- Fremantle and Perth, Western Australia
- On the road to Margaret River, Western Australia
- Rottnest Island, Western Australia
- Back to Broome, Western Australia
- Lacepede Island, Western Australia
- Talbot Bay, Western Australia
- Montgomery Reef and Freshwater Cove, Western Australia
- Hunter River and Mitchell Falls, Western Australia
- Ashmore Reef, Australia
- Vansittart Bay, Western Australia
- King George River, Western Australia
- Darwin, Northern Territory
- Agats, West Papua, Indonesia
- Kokas, West Papua, Indonesia
- Misool, Yapap Lagoon, Indonesia
- Yenwaupnor, Gam Island, Indonesia
- Mansinam Island, West Papua, Indonesia
- Cenderawasih Bay, Indonesia
- Cenderwasih Bay, Indonesia Supplemental
- Vanimo, Papua New Guinea
- Garove Island, Papua New Guinea
- Duke of York Island and Rabaul, Papua New Guinea — and the trip takes a turn for the worse
- Ghizo Island, Solomon Islands and my health situation is still uncertain
- Honiara, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands; a 72-hour pause in our trip; and a triumphant return!
- Dravuni Island, Kadavu, Fiji
- Vulaga, Fiji
- Pangai and Nukupule Island, Ha’Apai Group, Tonga
- Vavau, Tonga
- Apia, Upolo, Samoa
- Aitutaki, Cook Islands
- Raiatea, Society Islands, French Polynesia
- Maroe Bay, Huahine Iti, French Polynesia
- Bora Bora, French Polynesia and end of trip
Today we visited Neiafu, the capital of Vava’u which is an island group in the northern part of Tonga. We actually positioned ourselves in the protected Port of Refuge, so named by the explorer Don Francisco Mourelle de la Rúa back in 1781 after being frustrated at not being able to find a deepwater port anywhere else in the area. Compared to most of the places we have visited on the trip, Neiafu really is the “big city,” with a population of over 5000 (about a third of the population of Vava’u and 20% of the whole Kingdom of Tonga). The downtown area had a little bit of everything including a custom t-shirt screen printing shop (we stocked up), a farmers and crafts market, and some nice art galleries. But we were here to visit the Eneio Botanical Gardens, the only one in Tonga. This 22 acre park was the labor of love, developed in 1972 by Haniteli Fa’anunu, an agronomist and a retired Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries. It opened to the public in 2006. Sadly, he died, but his wife, Lily, continues his work and leads tours through the gardens, emphasizing the evolution of the flora in Tonga. For those that don’t know the story of the spread of the Melanesian people, archeologists believe that the ancestors of these people took part in one of the earliest waves of human migration out of Africa around 40,000 years ago. That migration led through Southeast Asia and ultimately through Papua, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, and New Caledonia before showing up in Tonga. It appears that these migrants brought plants with them as they traveled. Consequently, the flora on Tonga represents both transplants from other areas along the migration path and evolution once sea levels rose, isolating the islands and their inhabitants. One thing that is true is that this land is verdant — things grow fast and well. We were then give a cultural demonstration — this time demonstrating how the early Tongans survived for thousands of years before European contact. Part of this involved demonstrating the use of the large variety of native plants in the garden, whether for food, shelter, clothing, and medicine. There also was singing and dancing with Lily’s funny commentary along the way. The traditional dance is the Tau’olonga, performed solo by young unmarried women who move in a slow graceful manner to express honor, femininity, and cultural identity. It’s not meant to be entertainment, but rather a show of respect, humility, and the role of women in upholding family and tradition. But then there’s that whole coconut oil thing. At the highest level, it’s meant to make the dancer’s skin glow, representing freshness, purity, and beauty. But then there’s the sub rosa story — it represents the dancer’s virginity status. If the oil dries up quickly, it means you’re no longer a virgin. If she continues to shine and drip oil, then she’s still sweet. The way that Lily put it, if someone puts money on the girl’s oiled extremities (a sign of gratitude) and it sticks, she’s a virgin; if it falls off, she’s not. Just another example of how cultures around the world deal with the whole question of virginity. And, as you have probably figured out, there is no counterpart for this for boys. So now we are off to Samoa — working our way eastward through Polynesia.
I am a traveler and sometimes clay sculptor, following a long career working in consulting. My work allowed me to travel the world extensively and I was hooked. Today, I travel with my wife/best friend to explore new places, meet new people, and learn new things.
