25 July 2011
Arrived on Tonga’s main island, Tongatapu, late at night dressed in what we hoped would pass as modest enough to avoid excessively offending the locals of this highly religious nation. We were collected at the airport and stopped off at a shop - a small building with barred windows through which one could purchase canned food, chips and biscuits - on the way to our guest house. Opted for a nutritious dinner of Doritos (it was either that or tinned corned beef) and were on our way. Fell asleep late due to the 3-hour time difference and awoke in the early hours of the morning to what sounded like a quarrel between a group of roosters and a pack of dogs.
Took an island tour led by the eccentric Northern English guest house owner. Became well acquainted with the dogs, pigs and roosters that roamed the island as well as seeing a number of sights including innumerable Mormon churches, a coastline of blow holes and a monument commemorating the landing of the first missionaries not to be eaten. The prison market looked particularly inviting - an airy open market stall boasting a range of fresh vegetables grown by prisoners - and provided an ironic contrast to the multitude of prison-like shops dotted around the island. We were dearly wishing to try some of the succulent-looking papaya and coconuts that were found on almost every street, however our guide informed us that these were not eaten by Tongans but rather were fed to the pigs (and perhaps the odd tourist). Dinner was had at a popular cafe in town; the meal was delicious but there was very little to see in Nuku'alofa, most of the buildings having been burnt down in the 2006 riots. We were woken again that night by the blasted dogs and roosters.
27 July 2011
Awoke early and breakfasted - Rose on 2-minute noodles and me on noodle broth in which floated slices of a cucumber we had been fortunate enough to procure at the markets the prior evening. After breakfast, we left for the airport, from where we were to catch a flight to the Ha'apai islands. We were only slightly offended when the airport staff requested that we mount the scales along with our baggage. After a short flight, we arrived in Lifuka, where we were to stay in a fale (bungalow) at a resort located less than 50 metres from the beach. Needless to say, our afternoon was passed in an extremely leisurely manner.
28 July 2011
More lazing on the beach, snorkelling and eating delicious food. Sea snakes spotted: one. Hasty retreats made to the beach: one.
29 July 2011
An amazing day cruising around the sea spotting humpback whales. We were able to get very close (a mere 10 metres or so) to a mother whale and her tiny calf, which we had a clear view of under the water through our masks. Snorkelled around some reefs before stopping for lunch on a breathtakingly beautiful, almost deserted island. Sitting on white sand gazing at clear blue water and palm trees whilst sipping fresh coconuts, we were in heaven. Our day was completed with a mouth-watering gourmet BBQ, which we feasted upon until almost ill.
Whale footage shot by one of the resort owners:
30 July 2011
Flew back to Tongatapu in an antique plane (DC-3) of the sort that one would expect to see in a museum. One of the guests at the resort had remarked that their grandmother had been an air hostess on a craft of the same model. We were picked up at the airport by a staff member from the resort we were to stay at and and drove back via the markets as groceries were needed for the guests' meals. Rose and I were more than happy to go to town but the others seemed less than impressed. After wandering around the markets (where we were finally able to purchase a papaya!) and a satisfying lunch at the only obvious cafe in Nuku'alofa, we were taken to our lodge. The slightly anxious manner of the German owner, the old decor and cheesy Islander music of similar vintage, the occasional yelling from the kitchen and the debacle of the airport transfer combined to give the lodge a vaguely Fawlty Towersesque air. Nevertheless, our fale was comfortable and the overall atmosphere pleasant.
31 July 2011
By virtue of a torrential rain storm, I managed to evade Rose's proposed church outing. Instead, we remained in our lodgings and were visited by a Chinese masseuse.
1 August 2011
TRopical fruit breakfast then back to Sydney!
