The Beach

Sister Johnson is blurry, Elders Meyers and Aland in the chairs, Sister Meyers next to Elder Meyers in closest chair. Sister Hamblin is looking down and Brother Lorenz is in the black back, and Elder Hamblin in the blue back. 

We were out snorkeling earlier, and it looks like there is still a little water on the lens. Shot some nice video here but my luck with uploading video is not good. Sister Johnson is the blurry one with her back to the camera. Elders Meyers (TVET) and Aland (ITEP) are in the chairs, you can't really see Sisters Hamblin and Meyers, and Elder Hamblin is in the Tupano.

Elder and Sister Meyers enjoying the incoming tide. Shortly after this they got a little wet with a big wave.

Sister Johnson exploring the cliffs, err she was, now she is just posing.

The Cliffs #2

 One of our favorite spots on the island is what we call the cliffs.These are on the southeastern side of Tongatapu. We were taking some people who were here for a month in the northern hemisphere's summer, out to see them. But we hadn't been there for a long time, are weren't having much luck finding the spot. But as is often the case here we discovered a new spot. Unfortunately I haven't hit on the was to load the video I took from this spot which is pretty amazing. Those cliffs in the distance is where we wanted to be.

So we figured out how to get there to share the view down to this pretty little beach. This time we made the trek down the hill.

This is the view back up to the cliff where I took the previous picture.

Love this rock and how the sea has worn away its anchor so that it is perched on two pillars.

Friends

Not too long ago Elder Maile was talking to an old friend that had moved back to Tonga from the states. He invited all the Senior missionaries and the Mission President and his family out for dinner. We brought a few side dishes but the bulk was provided by this good brother. It was a delightful evening in his back yard.

He and wife even entertained us.

We had a going away dinner for Elder and Sister Williams from Spokane, WA., who were here for a year doing dental work, they are on the right side of the picture. Sister Williams has the best recipe for Pizza Dough that she has shared with me, so we have it from time to time. The other couple are the Lorenz's from Lafayette, CO. He is also a Dentist but will only be here for about 2 months. The was the first time we had been able to accumulate all the necessary ingredients for a family favorite, Chicken and Brocolli

'Eua

On a recent trip to 'Eua we were treated to a visit to the "Rock Garden".  But then we had to make a quick trip back to town. Maybe someday we can go hiking in the rain forest and actually see the parrot that is native to 'Eua.

This was our third trip to 'Eua which is east of the main island of Tongatapu. We actually went to 'Eua five times this year. A 10 minute plane ride, if the plane is flying. The plane is usually a small top wing Norman Islander that seats 8. Check in is interesting. First they weigh your luggage, then you and your carry on together. Not sure why they call it carry on, because there is no room for it to be with you on the flight, so it goes in the baggage hold with everything else. But since the flight is only 10 minutes you don't miss it.

But today the flight back was canceled and since we were meeting other Seniors to go out to dinner to celebrate three August Birthdays, we decided to take the Ferry back, so the 10 minute flight became almost three hours.

So here we are leaving 'Eua, the first incident came when the ferry started to turn around and go back. Soon we saw the reason, a motor boat was bringing someone out to the ferry who had missed it. We actually left a little early. President Havea (there is one Stake on 'Eua) had taken us to the Rock Garden and then to the Ferry. He introduced us to one of his returned missionaries to help us get settled on the Ferry. He got sick on the Ferry ride, we did not.

As you can see by this photo it was a little windy on the trip. About this time we had another issue on the ferry. The ferry started slowing down and turning. Word was quickly passed around the ship that a pig had jumped over board and they were trying to get it back on board, to no avail. So then a Tongan dove in and was swimming out to the pig. He got within a yard of the pig and a big swell came in and moved the pig out of his reach. But then we had the problem of getting him back on board, he was pretty tired by now and so they threw him a life preserver attached to a rope. He couldn't get to it. Repositioned the ferry and tried again. By now most everyone was on the right side of the ferry, so it started to list to one side. That was the last I saw of the action, because I moved to the other side to try and balance the ferry a little. But they finally got him on board and we resumed our journey to Nu'ku'alofa. The last we saw of the pig he seemed to be swimming back towards 'Eua.

Just thought this was a neat picture through the stacked
series of life preservers toward the front of the Ferry.

The islands off the north side of Tongatapu, we are getting
to my birthday dinner celebration.

The Outer Islands

Getting lunch ready.

 From 5-9 August we made our third trip to the outer islands of Ha'apai and 'Eua. Each island has a LDS Church Middle School, which are 2 of the 5 Middle Schools we have responsibility for. As you can see by these three pictures we are treated royally.

Those are coconuts with a lid cut in the top.

This is the whole spread.

The spread in the third picture includes several fish dishes, octopus (which was really quite delicious), lobster, potato salad (We've been told that there are 47 varieties of potatoes grown in Tonga, some on trees [breadfruit].), an egg dish, and so many others.  Yes there is a roasted pig in the center of the table!


This is a short post, couldn't get any other pictures to upload. I will try again later to post the rest of the Outer Island pictures next time. (SVJ)

Three Hour Tour

 One holiday all the Senior couples went on our own three hour tour. Not by boat but by caravan. Our first stop was the site where Captain Cook landed in the lagoon of Tongatapu in 1777. It has been reported that the Tongatapu lagoon was the model for the lagoon of Never, Neverland for the movie, Hook. Didn't see Peter Pan, nor Mermaids, nor an Indian Princess, not even Tinkerbell, and certainly not a ticking crock.

 We then went to the Langi site, which is a grave site of the ancient Kings of Tonga, this too is on the Northeastern side of Tongatapu. The graves here are usually built up from the surrounding landscape. That concrete wall you see behind this marker is the built up area of the grave sites. The grave itself is the white raised portion you see behind the marker. Interestingly enough the marker in the foreground is for an early Tongan member of the LDS Church. Luckily one of the Senior Missionaries is a native Tongan so he could translate what was written on the marker.

 This was just an interesting spire on a Chapel of the Free Church of Tonga. What I missed taking a picture of was the way they would call the members to meeting. On the other side of the church was a hollowed out log and an empty propane tank that they would beat on to call members to meeting. All the Free Church's are red and white. Each denomination has their own colors, the LDS Chapels are cream and blue.

 On our way along the shore of the lagoon we spotted these guys pulling in their fish net. Since they were close to getting it to shore we stopped to see what their catch was. A single fish about 6 inches long.

 This is the Ha'amonga Trilithon. It is estimated to have been erected in about 1200 AD. There are at least three theories as to why it was erected. One of which is that it was the entrance to the ancient Royal Palace. It is said to have been erected, the top cross piece by building up dirt around the two vertical pillars and then placing the cross piece on and then removing the dirt. It is made out of coral. The Nuke'alofa Tonga Temple above the entrance has a modern version of it.

This tells the three theories and how it was built.

The back side, we assume.

New Zealand 2 SVJ

The Coromandel, New Zealand

Hot Beach

There were some surfers out there.

View from the top, on to Cathedral Cove

Cathedral Cove is the sight of many of the scenes in Narnia

On the Way to Cathedral Cove

Entering Cathedral Cove

At Cathedral Cove

The cathedral part

From the Other Side

Way from the other Side

The Kauri Grove

Siamese Kauri

Kauris are some of the world's largest trees.

Pangaimotu Island

Pangaimotu Island

 The view from the water

That's a rusted ships hull sticking out of the water, an artificial reef

Starfish

Friendly Fish

Camera Hogs

Again

And again

Interesting Coral