Nuku'alofa, Tongatapu, Tonga. Excursion: Island Encounter & Ancient Tonga.

The Maasdam docked at the pier in Naku'alofa
It is a small world ... I bumped into a guest and her husband who remembered me from when we were on the sister ship, MS Noordam.  We had been on a tour together and later during that cruise Paul and I invited her and her husband to dinner as well as another Australian couple.  They are now sailing with the Maasdam for its Pacific Explorer Cruise.  It was lovely to see them again.

Royal Palace
We arrived docked at Naku'alofa having run a wee bit late because of a strong current.  Needless to say, customs and immigration were late and they also took ages to clear the ship.  It turns out that yesterday was a public holiday so I guess some of the officials were either hung over or didn't really feel like getting out of bed for work to clear a ship.  Grrrr....

Royal Tombs
When I arrived at the bus for my assigned tour the driver told me it was full.  Our guide told me to get in but again the driver said the bus was full.  I decided to climb aboard anyway and did find an empty seat beside a guest.  We were soon underway, the bus engine making quite a racket and the brakes sounding as if they would fail on us.  I clung on to the edge of my seat and hoped for the best.  As the tour got underway the brakes sorted themselves out.  I guess they were either rusty or dusty and needed a bit of a workout.  Luseana did her best to make herself heard above the noise but it was difficult for her.  Being a hot day with no air-conditioning on the bus I was glad that the windows were all open as was the bus door.  It let in a nice breeze as we travelled along.

Traditional dancing at Ancient Tonga
We stopped for a photographs at the entrance of the Royal Palace which is now only used on ceremonial occasions.  The building looked Victorian and was apparently shipped from New Zealand and assembled in Nuku'alofa in 1867.  We also visited the Royal Tombs (final resting place of King George Tupou I and his descendants) but once again it was a photographic stop outside a locked gate - it would be disrespectful to go inside to wander around the tombs.

At Ancient Tonga, a family run business, we saw how kava is made and there was a kava ceremony too to welcome us.  There were demonstrations of dancing, music, drying thin reed-like leaves to weave mats, ‘cloth’, hats, baskets, etc.; a nice demonstration of how the tapa or bark cloth is made, and much more. Volunteer guests were wrapped in traditional clothing and an explanation was given as to what they were.  One chap was wrapped up in a wedding dress which was lighter than it should be because the staff member used 3 layers instead of 5 layers of finely woven mats.  Refreshments were served – fruit and tasting of a traditional meal.  We also had time to wander around a typical village fale (house), the walls of which, in parts, was lined with tapa cloth.

No flying foxes seen in this tree.  Only a beehive!
Next were the blowholes (Mapu 'a vaea or "Chief's Whistles") which were quite different.  The coastline was quite rocky but in a few places the coral was formed into terraces, worn away by waves.  Within the terraces small holes had worn through and the wave action pushing water up from below and through the holes caused the blow hole reaction - 4, 5 or more going off at the same time.  In other places blowholes were larger. I tried to take some photographs of the blowholes but I don't think they did the scenario any justice.

On the way back to port we stopped to see flying foxes but we didn't see them.  Unfortunately children in the area were letting off fire crackers and Luseana thought the noise probably frightened them off.  We saw a beehive though, in the tree!

It was good to get back to the ship and the cool of the air-conditioned cabin.
Route to our next destination:  Neiafu, Vava U.
The ship has raised her anchor and we are heading towards Neiafu on the island of Vava U, another Tongan island.












PHOTOGRAPHS



Royal Tombs

Ancient Tonga



A piece of wood is beaten, playing 'music' as we arrive at the
Ancient Village
Crushing kava root into powder


Making the kava liquid
The kava ceremony


Traditional dancing - the women's dance is gentle
The men's dance is more active and physical





Playing the drums
Husking and opening a coconut


Scraping out the coconut meat.  It tasted delicious.
Preparing a meal portion - wrapping it up in leaves, ready for cooking.


Plant leaves used in cooking and also to fragrance oils whether it be for
cooking or for skin/soap/hair. 
Making tapa cloth.  Beating soft bark to thin it out and then beat
the soft strips together.


Tapa cloth
Various traditional woven mats for clothing.  The one on the left is 3 mats
(rather than the usual 5) to make up a wedding dress.







Mapu 'a vaea or "Chief's Whistles" - blowholes


















Sea days heading towards the island of Tongapatu, Tonga.

We had a quiet day in Auckland when the ship docked on 27th November.  Having sailed with about half the normal intake of guests, the rest of them came aboard in Auckland for the Pacific Explorer cruise.  A few staff went ashore to go and do some shopping and sight-seeing.  Paul was very busy so we only went ashore to the cruise terminal a bit later after lunch.  We had hoped to pick up WiFi but it wasn't very good and was very slow.

Last night the captain invited us to join him and his wife in the Pinnacle Grill for dinner.  It was a nice evening with outgoing Chief Engineer, the new engineer, the Hotel Manager, and the Environmental Officer and his wife.  Usually we are left pretty full after dinner so I made sure I had 2 starters rather than a starter and a large main course followed by a light-weight pavlova for desert.  Yum.

Today I have slept a lot.  The rocking motion of the ship is really making me very tired.  I know that Paul has been encouraging me to go to the gym but I have really not felt like going, lacking energy.  Also when the motion affects the ship - it is harder to jog on the treadmill let alone cycle!

Paul has been very busy during the sea days and dealing with the occasional issues that made him shake his head.  HUMANS!

This evening we were invited, again, to the Pinnacle Grill by Liz (Shore Excursions) and her fiancé Matt (fitness centre instructor).  It was a last minute invitation and we decided to go because Liz will be leaving the ship soon and going on holiday.  Fortunately Paul and I choose fairly light starters and mains so we weren't overly full afterwards.  People are known to walk out of the Pinnacle Grill with a 'pinnacle baby'; i.e. very very full!!
Our route from Auckland, New Zealand, to the island of Tongapatu, Tonga

Tomorrow we dock at Nuku'alofa, Tongapatu, Tonga.


Tauranga, New Zealand. Excursion: Hell's Gate & Rotorua Highlights.

Heading towards Rotorua
It has certainly been a packed day for the excursion group I was assigned to.  The weather was overcast and mild in Tauranga when we docked but guests were determined to make the most of their day.

It was a good 1½ hours or so Rotorua and our guide/driver gave an ongoing commentary about the scenery that we passed through, pointing out things of interest as well as answering guests questions.  Oour guide/driver had either false teeth or a plate which, unfortunately, he kept sucking on so when he talked so there was this almost constant 'tsk' sound.  It could have been a tick the microphone system but I doubt it.

Our first destination was Rainbow Springs Nature Park and the nocturnal kiwi house.  Our site guide at Rainbow Springs was very knowledgeable.  As we walked along the tree-lined paths we passed streams, ponds with rainbow trout, birds - some allowed to move freely about the park, others in cages; and the reptile area.  We didn't fully cover the park as time was limited but instead we got to see the main areas/highlights of the park.  This included nocturnal kiwi house was a supposed to be a quiet, dark, place but as you can imagine – some people simply did not listen.  People still used the flashes on their cameras and made a bit of noise.  Unfortunately the photographs I took didn't come out at all so I have not got any photographs of them.  At least I managed to get photographs while in the information centre that preceded the nocturnal area.  Kiwis are quite temperamental birds and the site guide did not want too much disturbance in case the kiwis fled into the undergrowth.   Kiwis are a protected species and any eggs found in the wild are removed from the nest and incubated artificially. The chicks are raised until they reach about 1kg in weight and then released into the wild. The artificial incubation increases the survival rate for the kiwi eggs, i.e. from natural predators such as stoats and ferrets; and the release weight is important so that the bird is big enough to defend itself from predators as well.

Our next stop was to Mitai Village for a Maori cultural performance and a traditional hangi meal.  After an introduction by one of the staff  we were directed along path, past a bubbling spring (Fairy Spring which is sacred to the Maori) with beautiful clear water, down to the river where we saw Maori warriors on a canoe.  From there we went past part of the restored Maori village (or possibly a mock-up) and joined up with the Maori warriors in the performing area.  The traditional challenge was given by the Chief and a designated spokesman responded on our behalf after which there was a show of traditional music, singing and dancing. It was a lovely show and the passengers
This is what an uncovered 'hangi' looks like. 
This photograph is from one of my previous blogs.
had a bit of insight into the Maori culture.  Next it was time for lunch followed.  Lamb, potatoes, chicken, vegetables sweet potatoes had been cooking slowly on hot rocks, covered in clean sack cloths, for a few hours before we had come.  By the time the performance was over our meal was ready and was laid out in a buffet style.  It was delicious.

At the end of the meal we boarded the bus and our driver/guide took us on a slow through Rotorua (whew did the town stink of sulphur!!) to Hell’s Gate Geothermal Reserve. Due to time constraints our site guide could not take us on a full tour of Hell’s Gate so we got a shortened version. It was a very interesting tour and we had to stick strictly to the paths because of holes opening up (although the path is checked every morning before guests arrive). The earth’s crust at that area is very thin – the heat source being about 1 ½ to 2kms below the surface. It was interesting seeing the stark peaky land with yellow sulphur areas dotted about. There was a hot waterfall with clear water running down the rocks at around 40°C.  The waterfall is sacred to the Maoris and only the warriors (in the past) could bathe there.  There were bubbling mud pools and simmering hot spring pools.  Some of the black, grey and white mud that comes up to the surface is used for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. One can take a mud bath in the spa area of the geothermal reserve.  People taking a mud bath find it very relaxing and beneficial due to the high mineral content of the mud.  The sulphur smell through the geothermal reserve was extremely pungent except in a forest area.  The forest absorbed the smells.  In the past, sulphur was used on wounds and to treat conditions such as arthritis and skin ailments.

All too soon our tour was at an end and we had to get back to the ship.  Our driver/guide was into the xmas spirit already and played some festive music.  I manged to have a nap during the journey back.  As for the other guests - I'm not sure.

Route to our next port  - Auckland.



PHOTOGRAPHS




Rainbow Springs Nature Park



























 


Kiwi skeleton
Preserved/stuffed kiwis in a showcase




Mitai Maori Village







Bubbling Fairy Spring with fish swimming in the cool spring pool





















The village chief challenging the guests 'warrior'/spokesman
A leaf from a plant is placed in front of the guest's spokesman who picks
it up - signifying we come in peace








Going through Rotorua

Lake with sulphur water





Some people's gardens had hot steam vents - the property on the other
side of the fence (left) has one...


Hell's Gate Geothermal Reserve



Steaming vent - a cone of rocks has been put around it to protect it




Dried sulphurous mud

Hot steam vent







Bubbling mud pool




Trees absorb the sulphur and it shows on
the bark
New life starting in a fern - curled up branch/leaf
within the other fine branches




The branch and leaves unfurl
Fern tree
















One of the reasons not to step off the path!  Holes ...











Very young fern starting its life

 

Picture from the Maasdam's forward camera - leaving Tauranga






Ushuaia, Argentina.

While in port today another ship was berthed alongside the MS Prinsendam .  She is almost the 'sister' ship of the Prinsendam becaus...