Euakafa and Lua Ui

June 29, 2010

Euakafa


Euakafa from Sisia showing its flat high plateau.

“That looks like Hipnautical.” Russ says as he holds the binoculars up to his eyes. Yes it is. We’ve pulled anchor from Sisia and motor over to them. They are coming into Vava’u through the southern entrance, like we did with sails on show. The wind powering them toward us.

“Welcome to Vava’u we call.” We wave and give them the high sign. I run down to get my camera and take some pictures. We had been worried about them since they left NZ May 21 and have only arrived in Vava’u June 28. But they stopped along the way in Nukualofa and the Ha’apai group. We were incorrect in thinking they were coming direct. It was good to see them and know they were not one of three boats that got dismasted. One’s imagination tends to run away with itself at times. They are carrying our new windlass switch ordered from NZ.


Hipnautical arriving in Tonga carrying our new windlass switch.

We turn Zulu around and head for Euakafa, squeeze through a passage between two reefs, and anchor too close to my liking to a third reef. It is reef city here. It reminds me of an area close to Johannesburg, South Africa called the reef. In this case reef referred to gold mines.

I used to call this place the English Country garden in that once I got into the water I just kept meandering through the colourful reefs until I realized how far away from the boat I had swam. Then I would reluctantly turn around. I felt as if I was in a safe place. That was on our previous visit years ago.

I remember I swam back to the boat and took the dinghy ashore with Ian to climb to the top of a 300-ft plateau, Euakafa’s great height. I beached the dinghy and went in search of the path to the top, not once seeing or hearing Russ waving and calling to me.

A large gray shark had appeared in his line of swimming and he’d found a safe haven on top of some coral. He was trying to get my attention by waving and calling from atop the coral to return with the dinghy as he, too, was far from the boat. But since his calls fell on deaf ears he had to pluck up courage and swim back to the boat with the shark lurking by. Shiver me timbers!

So this time it is with some trepidation that I get back into the water to swim these same reefs carrying the shark image with me. But we take the dinghy with us and anchor it within a few strokes from where we swim. The English garden image has gone though. It is all quite sparse, except where the colourful fish gather at the drop offs into deep water.

Some charter boat people are splashing and having a whale of a time at the drop offs. They are fearless Australians here for a week. They swim up and ask us where we are from. Seattle? “I went to the University of Washington in Seattle.” One of the Oz ladies pipes up. She also shares with glee that they lived on their boat here in Tonga for 4 years! Now they are back to relive it all in a week. They splash and frolic and laugh like happy children and wave goodbye to us as we motor away.

On the reefs that actually ring the island, whole Tongan families comb them on foot for sea cucumbers to export to China. Mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers--they carry sacks to put the sea cucumbers in. The next day another group come onto the reefs and comb them in the same thorough grid-formation way--and the next day and the next days to follow.


A Tongan boat drops anchor off the reef and awaits the return of those collecting sea cucumbers.


Day after day after day Tongans search for sea cucumbers on the reefs for export to China.

I’ve seen this happen at Sisia as well. A Tongan man said he gets TOP30 (US$15) a day for collecting a box full, whatever size the box is. But it takes him half a day to fill the box and he has to go further and further afield to find them. He has to help feed is family. And here in Vava’u jobs are scarce. His wife does not make much money as a school teacher.

At first I am just dumb struck at how these reefs are being besieged. Can the Tongans not realize they will deplete their sea cucumber resource if they keep this up? But then I am informed that they only collect them for 5 months of the year and that the cucumbers crawl back up onto the reefs from deeper water replacing those that were taken. This is somewhat of a relief to hear.


Tongans comb the reefs for these sea cucumbers 5 months of the year, for export to China. Do you feel like a slice on a bed of lettuce?

We go ashore and walk the lovely beach on the western side--up and down. And then we go around to the east to look for the path to the top of the plateau with a view of the islands worth seeing. We walk all the way to the end of this eastern shore and start up some false leads only to find many, many sheet-like spider webs with large black spiders sporting horribly long black and orange hairy legs. Heaven preserve I get one of these plastered on my face or in my hair.


The western side of Euakafa with the jewel motu of Lua Ui in the distance, with its stealth-coral below blue waters.

I’m hot and tired and salty and sit down on the flat slabs of reef. I think I’ll skip this hike and just look out across the waters to Kapa and Nuku. I watch the booby and frigate birds diving. Russ appears with two green coconuts and we drink them to our hearts content. I’ll declare this day over.


Looking to the north back on to Kapa and Nuku, where I photographed Russ’ footsteps in the sand.


Russ appears with two green coconuts and we drink to our hearts content.

The sun is setting as we go back to Zulu, rolly polly at anchor. We have got to get out of here in the morning!


Sunset from Euakafa with one of our empty green coconuts floating westward.

Lua Ui


A jewel motu with deceptive underlying coral that is ready to bite at your hull. Surprise attack!

“I want to go to Lua Ui.” Russ announces in the morning. Hmmmm. I look at the chart and see little-to-zero sandy patches in which to anchor. But it is just 1 and ½ miles SW of Euakafa and does look like a jewel of an island.

I stand up in the bow and fix my sight on the lovely ring of sand. The water is crystal clear and so tempting. But then I see that yellow brown discolouration in the water off the tip of the beach, telling me to beware. And before I know it, without any warning, I see the bottom coming up pronto with large pale beige and green coral heads about ready to bite into Zulu’s hull. The depth sounder has stopped reading feet, we are in such shallow water!!

Aaaahhhhh. Russ is reversing away from one hot spot, but onto another hotter spot we have just been lucky to miss! Too close a call and luck comes once or twice, but don’t count on it for too many more times. We’ve got to get out of here! And we do. Fast.

I’ve had enough fun for a day! Enough of this tropical stuff. I’m ready for a cottage on a lake in the mountains with a large bath tub for soaks in perfume oil! Switzerland sounds good about right now with an appetizer of cheese fondue and a glass of chill. Dream on.