Land of Giants, TONGA
Airing Date: Dec 15th, 2003
Located six hours flight from Sydney, the Kingdom of Tonga features 150 isles set in a turquoise sea, dramatic volcanos, isolated palm-fringed shores and warm lagoons full of colourful fish.
Tonga knows how to put on a huge celebration, especially when King Taufa'ahau comes to town. In Tonga's capital Nuku'alofa, the King is often chauffeur-driven past huge crowds. If you're there at the right time or during a festival, you might be able to wave to the head honcho himself!
The Royal family is truly loved and Tongans are proud of the fact that they are the only Polynesian Kingdom left in the world. If you miss out on seeing royalty in the streets, you can always head down to the Centenary Chapel, located in the heart of town. The royal family sometimes sings with the choir at the church.
Surfing is very big in Tonga, so expect king-sized waves. In fact, Tonga receives the same swells as Hawaii, just three or four days later. For this reason Tonga experiences good surfing all year round. One of the best places to surf is at Ha'atafu Beach Resort, about 20 kilometres out from the Nuku'alofa. This place is run by ex-pat Australian Steve, and he recommends that only intermediate to advanced surfers tackle these tubes, as the coral can be quite dangerous.
If you're not keen on surfing but would still like to have an extreme day out on the water, try game fishing. There's some big game fishing action off the island of Atata, half an hour boat ride from the capital. To increase your chances of scoring a boatload of fish, visit between June and November. An all inclusive day of game fishing costs $722.
If you don't want to catch your own meal, check out the Tongan feast at the Good Samaritan Hotel. This massive banquet is an incredible meal that lives up to the Tongan saying 'eat until you're full, eat until you're tired, eat until you're dead!' Among the cuisines served are fish, seaweed, curries, clams, salads, snags and pork.
Feasting plays a major role in the Tongan lifestyle, with Tongan feasts renowned for their variety of food. Song and dance are also common, so after everyone has devoured their king-sized meal, they can enjoy a traditional Tongan music and dance show. It costs $23 for the main meal and dessert, but you might want to save a dollar or two to tip the dancers during the performance.
The facts:
Air New Zealand flies twice a week to Tonga. Prices start at $1076 from the east coast and $1653 from Perth.
Air New Zealand
Tel: 13 24 76
Royal Sunset Island Resort, a 30 minute boat ride from the capital, has beach fales starting from $118 twin share.
Talpacific Holidays
Tel: 1300 665 737
Tongan Visitors Bureau
Tel: 0011 676 25334
Good Samaritan Inn
Tel: 0011 676 41022
