Our week to Tonga has finally arrived.  After much anticipation - and physio - we are all set and raring to go.

Hamilton airport awaits us....... with absolutely nothing to do!  So much for an hours check in.  They are having major renovations done and everything is behind the builders walls.  Good start, but never mind.  Our plane is absolutely tiny, with the pilot waiting at the fold-out stairs to greet us - all 18 of us!!!!  At Auckland we have to actually collect our bags and re-check in, tedious, but passes some of our 3hr transit time.  A mosy around the shops and a drink at the bar sees our time pass quick enough.  Onboard the plane we find ourselves sat directly in front of the giant flat screen tv - i can't even look at it for long enough to watch the safety video.  We move after take-off!  A pleasant flight to Tonga, with an odd chicken meal containing egg mayonnaise potatoes (?)  We land at their tiny airport and are greeted by Leni, our guesthouse owner's wife.  On the way back she explains that there is nothing near our guesthouse and do we want to stop at the shop for anything to eat or drink.  Luckily we do.  We really are nowhere near anything.  Finally we arrive, almost 12 hrs after departing Raglan, a very long day indeed.  Can't wait to get up and out to the beach tomorrow.......

The sound of rain is the first thing I hear.  Torrential rain.  And wind.  Oh dear, oh dear.  I venture out to shower and find that the cubical not only contains a highly slippery flooring for someone still wobbly on their feet, but a shower so high I can't reach it!   We decide to ignore the rain and head to town to have a look around.  Last night Leni had explained that since the riots in November a lot of the shops that were burnt or damaged closed down and moved out.  No-one has replaced them and now a great deal of their capital is empty.  Surely it can't be that bad?  Yes it can.  There are literally 2 cafes on the main road, a handful of handicraft shops, a post office, bank and an internet cafe.  We find a dry table at Friends Cafe and order lunch.  

The rain has become more sporadic so we take our chances and leave.  We haven't been gone more than 10 mins when it starts again.  Unfortunately we both have flip flops on and are slipping around all over the place - barefoot it is then, we wouldn't want to break any bones ;o)  There really is nothing to do in town, Leni was in fact telling the truth.  Oh dear it's going to be a quiet day.  Back to the cafe for another drink........  It is here that we find out that the highly religious Tonga will in fact be closed for Easter - surely our luck can't be this bad?  On returning to our guesthouse we settle down with our books and 2 minute noodles!

We wake up full of hope - well long enough for the sound of the wind and rain to register!  Back to the cafe it is then.....  It's here that we overhear of the nearby cyclone - oh yes, cyclone - by the name of Cliff apparently ;o)  The actual cyclone is around 50km off the south west coast and we are perfectly safe - but very wet!  We decide that if this weather is going to carry on we are just going to have to book to visit the other islands in the hope of having more to do.  We do this all under one dry roof - the cafe has a ??? - result!  We also book onto a Tongan feast and traditional dance, if nothing else, to get a decent meal.  Unfortunately not even this goes to plan and after phoning to find out where our pick-up is we're informed that it is in fact cancelled - due to the cyclone! - and we're left dinner-less.  A late dash to a shop sees us with pasta and ketchup, not quite the feast we were hoping for!!!!

Today by hook-or-by-crook we are going to see some of the island.  We set out on "Toni's Tour" in one of his many vans for his quirky Lancashire commentary of the island.  He did not disappoint.  Between taking us to remote spots of beauty, history and culture he showed us the worlds only (?) multi-headed palm tree (no one was quite as impressed as he'd clearly hoped), pointed out every single church we passed (there are over 300) and shouted at a plant to prove they are responsive to the human voice (?!?!?).  We also saw Cook's landing spot, Tonga's own Stonehenge and some fishing pigs.  The most impressive part of the day however were the blowholes.  These are naturally made holes in the limestone cliffs, located on the south coast, that stretch for more than 5km.  When the tide comes in the water is shot up and through them and on a windy day they reach up to 30m in height.  All in all a thoroughly enjoyable day and all finished off with a kava session in the evening.  This is a non-alcoholic drink made from the roots of the kava plant and drunk from coconut shells.  It has a mild anaesthetic effect and generally makes you relaxed.  Again the highlight was Toni and his "worldly" views!  

Saturday is finally hot and sunny - the Tonga we came for.  We're booked onto a day trip to the island of Atata where the Royal Sunset Resort is found.  The boat leaves from the wharf at 10 and we have a 30min crossing in a rather cramped boat.  So much so that the driver stands on his seat, head poking out the roof, and steers with his feet!!!!!  The island is lovely, and a welcome break from Tongatapu.  We are welcomed with a mango juice and told that there will be a snorkelling trip in the afternoon - other than that we are to make ourselves at home.  Although there are a few showers, they are brief and we wander around the island, stopping for a swim along the way.  The snorkelling trip is to a coral reef nearby.  There are lots of fish and the sea is lovely and warm, bliss.  We head back to the main island refreshed from our day - to yet more packet noodles!

Another day another island, this time to Pangaimotu.  A 15min boat ride from the main island and we're on another sandy beach.  Our trip is much the same as the previous day, walks on the beach, swimming, snorkelling - this time to a ship wreck - all the things we came here for.  Heaven.  

Easter Monday leads us back to Atata to take up the one sport I'm still capable of doing - scuba diving!  I've been practising swimming with my fins in the physio pool, we're definitely doing this!  We head off for the first of two dives, a little nervous as this is our first dive since learning.  We gear up and head down to a site called the anchor - namely due to to fact that there is a huge anchor on the seabed!!!!  Our second dive is to a coral reef where between us all we spot a white tip reef shark, a black and white striped lobster and a sea turtle.  There are lots of other things of course, but they were the most interesting!  A great day all round and something new to add to our dive books.

Our final day is spent back in town.  Now that things have re-opened we treat ourselves to lunch and then wander around the gift shops.  Unfortunately due to the strict rules at NZ customs we don't take anything back with us for fear of it being confiscated.  And we finish our day by going to a Tongan feast and traditional dance at the National Centre ????  Having survived on rather basic food we're eager for dinner - unfortunately the proceedings begin with a kava ceremony, traditional of course.  This involves the history, making of and giving out to the invited group on stage.  This is then followed by the ??? one's table getting on stage to dance before dinner - oh and that table was ours!!!!  After much embarrassment we scurry off where we're greeted with the news that we also get to eat first - excellent!  The food is laid out on a long table buffet style.  We are told what each dish is, roughly, and pile our plates up.  The highlight of the feast is a spit roasted suckling pig.  After dinner we are treated to many styles of traditional dance and costumes, and even get a surprise performance for the children in training.  Their costumes are more elaborate than the adults and amazingly all made by their mum's from an array of native leaves, banana and palm being the most common.  We return to Toni's, well fed and entertained.

Our "holiday" over we head back to the sheep filled hills of NZ........