Last Tango in Tonga

Most spectacular anchorage, Taunga

We visited Tonga in August 2023 on our way home. It was only a brief stay as we were starting to run out of time, but what a beautiful country, and great place for cruising.

Vavaʻu is an island group in Tonga, consisting of one large island (‘Utu Vava’u) and 40 smaller ones. According to Polynesian folklore the islands were created by the god Maui, who reached into the bottom of the sea with his magic hook, caught something on it, and pulled it up to the sea surface - that became the islands of Vava’u.
 
Vava’u rises a whopping 204m above sea level at Mount Talau! The capital is Neiafu, situated at the Port of Refuge, in a long and very well protected bay which is looking very attractive after the open coast-line of Niue. The Vava’u island group is spread out across an area that measures about 21km from east to west and 25km from north to south. The north coast of ’Utu Vava’u island is a raised platform of coral cliffs. The southern coastline is low and irregular, and opens out into a network of channels, bays, and islets, forming one of the best-protected natural harbours in the Pacific, not to mention fantastic anchorages and cruising grounds.

Our route around Vava'a group

​Niue to Tonga

After a week of stormy & rainy weather in Niue’s open roadstead mooring field, we were looking forward to the protected bays of Tonga, and hoping for some sunshine. Keith did routine engine checks in the afternoon of our departure and found some water in the starboard engine gearbox oil. Oh no! A quick consultation with our friendly mechanic Ollie from MaiTai (who helped us through the Panama Canal) confirmed our initial fears. Sail Drive seals will need replacing! That means sourcing the parts and getting them to Tonga (or somewhere else) as well as hauling ITIKI out of the water. We will need to use the starboard engine sparingly until then.

We left Niue around 7pm which was not a great decision as it was pitch black. Started to pull out the genoa thinking to goosewing the two headsails but the angle was not quite right so we had to cancel all that, go head to wind and put up the main. Bit of a pfaff as we went to first reef and then had to try and get the second reef line sorted out as it had wrapped around to boom, all in the dark of course. Finally unfurled the gennaker and off we went. There was quite an exodus of boats today so at least we will have some company, although we overtook one very early on. Wind direction SSE, so we were broad reaching with the gennaker and main.

​In the wee hours as the wind clocked NNE we gybed the main and goose winged the sails. Much better angle to the swell now. Wind speed has been up and down like a bride’s nightie, 6-19kts, but no squalls and no rain so far, despite being surrounded by dark clouds. Eventually we lost the breeze completely though, and ended up motored the rest of the way on port engine.
 
The next day a funny thing happened. Actually the next day turned into the day after, as we crossed the International Dateline and lost the 8th of August entirely. Hmmm, I guess that was a day we gained when we flew back to Grenada in October 2023….

At 15nm out from Tonga we started to see land, even though the island is low. We were still motoring as the wind has not gotten above 10kts. Although we are approaching from the east we have to go all the way around the north of the island and then into Neiafu (the capital) on the western side of the island group. A pod of humpback whales greeted us at the entrance to the atoll, sadly the poor things are being relentlessly pursued by high speed tourist boats.

A whale greeting

Hello! We are here…

We tie up at the fisherman’s dock behind Intrepid Kiwi, who help us with our lines. I go ashore and speak to the port authority who tell me in no uncertain terms to go back to the boat and await the arrival of the customs folk.
 
After lunch the skipper from another yacht comes by. They are waiting to refuel so need a spot on the dock. He drops by Customs and apparently they know nothing about us, so he grabbed some forms for us and dropped them over. It seems I went to the wrong place initially and nobody thought to either mention this to me, or let customs know we were waiting. I should have gone downstairs to the empty garage. We fill out the forms and I go back to let them know we are ready. Two guys and gal finally come on board, all wearing skirts! Not very practical for stepping onto a yacht! Lots of paperwork, a few questions (no pets, yes we have plants but promise not to take them ashore), an invoice to be paid once we are released to roam free – we are officially stamped in!

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I go ashore and get some cash to pay our arrival fees, and drop by the markets on the way back. So nice to see such a lot of fresh produce, even though it is the end of the day. We finally leave the dock and motor down to the mooring field and pick up a buoy. Time for some rest.

Neiafu Markets

Neiafu

Went ashore to the markets as well as doing the usual rounds of the supermarket. Although food is imported here (via the Chinese owned ports) it seems plentiful and reasonably priced. Went to Tropicana for morning tea and said hi to Greg who is a Kiwi and font of all knowledge here. Team Voila, who we met in Niue, come over for afternoon tea. It turns into wine o’clock and then their friends from Perigree are looking for them so they join us as well. They give us lots of tips on their favourite anchorages here in Va’vau and invite us over to Kraken Pub for trivia night. Quite a mix of questions, including riddles and music ones which we did well on and movie and general ones which we did not. What a treat to have snitty and salad!

St Joseph's Cathedral

Hair cut desperation

Went ashore and I got a haircut at the only place in town. A Chinese guy's place with no English. I was a little dubious looking at all of the pictures of young, male K-Pop stars on the wall but it’s not the worst cut I have ever had (that was in Columbia…). There is an old dude here waiting and he is carrying on that I look so much younger and it’s his birthday and he wants something… I wish him happy birthday and shake his hand.

I don’t feel so good…

Not sure whether it was the snitty or being in a crowded pub with infected people, but we both came down with a really nasty gastro bug. Keith led the way, and I succumbed a day and a half later. As it’s rare for us to mingle in big crowds so our immune systems don’t get much of a challenge these days. I will spare you the details, but just to say I have rarely felt so bad in my life.

Our favourite, Port Maurelle

​Port Maurelle & Swallows Cave

Swallow's cave

Decided to head around to Port Maurelle anchorage for a change of scenery. It’s not very far as the crow flies but it’s a long way around past a few other bays, headlands and squiggly bits.

​We pass by the Swallows cave that we will visit a bit later on in the dinghy. The bay is quite lovely, there is a sandy beach and greenery all around. There is one house but doesn’t look like anyone is home. We managed a walk along the beach in the next morning, in our weakened state, and a few fellow cruisers arrived. This is quite a well-protected and central anchorage and one we came back to a few times as we explored the outer reaches.

Tides out at Kenutu Island

Kenutu Island

​We head east down to the uninhabited  Kenutu island, which is on the eastern border of the Vava’u group. The forecast was for light easterlies, but it is blowing 20kts so we motor into it. We are well protected from swell inside the Vava’u group though. We have to wind our way around some shallow patches and bommies, passing a few whales crossing our path, and tuck into one of two deeper “pools” the west of the Kenutu island. There is no one else here. After lunch we head ashore and walk along the beach. Its lovely but the weather is not so great so it’s hard to appreciate. We didn’t bring our shoes so decided not to walk across to the lookout today. There are black clouds gathering so we head back to the boat. Through the afternoon and evening we have strong gusts up to 30kts and lots of rain.

Local boats at Tapana North

Tapana North

​After a night of gusting and jerking around as well as a lot of rainsqualls we were both feeling pretty ragged and well, over the awful weather and in need of a good night’s sleep. Although we had some protection here, the wind swings south and wraps around the island, pushing us this way and that. After breakfast we lifted anchor and navigated our way back out through the bommies. At least the 25kts is behind us now. We saw some whales in a similar place to when we came in, but they are making sounds like elephants and sound distressed. We come around the bottom of Tapana motu and the first anchor spot looks really lovely, but not well protected. The second part, Tapana North,  is a wide bay with a cape in the middle. There are 3 boats here on moorings that look somewhat permanent. We anchor along the eastern side towards just south of the beach. It is well protected which is such a relief and it’s not a bad looking place either. Voila arrive just as we are having lunch and we go over and say hi before heading ashore. We walk into a village seeing cows and pigs along the way. The village is a bit grotty and there is a lot of garbage beside the road. At least we have stretched our legs.

Very calm and still overnight and we wake to the most blissfully still morning. The water is so clear we can see the starfish on the bottom. Went for a SUP to the small beach, and a short walk up the hill, its very muddy. Paddled further around the bay but Keith’s paddle broke – the bottom just fell off, fortunately in very shallow water so he could retrieve it.

Southerly has reached Taunga

To Taunga

Lovely weather this morning but at some stage a front is going to come in from the east. We were really keen to visit the eastern anchorage of Taunga island, which we heard is just stunning. It’s a wide shallow bay with a beautiful, white sandy beach. We anchored in 3m and immediately put the drone up to capture the stunning vista, before paddling ashore. We can already see the cloud front coming so we wont have long! Walked across the narrow spit to the other side of the island which also looks lovely and also well protected (at this stage). By the time we came back to the beach that the easterly had kicked in and was blowing 20+ kts. It was a really tough paddle back to the boat but fortunately it was not too far. Upped anchor and headed west in search of another spot.

Tiny beach at Lape

to Vaka Eitu (Via Lape and #15)

​Lape was just a tiny, one boat anchorage with not enough protection. We crossed to anchorage #15 (which doesn’t seem to have a name), but it was so rocky it was impossible to find enough sand to drop the pick. Ended up at the popular Vaka Eitu anchorage, with Dappere Dodo, Second Sun and a couple of other cruisers. They are going to the Tongan feast on the beach but we are not fully recovered from our bout of gastro, so we give it a miss.
 
There is a wrecked yacht on the beach, apparently from the Tsunami a couple of years ago, and it still has a sail up. Keith wants to take it down! It is well protected here and so good to see the sun!

A victim of an earlier Tsunami

Vaka Eitu

Tried to go for a snorkel along at the Coral Garden but its high tide and the waves are crashing over us. Felt like we were getting sucked out to sea as well so gave up. In the afternoon we went for a SUP to the beach. Had the dogs barking at us until we got closer to the wrecked yacht and then they backed off. There is still a solar panel and all of the deck fittings attached. The sail is not much chop though! Much easier to paddle back to the boat than yesterday.

Blue Lagoon, wonder why its called that?

To Foefa (Blue Lagoon)

​Motored around to the Blue Lagoon anchorage and in through the shallow channel. Voila have arrived not long before us. This is a really stunning anchorage, best so far in Tonga. Keith puts the drone up. Voila drops by and suggests sundowners. Second Sun comes out of the Huanga lagoon for a picnic on the beach. Their StarLink has died after only 3 weeks!
 
In the afternoon we go for an explore in the dinghy. Its low tide so not able to get through the Huanga channel to the lagoon. There are some interesting mushroom rocks around the shoreline, with trees growing in nothing. We go ashore to the long beach take a walk. There is a cave and a rope swing at the eastern end. The small beach in front of us looks nice too but will lose the sun earlier. There is a “luxury” resort on the small motu in the SE of the lagoon which doesn’t actually look all that luxurious. Another boat came in, Fortaleza, a Kiwi/English couple. And with team Voila we all had drinks on the beach at sunset.

Back to Port Maurelle

South entrance to Huanga Lagoon

Beautiful, sunny morning so we took the dingy into the Huanga Lagoon. The entrance was still pretty shallow but we managed to find a way through, frightened some very shy rays and a few turtles along the way. Once inside we skirted around the shore and the went out through the western cut, to the ocean side. Again some really spectacular rock formations. The cut is narrow and reasonably deep but some bommies on the north side just as you come in. Second Sun are anchored in the NE corner of the lagoon near the village. It looks quite rocky and deep. We stopped by for coffee as team Fortaleza were already there. Got back to the anchorage and the clouds are gathering to the south. Wind is increasing and rain is likely so we decided to move back to Port Maurelle again.

​We went through the narrow gap between the two islands near the mariner’s cave (why not?) Mehalah are here anchored exactly in our spot from last time. We try to anchor but end up with our chain over a big bommie, so we take the mooring buoy. Mehalah invite us for drinks on the beach and dinner on their boat but it ends up being inclement so we invite the whole anchorage over to ours. We had 10 people on board, quite a lively night and a delicious meal. A lovely way to say our farewells and end our time in Tonga.

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Mind the gap

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