Vava'u Tonga, The friendly Isles

Welcome to paradise.



Earlier this year, NZs main fishing mag. Fishing News advertised a game fishing contest (15th annual) in Tonga, everything organised, made up teams of 4, and each team on a different boat each of the 4 fishing days. I have done some game fishing around NZ and also a half day in Samoa and Niue, so why not!
On a map of the Pacific, Tonga is a small dot in a lot of water. If you look on Google Earth it is 3 main island groups covering 300 miles of sea, made up of 100s of islands, lagoons, and sand banks with surrounding coral reef. Volcanic in origin, formed alongside the Tonga Trench at 36,000 ft the second deepest in the world. (and where our freshwater eels go to breed then die)
Vava'u has been lifted by earthquake, as it has fossilised coral cliffs.



We met at Auckland airport for the 3 hour flight to Tonga, then across the airfield to the domestic terminal where you wait to check in ------.



Then back to the International terminal to board the smaller plane for the hour flight to Vava'u. (This is Tonga, Island time)
We flew over the Ha'apai island group with seemingly endless islands, reefs and huge sandy flats with deep blue channels to gaps in the reef



Then a 30 minute drive to the Tonga Beach Resort, our home for 7 nights.



Part 2, the fishing, to come.

Wow Rhod

Can't wait for Part Two!

Looks fantastic good luck in comp mate

That looks nice so nice look forward to part 2.

I`m green with envy already before the fishing starts, I just hope you don`t run in to Robson Geordieprat to spoil it for you

Awesome can't wait for the next instalment

Looks gorgeous roll on part 2

Stunning pics mate looking forward to part 2

Yep looking great ,good luck with part two