed tourists and flambouyant fa'afafine, it was time to call it a night, hop into Tui's taxi and head back to Otuhaka. It was a high note to end our stay on Tongatapu. The next day, Rick was returning to Auckland, and I was going north to the islands of Vava'u.