Writes Jeremy Bourke, courtesy of RoyalAuto - TRAVEL

This year's summer holiday is taken to be like no other. It is, after all, the summer of the Millennium and, as such, a significant gesture regarding its dawning is required. Well, that's the feeling of many travellers the world over, who have brought some quiet islands in the South Pacific into sharp focus.

Those who wish to ensure they're among the first anywhere to see 2000 rising in the east have pinpointed the Kingdom of Tonga, a mere 200 km west of the International Dateline. And the diehards who want to wring every last second out of 1999 are heading Samoa-way, which can almost reach out and touch the Dateline from the other side. To do both, it's a supposedly simple matter of greeting 2000 in Tonga, then taking the two-hour flight north to Samoa, where it's always yesterday.

Herein lies the irony of Millennium-mania. There are few places in the world where time means as little than in this hub of humble, pious Polynesian lifestyle. In simple villages dotted across strings of reef-fringed atolls and volcanic outcrops, the sunset is admired for its individual beauty, not because it happens to mark the end of a tumultous 1000 years.

Married to this irony are several facts worth noting: virtually all accommodation in both countries over the new year has been booked out for up to two years; it's in the middle of the (very) wet season; and if Tonga decides not to adopt daylight saving, then the honour of being the first to shout Happy New Millennium will fall to those who've managed to cram on to tiny Chatham Island, the most easterly outpost of New Zealand.

Tonga and Samoa are more for those who enjoy the uncomplicated things in life (and at a more comfortable time of year): traditional fale (grass hut) accommodation on pristine beaches, fresh lobster, exotic fruits, warm water, colourful coral, and dolphins and whales passing by so close, you do not have to leave your hammock.

Both are within easy reach of Australia. Polynesian Airline's weekly flight from Melbourne deposits you in Tonga eight hours later, while Samoa is only 9 minutes farther on.

Of the two, Tonga presents itself as more laid-back. The Tongan culture is strong and pure, as befits the only Pacific nation never to be colonised, either by the European seafarers of the 1700s or the resort chains of the 1900s. What's left is a paradise in the true sense of the word, and the adventure in this paradise is in the pure pleasure of island hopping.

You come in through the capital Nuku'alofa which with a population of 30,000 and a maximum speed limit of 40 km/hr, has a relaxed country town feel about it. You take a day or so here to orientate yourself on the main island Tongatapu and get a feel for the Tongan village lifestyle. All you need to remember is to ask permission before photographing the impressive tapa cloth designs that you find drying in front of many houses, and that all animals - especially the ubiguitous pigs - have right of way on the roads.

The main attractions are the offshore islands, several of which are within an hour's launch ride from Nuku'alofa. Fafa Island is about the size of the playing surface of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and it's only as the boat picks its way through the reef that you realise it contains something other than palm trees - in Fafa's case, 16 fales nestled in among the vegetation a mere 40 paces from the water's edge. This is second-honey-moon territory: the hammock can take two, the bathroom is open to the elements (but in the privacy fo a courtyard), and as the sun sets, a staff member brings you a hurricane lamp so you can find your way to the restaurant along the beach or the sandy inland paths.

Farther out is the more family-oriented Royal Sunset Island Resort. This is as action-packed as Tonga gets: diving, snorkelling and fishing tours, yacht charters, and an impressive Tongan singing and dancing show once a week. Tongans love their singing, and you'll hear plenty of it if you take up the open invitation to attend the Sunday service at the village church(a good option in a country where almost everything is shut for the sabbath).

Your next stop can be Ha'apai, the central of Tonga's three main island groups. From the air, Ha'apai is a wondrous sight, like a string of sand-fringed sausages floating in an aqua sea.

In a land where the beautiful but sharp coral is always lurking just below the surface, Ha'apai's aptly named Sandy Beach Resort is beautifully positioned on a most pristine stretch of beach.

From your verandah, your beach shelter, your hammock or on the sand itself, your task is to soak up, both in mind and body, the blue sky, the bluer water and the long stretch of palms. Yet some like to set their gaze on Tofua, one of two smoking volcanoes which sit impressively on the horizon 70 km away. A good diving outfit also operates from here.

Another hour's flight north and you're in Vava'u, a wonderland of islands, channels, harbours and mountains in sharp contrast to the flat, angular southern groups. While getting to some of the best vantage points on the main island (notably Mt Talau, and Toafa Lookout) are adventures in themselves, the result is rewarding.

Most activity in Vava'u starts in or around the only town Neiafu, perched on perhaps the Pacific's safest and most tranquil harbour, Port of Refuge. The best places to stay look out over the port, including probably Tonga's most luxurious hotel, the Paradise International. Smaller propertis away from the 'bustle' of Neiafu offer seclusion and more activities, and there'd be none smaller and more secluded than Mounu Island.

This postage stamp atoll accommodates three couples only. To the tune of the surf breaking on the reef while every star in the universe twinkles at you from a faultless southern sky, host Allan Bowe makes the following day's option of swimming with the whales sound as simple as a dip in a pool.

Vava'u is a yachting haven, and out of Port of Refuge sail a succession of charter yachts to explore the 50 or so islands in the group.

For all its similarities to Tonga, Samoa couldn't be more different. In terms of development, it could be said to be well advanced, if the presence of McDonald's, traffic lights and office buildings is anything to go by. It also provides more in the way of attractions for those who want more than just a sun, sea and sand experience.

(The Samoa of this story was, until recently, Western Samoa. It's sometimes called 'Independent' Samoa, and is a separate nation from neighboring American Samoa)

Samoa for the visitor is the two main islands: Upolu (on which sits the capital Apia) and the larger but less populated Savai'i. Both are mountainous, with just narrow coastal fringes. But these fringes boast some of the most wonderful beaches in the Pacific. Getting a bed here is as easy as settling down at any of the dozens fo open-ended fales on the beach and waiting for villagers to approach with the offer of sleeping mats, mosquito nets and meals.

This is a long way in style and substance from Samoa's capital Apia, with its assortment of waterfront restaurants, clubs and hotels, including the legendary Aggie Grey's Hotel.

In the hills above Apia is Vailima, the house author Robert Louis Stevenson built. This is now the Stevenson museum, where the local guides dress in lavalavas of Stuart tartan, just as RLS's servants did in the 1890s.

If the beach villages give Upolu its charm, then the mountains behind provide the majesty. From several vantage points you look over carpets of palm tree tops, while the island's waterfalls are high and spectacular.

On the south coast of Upolu are attempts at a complete resort experience. The newest is Sinalei Reef Resort, an array of modern-design fales in a manicured garden setting. Next door is Coconuts , run by a pair of former Hollywood lawyers who've built it around a core of tree house-style rooms - a sort of Gilligan's Island chic.

An hour by ferry from Upolu is Savai'i , revered by Samoans as the "craddle of Polynesia" and by many a visitor as the most intriguing island of the region. Savai'i is a place of significant, and recent , volcanic activity. Villages are perched on black volcanic rock, and it's amazing that anything can grow in it, let alone survive various eruptions, as you'll see on lava fields of Mt Matavanu.

All this is explained in thorough but simple terms by Warren Jopling, a retired Sydney geologst who for 16 years has been taking visitors around the marvels of Savai'i. Warren even elicits the help of some local boys to demonstrate the incredible power of the Taga blow-holes. At the right moment, the boys drop coconuts into the craters, from which the shells explode seconds later.

Savai'i provides little more than basic services and accommodation, and as with most places in Tonga and Samoa, it's best to ensure your expectations don't exceed the level of service these developing nations are able to provide. The respective Tonga Visitors Bureau and Samoa Visitors Bureau, will give you sensible advice.

Coming soon are pictures associated with the article…………….

WEBMASTER