After 3 months of short hops through the Society Islands, it was time to head towards New Zealand. It takes time to become reaccustomed to life at sea, but we got our sea legs back in a couple of days. It helps to have fresh fish for dinner; this 52" mahi-mahi provided lots of tasty fillets.
Our first stop was the small, independent island nation of Niue. Niue is essentially a round, raised mass of limestone, with no lagoon or protected harbor. Yachts moor off the town pier, and have to be ready to leave on short notice in case of a strong west wind - or risk being driven on the reef that's visible behind Barbara Ann in the photo below.
Show us your boobies! This yellow-footed booby took a little R&R on our deck while moored off Niue. He showed no fear of humans, and allowed us quite close. After a few minutes of down-time he bid us adieu.
Humpback whales at our back doorstep! All the cruisers in the anchorage took advantage of this once in a lifetime chance to swim with these gentle giants. Three of them - two females and a calf - spent most of the day less than 1/4 mile from our boat. We got close to them, but not close enough to distress them. We can't begin to describe the experience.
These underwater shots were taken on the same day by other cruisers in the anchorage. Thanks to the incredibly clear water that surrounds Niue, the underwater visibility is always 150' or more. The calf, shown in the picture below, never ventured far from Mom, except to come to the surface for air.
Here's Che Tyler and Easy-Ridin' Austin learning how to ride motorcycles on the back roads of Niue. The people who live on this island are incredibly kind; everyone who drove by us stopped to see if we were having a problem or needed help. Imagine that happening back in the states - not!
Because Niue is essentially a big chunk of limestone, it's riddled with caves and caverns - both above and below the water. Here's our crowd on a guided tour of two caverns with a local guide. Tyler and I also did an underwater cavern dive with the local dive shop; during the dive you were able to surface in the cavern and breathe normally - a great dive.
Niue offers pools and grottoes all over the island. The grotto in this picture has perfect visibility and lots of tropical fish. While we snorkeled, a rock climber on vacation climbed the walls until he was about 50' over the water, then jumped in - several times.
Here's a couple of shots from our walkabout on Niue. Interesting rock formations and shoreside caves abound.
Soon it was time to move on. Tonga was our next stop, and last before New Zealand. We arrived in Vava'u, Tonga in late September, 2007. Here's a shot of the Vava'u yacht club, adjacent to the Neiafu town anchorage - unpretentious, and full of charachter.
Who says you can't take it with you? This one-time cruising boat is now a condo, right behind the yacht club. I never found out who lived there, but it looked like some pretty cool digs.
Tonga is the only South Pacific island group never to have come under a foreign power, and has a long-standing monarchy. Traditional dress is worn by people of all levels in their society; these high school boys are wearing traditional sarongs, as part of their school uniform.
OK, a pattern is emerging.
A bohemian couple, originally from Spain, opened up an inn and restaurant on a small island named Tapana. Their specialty is Spanish paella, cooked over a wood-fired hearth. Dinner is 5 courses, with a dessert - probably the best paella I've ever had.
There was a planned performance, and some surprises. While the owner sang and played music from Cuba, Brazil and Spain, we were entertained at the table by their dog and pet goat (who thinks he's also a dog.)
There's no SuperCuts in the South Pacific. So, Jackie has become very proficient at giving us haircuts. I may never visit a salon again.
Here's a nice beach at the Port Maurelle anchorage.
This sea cave is known as Swallows Cave. You can drive a small boat into the grotto inside. Note the clarity of the water.
Many of the villages put on "Tongan Feasts". A feast starts with music and the ceremonial kava drink, which is made from the roots of a pepper plant. That's the kava bowl in the middle. All are welcome to try it, but only after you've been offered the bowl. It's effects and taste are hard to describe. It is mildly intoxicating, and makes your mouth numb. Our boys sure seemed to like it. While the kava was going around, long tables were being loaded with food: fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, and seafood of all kinds. We all dug in, and ate until we couldn't move. No plates or silverware needed; everything was finger food and served on leaves, bamboo, etc.
After the feast, the local school kids demonstrated some of their traditional dances. Afterward, the girls went into the audience, looking for young guys. Here's Max and Tyler, happy to be singled out.
Our last stop in Tonga was the southern group, which includes the Tongan capital - Nukualofa. We didn't see any royalty, but Austin enjoyed his 15th birthday there - a pizza party with friends ashore, followed by cake onboard. Note Tyler's wounds in the picture below; he slipped and fell on some rocks.
I also suffered some trauma in Tonga. One day while anchored, I absent-mindedly jumped up on our back deck rail, right into the spinning wind generator blades. Head wounds bleed a lot - I can confirm that. The crews of Barbara Ann and Surcouf rallied to the call, and I soon had a reverse Mohawk and several Steri-strips - a reminder not to let spinning wind generator blades and scalp come into close proximity again. We thought I would need medical staples to close it (see our half-joking to-do list below) but it healed well, thanks to Jackie's first aid skills.
The weather in Tonga has been our only disappointment. It rained most of the time we were there, and we ended up missing a lot of the areas we had planned to visit. We've already decided to come back to Tonga next year, if possible, in order to visit the pristine Hapaa'i group, before heading west to Fiji.
The relentless clock is ticking, and the time has come to plan the last leg of the season - Tonga to New Zealand. This leg is infamous for it's tricky weather, and sometimes serves up big seas and high winds. When the weatherman says go, you don't argue. With a promising weather window, we left Tonga on Oct. 15th, the day after Austin's birthday. Check out our next installment, from New Zealand to see how this 1,100 mile trip turned out.
New Zealand - North Island
