December 10, 1999

Writes John Hamilton, courtesy of MELBOURNE HERALD SUN

What is the most improbable phrase to ask in Tongan?
Try: "'Oku tu'u 'i fe 'a e matatahi ofi mai ki heni?
It means: "Where is the nearest beach?

At last count, the Kingdom of Tonga has 171 islands (33 of which are inhabited) - and nobody has ever got around to counting the actual beaches.

They are everywhere in this unique kingdom which is spread across 362,000 sq km of the South Pacific. With only 100,000 Tongan citizens resident, the beaches are never crowded. A standard Tongan beach generally includes the following:

SCRUNCHY Coral sand
TURQUOISE sea
TRADE winds gently rattling the coconut palm tree fonds
THE DISTANT rumble of Pacific rollers on the reefs
THE WHISTLE and hiss of sea coursing through blowholes.

You can reflect on these and other idle matters if you sit outside your thatched Tongan-style fale (house) a small resorts such as Fafa island, a gentle half-hour by boat from the Tongan capital, Nuku'alofa.

There are only 16 fales on the island. At a stretch they can accomodate 36 people. It takes 20 minutes to walk around the island and the only time you are likely to see anybody else is when guests gather under the thatched open dining room to fall upon freshly cooked lobsters.

Tonga is a splendid anachronism set in a jewelled sea. Capt. James Cook dubbed it the "Friendly Islands" and it is the only South Pacific country never to have been colonised by an European power.

This means that the country is run in the most benign autocratic way by His Majesty King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, aged 81. Legend says he is descended from a sun god who married an earth maiden.

His Majesty rules from a weather-board palace with a red corrugated roof. He travels across his main island in a stretch cadillac with the royal ensign fluttering from the bonnet.

There are two police motorcyclists who lead the royal processions. There are no traffic lights in Tonga but many pigs and dogs strolling the highways that have to be shooed out of the way of the procession.

There are also motorists who tend to meander forgetfully along at about 20 kmph.

This is the country nearest to the international dateline and therefore caught up in the millennium madness. But Tongans do not take much notice of time or punctuality.

UNTIL now, Tonga has been almost ignored by tourists. Cruise ships used to call occasionally, but the three main group of islands tended to be overflown by aircraft travelling somewhere else.

There is nothing on Tonga to compare with the big resorts on Fiji or the brash high-rise jungle that lines Hawaii's Waikiki.

Tonga has remained relatively isolated - and unspoilt - by mass tourism. But now changes are stirring in the kingdom.

The proud, deeply religious and, above all, friendly Tongans would like more people to come and see them.

The Tonga Visitors Bureau,aided by a grant from the Australian Government, has embarked on a program to improve tourism facilities, train more Tongans in the hospitality industry, and promote Tonga as the destination of the Pacific.

The bureau is promoting the quiet charms of Tonga because there is no glitz. Archeologist sites, for example, include some of the most ancient structures in the Pacific, including monumental royal stone tombs and Tonga's own version of Stonehenge.

Then there is the music of Tonga.

Every Sunday the islands resound with magnificent natural harmonies as the nation spends most of the day in church and huge congregations sing their hearts out.

Markets full of fresh food...magnificent woven handicrafts... a traditional Polynesian lifestyle and ancient customs.

And, oh yes, the beaches. Most visitors sit on them waiting for the ultimate natural attraction. A TONGAN SUNSET.

TRAVELLER'S CHECKS:

GETTING THERE:

Royal Tongan Airlines has a once-a-week direct flight from Sydney to Fua'amotu Airport on the main island of Tongatapu for $1243.40 return including tax. Call (02) 9799 6866.
Polynesian Airlines has a flight to Tonga from Melbourne via Wellington; and Air Pacific has flight via Nadi. Call your travel agent.

ACCOMMODATION:

There are a couple of medium-sized hotels in the capital, Nuku'alofa, some adequate guesthouses and apartments and a handful of small resorts elsewhere on the islands. Do not expect five-star luxury.

PACKAGES:

Call your travel agent or try Coral Seas Travel on 1800 641 803; Orient Pacific on 1800 808 055 or PITC on 13 27 47

INFORMATION:

Tongan Visitors Bureau, 642 King St, Newtown, Sydney. Call (02)9519 9700

READING:

Tonga by Nancy Keller and Deanna Swaney (Lonely Planet) rrp $19.95