Aradonna's blog

After a lazy day on Sunday we collected enough energy to hike to the top of Mt Talau (130m)on Monday and we were rewarded with a great view over the harbour. Stopped by the market on the way back and loaded up with fresh banana, lettuce, tomato, passionfruit and papaya. Also paid a visit to immigration to extend out visas so we can stay in Tonga until August. On Tuesday we went for a tiki tour of the western islands and decided to stay in Hunga lagoon. Getting in is a little tricky, though a very narrow pass. We were only in 1.8m of water at one point, but passed through safely even though it was low tide! Inflated the new double kayak and tried it out in the lagoon, great fun. On Wednesday we walked through Hunga village with one of the local ministers and gave away more reading glasses to elderly folk. The minister had worked in Christchurch for a few years and his English was excellent, so he was a useful guide and translator. The village has no roads, so the houses are ju st dotted about randomly. Each tiny house (not much more than a shack) has a brand new solar panel (donated by Japan) for lighting and to charge the cell phones! Each solar panel installation would be worth more than each dwelling. Went diving and snorkeling today, 25m plus visibility, just outstanding. The weather is perfect, sunny skies and warm. We navigated out through the tricky pass at mid tide this afternoon, not quite as scary as coming in! Now we are in Vaka'eitu lagoon for the night, with plenty to explore tomorrow. The lagoon is enchanting with the light of the full moon dancing across the water forming lazy silk ribbons on the surface.

We have absolutely loved the Ha'apai group of islands. Flat islands (only a few feet above sea level) with palm-fringed white sandy beaches and beautiful reefs for snorkeling and diving. Everything in Ha'apai seems very natural, no sign of any tourist trade. Quite refreshing! It has been interesting to see how life goes on in the local villages, where there is no industry, but people have their own pigs and chickens running around,grow their own veges and catch their own fish. A simple uncomplicated way of life. Our last stop in this group of islands was Haano, and we would have loved to stay longer to snorkel and dive the reef. There is a beautiful wall on the drop off from the reef, full of caves and canyons, coral and fish. It feels like heaven! However, our wonderful weather gurus, David and Patricia from Gulf Harbour Radio, advised us that Thursday night was the best time for a smooth passage to Vava'u as strong winds and big swells were on the way if we waited another d ay. The passage is not a big one, but it is still 70 nmiles, approx 130 km, so good to have a smooth ride! Thanks to the great advice from David we had a lovely 15-20 knot sailing breeze, a beam reach all the way, with slight seas. Perfect conditions! Arriving into Vava'u is a bit like coming in to Great Barrier Island, the islands have a completely different geology to the Ha'apai's. In Vava'u there are many more islands, closer together, with steep cliffs rising straight up out of deep water. Even the small islands are 40m high and the larger ones are over 100m in places. It almost looks like fjords here and the vegetation is different too with more bush and dense foliage replacing the swaying palms. A different world to where we have been for the last couple of weeks. It was great to go to the local produce market and stock up on fresh fruit and veges again and we have been exploring the local cafes and restaurants too. There are about 50 other yachts in the harbour, from all over the world, so the local cafes are a popular meeting place. The main harbour is very large and well protected with flat calm water which is surprisingly clean and clear. One of the local bars is screening the NZ vs England game tonight so we will pop along to that -though it does seem strange to think of winter sports being played while we are sitting in 27 degrees! Tongan time is one hour ahead of NZ so we have to wait until 8.30pm for kick off, not that time really seems to matter much anymore :-)

After another visit to the village in Ha'afeva and giving away more reading glasses on Thursday, we headed over to Limu Island on the eastern side of the Ha'apai Group. Crystal clear water - the best visibility you can imagine. The snorkeling at Limu on Friday was so good we decided to go for a dive on Saturday and we were not disappointed - this had to be one of the best dives we have ever had. So many different kinds of fish and such an amazing array of different coral - the place is thronging with life below the surface! After that we visited another little uninhabited island and Karl slaughtered some coconuts with an axe. We drank the fresh juice straight from the coconut on the shore - very refreshing! Back on the boat Heather made coconut milk from the flesh but it was rather a messy business with pulverised coconut flying about - much easier to buy it in cans from now on ;-) On Sunday we stopped at Uiha Island and the people here seem quite well off with nice houses an d surf boards and dive gear. Monday was drizzling with rain, so we caught 20L water in our rain catcher, did some washing and baked a fruit cake. In the afternoon we motored over to Uoleva Island and got there in time for the sun to come out. We went for a snorkel and a walk on the golden sandy beach while the washing dried and then caught up with friends for a drink at the Uoleva Yacht Club (a beach bar). Today we snorkeled the southern reef of Uoleva Island - one of the best snorkeling sites yet. Shallow water, packed with coral gardens, clear water and different shapes and colours of fish hovering in every nook. Arrived in Pangai, Lifuka Island this afternoon and will stay here for a few days.

On Monday we went for a pretty snorkel across the coral reef entrance to Kelefesia and down below us saw a sunken yacht. A reminder to be vigilant around the reefs! Tuesday we had grey skies for the first time in our trip, with a little rain. Motored to Nomuka Ika Island and on the way caught 2 tuna. The first one was a little small so we released it, the second one made a nice meal. A starter of raw tuna with soy sauce and wasabi, and for the main, lightly seared tuna steaks in olive oil with sauteed capers and finished with a drizzle of lemon juice. Not bad! Walked through the tropical jungle on the uninhabited island, with papaya, mango and coconuts growing wild. Wednesday was sunny again, had a gentle sail north to Ha'afeva Island. Caught up with friends from yachts -"Fusio" and "Vegas". Today we visited the local village, giving away some reading glasses to people who needed them. It is amazing to see the looks on their faces as they try on different strength glasses. Wh en they get the right one for their eyes, we can tell by their reaction - suddenly they smile and point at the words in front of them - they can see clearly! We also visited the primary school where the kids all ran to meet us and shake our hands. They loved having their photos taken and seeing themselves on the screen. Pigs and piglets run through the streets and gardens and even through the kitchens of the local houses. Very friendly locals insisted on giving us yams and limes, we insisted on giving them some money for them of course! We have been invited back tomorrow to the health centre, where the health officer will help us give more reading glasses to people in the village. A local explained to us that the older people need glasses to read their bibles and this is very important to them, so they are very grateful. In the afternoon we went for a dive along the northern reef, more fish and starfish to look up in our fish ID book now, but have not seen any crayfish so fa r. Tonight we have been joined in the bay by "J Marie", another yacht we met in Opua.
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