Vava’u archipelago

The Vava’u archipelago is a cruising heaven. It is composed of 60 islands distributed over an area of 18nmiles east-west and 16nmiles north-south. Much of the archipelago features deep seaways that wind fjord-like around islands, some more than 300 feet high. These features plus warm sandy beaches and an abundance of migrating whales make the area a Polynesian heaven and a world class sailing area.

Neiafu Harbor is comparable to a large lake protected on from the wind and weather on all sides. The most protected hurricane hole we have ever seen. The town overlooks the harbor and there is an abundance of quaint waterfront cafes and marine focused businesses.

Moody Vava’u Harbour

Both Moorings and Sunsail have charter businesses here and numerous cruising boats are securely on moorings provided by the shore based businesses.

Salacia at Neiafu

  

We have had great meals at the Giggling Whale, Aquarium Cafe and the Dancing Rooster. The names say it all !!!!

On Friday afternoon there is a twilight race for the visiting yachts and locals alike. Even dinghies participate like this cute little number. The oars are used as rudders

Sailing dinghy

We experienced a Tongan funeral while moored in the bay. At first we thought it was choir practice but as the night progressed the singing of the same hymn continued until 6am when the church bells started to ring. The funeral procession, lead by the orchestra then started. 6 cows, 30 pigs and numerous chickens were slaughtered for the feast that included all of the neighbouring villages. This is a big drain on the family and many go into debt to give their loved one a fitting farewell.

People in mourning at the markets

We motored Salacia from Neiafu around to  Barnacle Bay where we  had a wonderful Tongan Feast. The range of dishes was amazing and the young girls dancing was charming. The anchorage was protected in the easterly winds and we could anchor in 10m. This was preferable to anchoring in 30 metres in the very crowded bay next door.

Tongan Feast

Tongan tradition is that the dancers are oiled so that money from the audience will "stick"

The youngsters are in awe of their sisters dancing

Stephen sampling the Kava at the feast

We returned to our mooring at Neiafu early morning to celebrate Ross and Dian’s last day on Salacia. They caught a plane back to the capital early this morning before winging their way to Sydney. There is still a strong wind warning out so we are doing jobs and taking advantages of the wonderful facilities.

Ha’ano Island to Ovalau Island

8 - 9 September 2010

Ha’ano Island to Ovalau Island 

We had an early start and departed our quiet anchorage at Ha’ano  Island at 0630 as we were sailing the 68 nautical mile leg from the Lifuka Group of islands to the Vava’u Group in the north of the Kingdom of Tonga. Winds of 20 to 30 knots from the North East made for fast sailing however the ocean swells and frequent rain squalls also ensured a bumpy wet ride so all snacks needed to be served in zipped plastic bags on deck. We had the pleasure of seeing a couple of complete rainbows with both ends diving into the lumpy 4 metre swells.

A rainbow over the large swells

We passed within 50 metres of a sleeping whale which was floating on the surface and poking its head up occasionally to breathe.

It was very enjoyable to sail into the sheltered waters of the Vava’u Group and anchor near Ovalau Island in a horseshoe shaped lagoon area to the west of the beautiful island. Warm showers were then greatly appreciated.

A calm island anchorage

Ovalau Island to Pangaimotu Island

After a peaceful night and a relaxed morning catching up on little jobs on Salacia and exploring the coral reef near the island, we travelled in the sheltered waters between numerous beautiful islands in this group to a new anchorage at Pangaimotu Island further north. Our anchorage was in an isolated secure area of the island however the next cove was a little like a yacht park with about 12 boats anchored together in the same area. This area of the island had excellent snorkelling with lots of brightly coloured fish and numerous blue starfish resting on the coral and sand in the clear blue water.

Sunrise from our anchorage at Pangaimotu island

This anchorage is surrounded and protected by numerous islands hence the area is a cruiser’s dream as many safe areas are suitable for differing wind conditions.

Numerous islands available for anchorages

Mingaloo 2 & Harno Island

We had a memorable day today. Ross and Peter jumped onto Mingaloo 2 and sailed it off the anchor and back to the anchorage off Serenity Beach. Dean, the owner videoed so that he had the sailing lesson to refer to at a later date!

Dean purchased the yacht 3 weeks ago and is waiting for crew to arrive. We wish him every success with his new boat and hope that the motor problem can be sorted out ASAP.

 Ross and Peter sailing Mingaloo 2 into the anchorage

We then left this wonderful calm anchorage for a short 18 nmile trip to Harno Island. This will be our jumping off point for our 50 mile sail to V’Vao tomorrow morning. Winds this morning have been as high as 30 knots with an average of 25 knots. It is nice to be enjoying the very sheltered bay off the big Mushroom shaped rock while the wind abates.

We had a delicious Ploughman’s lunch with freshly baked bread that was still warm. We are doing necessary jobs and then we will take advantage of the great snorkelling.

Pangai

We had strong winds overnight of 20-25 kts from the South East with gusts of over 30 knts. Salacia was secure due to the great Bruce anchor and very sheltered anchorage.

This morning we travelled by dinghy to Pangai which is the main town in the Ha’apai group of Islands. On the way we called in to the yacht Migaloo 2 which put out a “Pan Pan” radio call last night.  A “Pan Pan” call is the next level down from a “Mayday” call.

 The yacht had lost engine power due to gear box failure and was anchored around the point from us. We met the owner Dean (only person on board) and offered to purchase some Hydraulic oil for him in Pangai if possible. He had ownly owned the yacht 3 weeks.  It was a distance of only 5 miles to Pangai, but due to the strong breeze we were all very wet on arrival. We only ran aground on shallow reef once!

Pangai was a very sleepy town but we were able to purchase some fresh vegetables and extra outboard fuel. We had an early lunch at the Mariners Cafe where the owner, Magda, who was very helpful, was able to locate 5l of hydraulic oil for us. On our return we delivered the oil to Migaloo 2 but unfortunately that did not fix the problem.

We then had a lazy afternoon on board Salacia at Uoleva Island.

Sailing to Uoleva Island

The winds were building so we were up at dawn and off to the secure anchorage at Uoleva Island. By 0645 the anchor was up and we were on our way in time for a beautiful sunrise over the ocean while having our morning  cups of tea and coffee.

Not long out of the bay and away from the reef near the island we were treated to a spectacular show by two adult whales and a calf as they continued to swim about 300 metres away from Salacia as we sailed alongside of them for 20 minutes. The adult whales appeared to be teaching the calf to breech in the choppy windswept seas, and it was a quick learner, outdoing its parents in all manner of spectacular breeches. They competed with each other, continually breeching, while we sailed slowly along with them. Unfortunately we needed to change course to head to the new anchorage so we left the whales frolicking while we sailed on.

Whale & her Calf

By 1000 we were anchored safely as the winds increased in strength. As it was “father’s day” in Australia, we had a special brunch of baked beans, bacon and egg on toast made from Cyndy’s specially made bread.......delicious! As we were unexpectedly in mobile range, we spoke to both Cherie and Naomi and was spoilt for the rest of the day. We even enjoyed Cyndy’s freshly baked mixed berry muffins.

Cyndy on the Phone to Cherie & Naomi

Peter and Mary on Asolare also anchored nearby and as they had been here earlier on their trip they suggested a visit to a resort close by called Serenity Beach. We went ashore in dinghies and walked up the beach to a Bali style building where sand was washed off feet in a large bowl at the foot of the steps and all guests at the tables were bare footed. Dinner was Tongan style with our first taste of Casava made into small fritter type servings along with slices of pork from a pig on the spit. All lighting was from candles and hurricane lamps so although the mood was relaxed it was a little difficult to see exactly what we were eating. The eight guests at the small resort were all from Australia so we found out a little more about the latest electoral updates. The walk back along the beach to the dinghies was interesting as small crabs ran from all directions as we went along the damp sand. It was a very interesting evening but we were all happy to be back on the yacht safely as the winds began to increase in strength.  

Anchorage at Uoleva Island. Asolare in the foreground.

Telekivava’u Island to Ha’afeva Island

Sadly we left our pristine lagoon anchorage at the island paradise of Telekivava’u  as we needed to sail further north to a more protected anchorage in the steadily building easterly trade winds that were forecasted to reach 30 knots on Sunday. While keeping a lookout for the many reefs in these waters, we were entertained by pods of whales frolicking as they headed south. 

We were astounded to see what looked like plumes of vapour coming out of two islands to the north and discussed if it was just low clouds that stayed in the same positions above these islands. On looking at the charts we found that the islands of Tofua and Kao have volcanic activity. Tofua has an active volcano in which the crater in the centre of the island contains a lake with a steaming vent while Kao is an extinct  volcano with a perfect conical peak rising to 1030 metres. We went no closer than the photos show from our anchorage at Ha’afeva.

Live Volcano's Tufoua and  Kao

The morning began with a high cloud cover but it was soon clear and sunny again so lots of sunscreen, hats and long sleeves was again the dress code for the day.

Although this was a very good anchorage, the island beach was not as beautiful as the pristine Telekivava’u. We did have a pleasant walk through the rain forest to the village on the opposite side of the island. The village has a few houses with a couple of churches and a school and we were met by some of the children who asked if we had any candy. On the way to the village and in the village we saw cows, goats, chooks and numerous pigs as well as some Taro plots farmed in cleared areas of the forest. 

After drinks at sunset  on Salacia with Peter and Mary from Asolare, we enjoyed a delicious salad with chicken while watching the starlight canopy overhead.  

Telekivavau Island

3 September 2010
We had a lazy start this morning with bacon, eggs and baked beans. Stephen motored across to “Asolare” where Peter showed him his favourite anchorages. We exchanged information from “Kingdom of Tonga” which we have been using to find the perfect anchorage.

With very little wind,  we motored from Kelefesia Island to Telekivavau Island. It is a beautiful island surrounded by a calm lagoon. The water is as clear as crystal.

The pass was not as narrow as we first thought and we found a nice deep hole to anchor in. Ross motored around in the dinghy with the portable depth sounder and did his own survey and confirmed that the depths were suitable for Salacia. We did raise the anchor and put it down again in deeper water.

We went ashore and explored the island and not only are we are the only boat in the lagoon, we are the only people in this paradise. There are cottages on the island but everything is locked up so sadly, this perfect little resort has shut its doors.

Snorkelling is perfect in the turquoise water and the coral is gorgeous. There is quite a current running but by staying away from the pass this was not an issue.

There are lots of birds on the island. Fairy terns and black and brown noddies were identified. Hermit crabs are everywhere and there are lots of gorgeous shells. From the size of the shells we found there are also huge lobsters.

Sail North to Ha’apai

2 September 2010

We sailed north from Tongatapu at 6.30am and were amazed by how many whales we saw and how playful they are.

Kelefesia Island was our first Ha’apai anchorage. This island is a perfect stopover anchorage between Ha’apai and Tongatapu. It cuts the trip to a day sail of  35 nmiles and we anchored at 2pm at what the locals call “The Rock of Gibraltar”. It has dramatic colourful sandstone cliffs and a nearly attached sand cay off the northern point of the beach. On the other side of the island there is an abandoned fish camp.

The anchorage is well protected and the bottom sand and coral combo make excellent holding. The entrance was narrower than expected and the bay was quite small when two 53 ft yachts are anchored.

“Asolare” was anchored when we arrived and we met Peter and Mary on the beach. Conditions were quite rolly so they swam ashore rather than launching their dinghy. The surf was ideal however, for those looking for a decent wave.

The island is inhabited by and the island resident who asked whether we had flour and sugar to spare. He asked “Asolare” for tobacco and alcohol. Ross tells me that “ Asolare” means doing nothing in particular but doing it stylishly and in the sun.

Tour of Tonga

Maria collected us from the yacht and took Ross and Dian to finalise their flights back to Australia. We then went on our island tour with Maria.

Tonga comprises four island groups. The southernmost island is the Tongatapu Group. It comprises seven major islands, the largest of which is Tongatapu, a wholly coralline island on which Nufualofa , the capital city is located. Roughly 2/3rds of the kingdoms entire population resides on Tongatapu.

Captain Cook visited the island in 1773 and 1777 and we visited his landing site. He called Tonga the “Friendly Islands” because of his impressions of the gentle nature of the Tongans. In 1789 , the famous mutiny on the British ship the “Bounty” took place in the waters of the Haapai Group between the islands of Nomuka and Tofua. After his last visit the islands were torn with civil strife and warfare as each of 3 lines of Kings sought dominance.

After two abortive attempts to introduce Christianity in 1799 and 1822, the London Missionary Society was finally successful in 1830 and Christianity began to spread through the islands. We saw a large number of churches during our tour and each village has at least one church. During the tour Meli (Maria’s sister) and her brother William sang many hymns and harmonised beautifully. This made the tour very special. Most of the churches in each village has a school and the variety and intricacy of the children’s uniforms at each school is incredible.

Our tour was very diversified as we visited blow holes, limestone caves with a local cool swimming hole at the bottom and archaeological sights dating back to at least 2500 B.C. Driving across a natural arch close to precipitous cliffs near the ocean was an amazing experience although a little scary especially when walking close to the edge to look at the waves coming through the huge hole under the rough driving track that we had  just crossed. Our tour gave us the opportunity to visit many villages and farms around the island and get a taste of village life. In 1862 the system of semi-surfdom was abolished and land tenure whereby every Tongan male reaching the age of 16, was entitled for a nominal fee,  8.25 acres plus a village allotment of 3/8ths of an acre for his home.  

Tongan’s as a whole tend to cling to many of the old traditions, including the respect for royalty. However, the people are beginning to face the problem of preserving their cultural identity and traditions in the wake of the increasing impact of Western technology and culture. Educational opportunities have advanced and the population is already too large to provide for the constitutional 8.25 acres api for each adult male.

The economy of Tonga is largely derived from land and sea. Most of Tonga’s export is from farms and fishing. Seafood makes up 23% and farm products 72%.

Tongans are very conservative in their manner of dress and visitors need to wear cover-up garments. Men who go shirtless can draw a 20-paranga fine. We are very conscious of being properly clothed and to not show any feelings of affections with our partners like hand holding  or a hug as this will offend. We did notice girls holding hands with girls and boys holding hands with boys and this is quite acceptable.

We feel very privileged to have the opportunity to visit the “real” Tonga and experience the congenial and gentle dispositions of the Tongans. Light hearted laughter and music are still an integral part of life.

Arrival in Tonga

We arrived at 0900 hours. It is absolutely amazing here in Tonga.

We are in overload after a very full day today. It took all morning to go through the entry formalities with 4 different authorities (departments) – immigrations, customs, health and quarantine. We ate fruit until it was coming out our ears so that it wouldn’t been taken off us by the quarantine officials.

After entry formalities we are anchored stern in to the wall in a Mediterranean fashion. A very nice Canadian guy from a 27 foot yacht  rowed out and took our stern lines ashore while we were dropping the anchor from the bow because any marina staff are nonexistent here making it quite a chore to get your lines ashore when you get in from an ocean passage with the dinghy still on deck. He and his partner had just arrived in Tonga and had rafted up to us while we all completed entry formalities. They told us that they had completed from the voyage from Puerto Rica to Marquises in 55 days.

A ketch called “Bristol Rose” with Aussies aboard are anchored next to us. Robert, Trish, Owen and Elliot are part of the ARC around the world rally and are on their way back to Australia after living in the US for many years.

This afternoon we explored the  town centre, the fresh fruit and vegetable markets and the fish markets. We also went to Air New Zealand to book flights for Ross and Di. While we were there we were approached by Maria offering to take us on a tour the next day. We decided to go on her tour because she was so pro-active in lobbying, even in the Airline office.

Our first impressions of Tonga is definitely about all of the cultural differences – even down to the men wearing their long skirts called tupenu. Many women were wearing a highly decorated waist band called a kiekie. There were 2 young guys with a rugby union ball wearing their skirts. Many people were wearing woven mats around their waists called a taovala and we were told that this is to signify mourning someone who has passed on. For a very close relative who you loved very much the mats would need to cover you from head to toe. This is also connotes respect for one’s elders and for the royal family. The cemeteries have many gorgeous large quilts on stands near the head of the grave. Again, this is to show how much the person was loved.

This evening we walked to a local restaurant for a delicious seafood feast. Ross rigged up an ingenious method of tying our dinghy to our stern lines (which were ashore) via a continuous loop. This meant that we were able to leave the dinghy at the back of the yacht yet retrieve it when we needed it to go back to the yacht from ashore. This meant that bystanders always thought that there was someone board.

The Tongan people are very religious and any likelihood of theft is very small.

Enroute to Tonga

Sailing to Tonga in very light breezes tonight. We have sailed through the Tongan Trough which is 10,000 metres deep. Imagine Mt Everest below you. Cyndy threw a gold coin over the edge and made a wish.

It is 11pm and we have 51 nmiles to go to the 1^st waypoint into the harbour.

Impressions and photos of Niue

Impressions and photos of Niue

Alofi Bay on the west coast of Niue  has 20 moorings for visiting yachts in deep clear water. The village of Alofi is nestled on top of the limestone cliffs overlooking the yachts as shown in the photo from one of the many lookouts. 

Yachts moored at Niue

The bay provides a calm mooring for yachts  hence Stephen and Cyndy were treated to haircuts in the cockpit so we are still finding little pieces of hair even after many washes of the deck.... but they both look very spivvy!

The island is surrounded by crystal clear blue water so that visibility when snorkelling was about 70 metres. Whales can be seen frolicking in the deep bay and word spreads quickly around the village when they are seen.

Niue is one of the safest destinations as there is very little crime (the jail stores a mower at present) and no dangerous animals or insects. The people are very friendly and helpful and speak both Niuean and English.

There are a number of churches of different religions in each village and Sunday is a total day of rest where quiet recreational activities are allowed but boating and fishing are not permitted.

The villages are built  along a main road and are spread out along the coast line around the island.

Visitors and freight come to Niue once per week by air from Auckland hence fresh fruit and vegetables are quickly depleted each week. All the food that is served in the tiny restaurants is very fresh as it is mostly varieties of local fish with the salad in Niue consisting of finely shredded cabbage, carrot, cucumber  with a few little pieces of gherkin or tomato to garnish. Loads of freshly cooked chips are also served with meals so Stephen and Ross enjoyed fish and chips washed down with New Zealand beer for lunch today.

Only cash is used on the island.......no credit cards at all! The small bank only deals in Visa accounts so no Visa card; no money!

The island has numerous huge caves and chasms along the coastline with beautiful coloured coral and clear water for swimming and snorkelling. 

Cyndy enjoying the cave pools

Iridescent blue and yellow fish swim in the shallows and large coloured Parrot fish swim along the reefs close to the jetty.

Ross and Dain at Matapa Chasm

  

Some unusual features of Niue include:

A Yacht Club with no yachts however they work extremely hard to take care of visiting yachts and crews from around the world outside of the cyclone season (between March to October).

All boats including local fishing boats and dinghies from the yachts are lifted out of the water by crane onto the jetty as the surge is too big for them to remain safely tied up at the wharf. 

Lifting the dinghy at Niue

Stephen, Cyndy and Ross soon learnt to drive the crane and Dian looked after the bags coming ashore or going on board after our walk up the steep road to the village.

Stephen in the Niue gaol

Dian at the nav station

For those wishing to know more about Niue, go to: www.niueisland.com