Last day in Tonga: swimming with the Humpback whales is definately the last day best spent. 23/09/2015

Here in my last night in Tonga.

Yesterday we went on 'Toni's tour'. We travelled in a very tight bus indeed to many sites including   . My favourite places were revisiting the blow holes and the giant beach arch.... We all thought that lunch was included, (it wasn't) so we ended up having to buy chips for lunch in the middle of nowhere  through the usual street shop run by Chinese with giant prison style windows. Speaking of prison windows, the Prison market' sells some of the best produce around. The barbed fences are only thigh high, as this island is so small, if you tried to escape, you would be found the next morning.

We learned more about the produce of the land. Papaya grows easily in Tonga, and New Zealand are willing to buy the Papaya for $10 a crop but it needs to be treated first. So the Aussies have offerred to come in and provide a treatment plant and go in to business with the Tongans.

 

 

 

Captain Cook's landing

Making the traditional grass skirts by hand.

 

I had dinner at 'Marco Pizza' with a lovely English couple. Dinner was super yummy. This couple have quit their jobs in England, gotten married in Fiji, they have taken a 6 month honeymoon in the South Pacific and they hope to open a hostel with an attached bar in Fiji. I'm really excited for them to take such a bold move, and hope to be their resident at their hostel some day. :)

And today, I finally got to experience my long awaited swimming with the Humpback whales. This is what drew me to Tonga. One of the diving photograohers reccomendef this to me 2 years ago while I was swimming with the whale sharks in exmouth in Western Australia.

The weather was off the last 2 days, so my dive was postphoned on both of these days. Today was my last chance to do the dive as I head home tomorrow. Alas, the sun came out, the waters were still, and I was able to swim a couple of metres away from giant Humpback whales and their babies. Incredible. 

 

A day on the boat, speaking Spanish with a fellow traveler Eduardo from Madrid and learning about Business consultancies from a very cool girl 'Nao' from Japan and David from Germany.  When not in the water with the whales, sitting in the sun in the middle of the turquoise ocean and drinking coconut juice.

I've picked uo some sort of bung eye on the way,  a reflection of how much fun I have been having. :)

Sio, from the hostel and his 2 brothers and friend came to pick me uo and drop me back to the guest house. They didnt even know where I needes to be picked up, so they just drove around till they found me. Island life. :) Sio's brother, who asked if I would 'keep him company' for the next few days told me that he had a 'mid career crisis'. After working at Toni's for 7 years, he had enough. So he spent two months drinking kava and sleeping, and now he has found work helping run another guest house. All 4 of the boys were being very cheeky with me. They keep on asking me if I am married and my age (even though they know this). So I am cheeky back and say things like 'I am 15, so I am much to young for you. ' Then they say 'age is not important!' They are very cheeky but the attention is nice. Sio says that I am missing a very important Tongan experience,  and that he will tell me what this is before I leave. I am thinking that he will say something very bold and cheeky. Or perhaps it will be something like 'you never did dance while drinking a coconut juice, this is the Tongan way. '

Tonight I am meeting Naw and David for dinner and then maybe drinks.

Tomorrow is back to Australia, hopefully by passing protests at Sydney airport in the way through!

So Tonga;

Humpback whales, kind people, nevee running in time ir communicating messages.  Turquoise ocean,  beautiful sun and intense humidty. Crazily flirtatios men, old standing traditions and cultures maintained. Community atmosphere,  delicious ceviche and coconut juice. Poverty, primative life and approaches that can be sad, frustrating but also endearing. Teaching me to slow down and not take me and my life so seriously.  Strong cocktails, big smiles, adorable children. Powerful voices in the church choir and devotion to God. Love for food and for partying.

Malo Tonga, for everything.

Until next time.
Nofo a, Xo
Rasa

Sorting out medications at the guest house, meeting up with the US Peace Corps and a bizarre night out.

Toni asked me when I arrived on Tonga, if I could sort through some medications at the guest house. As everyone may have established,  I think many of our common values are not in sync. However, I always have my nursing duty and too believe that things like medication should not be wasted for no good reason, but also that it should be given safely.

I did a similar thing for the not for profit medical organisation 'Assade' in Mexico. Both Mexico ans Tonga are given a lot of medications from overseas which have already passed their used by date. This is not right. Rich countries would not use out of date medications for the risk of toxicity or the active ingredient weakening/not working, so instead they give the drugs to poor and uneducated countries that have limited access to basic essentials.

I taught Toni about what all the drugs were used for and how to give them. There were a lot of inhalers in that stash. Toni has Emphysema from smoking heavily in his past life time. I can hear the same cough among many Tongan people here, again either from smoking or from a recent outbreak of bronchitis. I'm sure the burning rubbish doesn't help.

Today my humpback whale diving was post phoned due to bad weather. So instead today, I decided to make my way out to the 'fishing pigs' (a place where the pigs swim and catch fish in low tide). But that means making it out at low tide which wasn't until this evening. So I decided to take the bus out earlier, have some lunch and read my book until low tide.

So I found out which bus I needed to get on. That bus driver told me to get on a different bus then the second bus driver told me to get on the original bus, so I did. I told the bus driver where I was going on the map and to please stop there. A kind person on the bus did the same for me. A Mauri woman on the bus warned me 'i hope that driver knows where you want to go. ' I assured her that the bus driver had been told twice where i was going.So of course the bus driver never stopped.

Towards the end of the entire route, another Tongan guy on the bus commented on this 'the driver was told where to go but now we have gone too far.' And he re informed the bus driver about this.

Then the bus driver says to me at the end of the road 'where you wanted to go was about 10 minutes ago.' Indeed, my friend, you speak the truth. Oh, island life.

When I finally made it to the fishing pigs site, the tide was not low, it was raining and I couldn't see anything wrong except a few poor,  run down houses. I asked the bus driver if there was somewhere I could eat. He just shook his head. Not even sure if at this point,  he has understood anything that Ive said.  I decided to stay on the bus.

I spent the afternoon exploring the town. I got my hair cut my this fantastic gay haidresser called 'Kiola' who wore eye make up.
 

 I ate the local fried chicken with Casava, both equal parts of junk food fantastic and making your arteries sore (the locals love it). The people at the restaurant let me use their bathroom, seeing the kitchen of this place was amazing. Smiling people out the back with a floor so greasy you have to tip toe and smell of fat so strong it nearly knocks you out.

 

Later I found the US Peace Chores. I spoke with Geoffrey, a Nurse Practitioner from California, who speaks Tongan as he has been married to a Tongan lady for over 20 years. Geoffrey was last here years ago and is now here running the Peace Chore. He taught me about their medical clinic. They assess and  treat people on the island for minor illnesses as they have a small pharmacy.  Those who need blood work are sent to the closest city, and those who are really sick will be flown to places like Australia for treatment. I told Geoffrey that I wanted to do this kind of work,  but that legitimate agencies are hard to find, and information is impossible to get in Tonga, unless if you turn uo at someones doorstep. I gave Geoffrey a background of my experience in Nursing and he set me up with some contacts. It would be great to do this kind of work and learn the local language.

So this part I am writing on Tuesday the 22/09 as I headed out to meet Attila and his colleagues after writing the first part of the blog. I am not feeling great today, my stomach has been turned upside down! Not sure if it was because I picked every cocktail on the menu or the huge meal or the humidity. At random times through the night, all I could think was: 'this humidity is kicking my arse.' No fans, so sticky,  no matter what.

Sio dropped me in to to a bar called 'Billfish' to meet Attilla. Sio said that one thing that he always tells travellers before they go out is 'be yourself.' As soon as I arrived,  some local women and their white husbands invited us to sit with them. These women are a rowdy lot, they say that they go to 'church' (the bar) 3-5 times a week. They proudly say that their job is to 'look after their husbands'. I wonder how difficult their retired husbands must be to have to be looked after full time. The night was fun, but all a bit bizarre.  One of the younger brothers of the rowdy women (can't have been older than 18), was shyly asking me questions about my perspectives of Tongan and Australian culture and economy. Within about ten minutes he was trying to ask for my number, but I think his mum managed to drag him away while I appeared (both naturally and unintentionally) confused.

I met a Tongan guy who was shy about his job, I found out he is a part of the royal family.

Later, one of the White retirees  (to the younger Tongan girl). Said that he wanted to know more about me. I said that he could ask me anything. But I'm not going to write here what he asked! Bold indeed.

On the way home, Sio, the young driver from the guest house was asking me if I was married and if I would return to Tonga. Would I return this year? He said that he wanted to tell me something, but would tell me as I was leaving. The young fellas here dig the older women it would seem!

I am reading 'Eat Pray Love' while I am here. The author says that in Bali, the answer to give people when they ask you if you are married is 'not yet', regardless of your situation. Perhaps I should say the same here?

Nofo a

Off to church 20/09/2015

I have arrived back at the guest house after another great and Interesting day.

We started off going to church together. Serena, our lovely Tongan friend at the house prepared us for church, she gave us all colourful outfits to wear that were appropriate for church,  that covered our shoulders and knees. Serena used to be a Tongan dancer so she prepared all of our hair with flowers in beautiful arrangements.  I heard Toni yelling at his family and staff again and perhaps even hitting them this morning. This seems to be a normal occurrence.  It really saddens me as his family and staff are such good and hard working people.

The church service in town was beautiful. The king didnt turn up. The choir was amazing. Today was a special event where all of the Tongan mothers sang. Such an enormous choir full of powerful and beautiful voices, all in traditional costumes. We were the only white people in the church, no suprises.

Sunday is God's day, the day of rest here in Tonga, so virtually nothing is open, it is a ghost town. 

 

 

 

Another traveler who has arrived 'Elki' from Germany accompanied me to a Chinese hotel restaraunt as it was the only thing that we could find that was open. As it turns out, the Government in Tonga was illegally selling Tongan passports to China years ago. As a result,  many people from China have set up a lot of business here, which has put a lot of Tongans out of work. Naturally the Tongans were angry about this. Apparently half of this Island was burned down as a subsequent uproar from the Tongans a few years ago.

The streets were so dead, so Elki and I were hoping to either see 'The fishing pigs' or the blow holes. 

Walking past the Royal Palace on the way home.

 

Just evacuate to the highest point on the island...there is no high point, it is completely flat...

Both are on other sides of the island, with no transport running. Its true though, hitch hiking really is the way to go here. On a road of no cars, the only two cars that drove past stopped for us when we signaled them. The first of which, was going another direction but helped us with directions and general travel advice. The second car, waved and kept going, so we wondered if we confused him. We were about to call the hostel to arrange a lift back and then the second car came back. He asked 'you signaled me before? ' we told him where we were trying to go.

This man was  a local called Daniel. Daniel had picked up some bread to deliver to his grandmother (the bread shop is open on Sundays).

Daniel said that he had nothing to do, so he drove us for 40 minutes  to the blow holes, he apologised and said that he couldnt drive us back. 

The blow holes were so beautiful, oith exciting and relaxing to watch. 

 

 

 

Daniel ended up staying with us and drove us home. What a dude! This is not what you would find back home. He told us all about his life. How Tonga has no University.  So he studied Science in Fiji but cannot find work in that area in Tonga. Daniel owns about 25 pigs, and has dogs. He also has chickens but he said that his neighbors usually eat his chickens while he is away. He warned us that many of the dogs bite, so be careful. Daniel told us that he has no traditional tattoos, as he wanted to be different from all of his family who are tattooed. He said that most people learn to tattoo themselves anyway. So if you give some marijuana to a tattoo artist, they'll generally do a tattoo for you with no added cost. Daniel said that he spotted us in the (catholic) church this morning. He told us that The Mormon churches are designed to have tennis courts attached and he showed us on the way home. Daniel corrected me in saying that most Tongan families tend to have 15 children! However 'family planning' has been recently introduced, as people are finding mg it hard to support such big families, schooling also used to be free but now everyone has to pay. All of the land is cultivated, thousand of coconut trees and mayolk, banana and pineapple treas. Manyolk is amazing,  a root vegetable similar to potato, you push the stick in to the ground and a week or two later it is growing. Forgive me, I have no idea how to spell 'Mayolk', I tried to research how to spell it and can't find it, which means that I have mispelt it terribly!

Also squash are a common thing to be grown. Its so great to learn from the locals. We gave Daniel some money, but he was trying to insist that we don't.

We bumped in to some Aussies on the way home, who have just arrived, employeed by the Australian Government to help regulate trade here. We told them that we were trying to find information online about volunteering but that this was scarce. I even handed in an application to volunteer with an animal recue and care agency and never heard back! They agreed that information is hard to get here and its best to just turn up to places on the island like the peace chore.

Its nice to be drinking a pot of tea and reading my book. No screens here other than my telephone.

Nofo a

Xo
Rasa

Tsunami was predicted to hit Tonga and I found out after.... plus Tongan dinner and traditional dancing 17/09/2015

 I found out from Selena at the guesthouse that a Tsunami was meant to hit Tonga. With authentic island communication, Selena asked 'Did you get a message on your phone about the Tsunami?' 'No' I replied. 'It was predicted to hit Tonga at 1:19am, but it didn't.' Well that's good to hear!

Tonga remains on tsunami alert

Thursday, September 17, 2015 - 18:56.  Updated on Sunday, September 27, 2015 - 16:16.

Nuku'alofa, Tonga

Tonga remains on alert tonight during a Pacific tsunami watch, after a tsunami was generated off the coast of Chile earlier today. Tonga’s Chief Meteorological Officer ‘Ofa Fa’anunu said at 6:15pm that if the wave remains at its forecasted height of between .3 -1M as it approaches the Pacific islands, they will issue a marine warning later this evening.
“We will issue a marine alert about six hours out and three hours out,” he said. The alerts will be on the local government radio and on 87.5FM, as well as by email and on the Tonga Met website.
Tonga Met has not issued a warning for Tonga at the moment because “we don’t want people to panic”, he said.
“We are waiting for it to pass French Polynesia and to see the tidal gauges as it approaches Tonga,” he said.
According to forecasts from the NWS Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre today the tsunami is expected to pass Pitcairn Island at about 8:15pm (Tonga time), and move through French Polynesia between 9:00pm and 11:12pm (Tonga time). It is forecast to reach Nuku'alofa in Tonga at 1:19am tonight.
“If it was above 1 metre it should be a real threat to the islands and in that case we would issue a [land] warning,” said ‘Ofa, who is not expecting the tsunami to to reach that height in Tonga.
 “We have had a couple of these events before and we didn’t get much when the wave went through,” he said “The forecast is kind of elevated because of the uncertainties,” he said.

So the Tongan dinner and traditional dance in the cave was wonderful.  The Tongan fella who runs the show is incredibly charasmatic. He was telling us that his father used to own a resort at the same place, that provided Tongan food. His father, on his death bed years ago, asked his son to revive the restaurant. His son did this, twice over as a cyclone knocked it all down the first time. This man said that this did him a favour by knocking down what he didn't want. He said that one tree was left, to show that god had been there.

This man told us all about his beautiful family and his praise for his wife who raised their 6 kids. It seems that in Tonga, the average number of children to have is 6. He talked about how in Tonga, they have managed to still own their own land and culture. You can feel this here. Tonga only has 100 thousand people, in comparison to say Fiji that has over a million people. Tonga's life is not directed on making tourists happy, they just live their life as they want to.

Ive decided that Tongan ceviche (raw fish marinated in lemon), seaweed and coconut and coconut clams and fish are my favourite Tongan foods. The roast pork was pretty amazing too.

I think I will only eat fish while I am here, which makes sense as I am in the Pacific Ocean. I was warned by an English medical student,  working in Tonga,  that the cocktails are lethal. I thought she was overexaggerating. Not true, I drank one, solid alcohol, could hardly stand!

I love the Tongan traditional dancing and costumes,  especially for the men; so powerful and fierce.

 

Today I caught a ferry out to the  Pangaimotu  island. There are a family of about 5 that live on this island. It was bliss, we hiked around the island had lunch and swam. I attempted to snorkle but the snorkle piece was broken so it kept filling up with water! There was also a strong current.  I fell in love with the island doggies and cats. The dogs followed us around the island and the cats cuddled up to us at lunch. The cats looked a little thin but still happy. 

 

 

 

 

I left  the handicraft flower that I bought by accident on the beach. That's what happens when you get super relaxed! I guess some people can relax intensely on the beach and not lose their things? I'm not one of them though!

Ah well, off to the market to get flower number two.

 

One of my new traveller friends 'Attila' said that Tongan is one of the most corrupt countries in the world, well, there you go.

 

Attila also said that he received the previous Tsunami warning through a note on his bed left my his hotel reception staff saying: 'Tsunami predicted to hit Tonga at 1:15am. Thank you.' Love it!

I'm certainly adjusting to island life, along with its frustrations of island time. Like Atilla said about his hotel ' my friend and I ordered bacin and eggs, the first one came out in an hour, the next one, half and hour later. How long does it take to make bacon and eggs?!' It kind of teaches you to slow down and not take things so seriously.

I can here singing again outside my window and I love it so much.

Tomorrow I will go to church.  The king might even be there! The royal family takes on most of Tonga's money, but Ive been told that everyone loves the king and he loves the Tongan people just as much.

I wanted to go out tonight, but it would be on my own. Ive been convinced by the other travellers to wait until we all go out together to keep safe. The 20.year old Tongan boy said he will come along too! It will be his first night ever drinking.  He told me 'you will turn me bad'! I told him that I was not responsible foe his actions!

Sweet dreams

Xoxo

A day out in Nuku Alofa 19/09/2015

Malo e lelei,

I'm back at the hostel after a big day out at my island, Nuku Alofa.

The crew at the hostel gave me a lift out as I planned to get a bike for the day.

Toni was telling me that in terms of lack of human rights, Tonga places 6 in the world. Toni said that this is confusing as everyone is Tonga seems so happy, no? 

I asked Toni what human rights was based on in this circumstance,  and how Tonga placed 6th. Toni said that it was because if domestic and child abuse. Toni said that women here can only be abused 'if they consent to it.' And that when women are hit by their husbands, their kids know to behave. But if the wives are not hit for a few days, the children start mucking up again. Toni said, so there is some logic there, isn't there? He asked me if I had heard of this kind of thing. I said that I hadn't. This all made me feel very uneasy and angry, but I kept my mouth shut. I know that New Zealand is trying to implement mandatory domestic abuse reporting as the incidences are so high. I wonder what will happen here.

The bike hire place was closed (why?) So on foot I went!

I started off walking by the wharf and then was approached by the sturdy guard trying to pick me up. I politely exited away and made my way to the market. Most of the clothes here are second hand and appear much to big for me. I settled on some pants that I'm not sure even fit me and might be see through. There was no where for me to try them on. The make and female owners of the shop suggested that I just take off my other shorts to try them on in the middle of the market  I giggled and told them that I already stuck out enough here without taking off my pants!

The market was great fun, lots of handicrafts and fresh vegetables. I bought a lovely artificial flower for my hair which I think is made from the coconut tree.

I managed to find a bus that went to the West of the island so that I could go for a swim. I love getting little local buses. I live how old they are, how there are no actual bus stops and everyone just crams on.

I really wanted to go for a surf but I don't think it will happen this trip. You need to get a charter boat out to where the waves break by the reef. The receptionist by the beach said that people return all cut up from the reef and their boards the same way, so much that they don't actually rent any boards. Much too advanced for me with the foam board! The receptionist also said that she thought I dressed appropriately,  its just that the Tongan people are excited by the 'palangi' (white people).

So I went for a a swim instead. I was told to go to this beach because I would have 'less people hassling me. ' It was very nice to have the whole beach to myself! The ocean floor is a bit spooky to step on though, as its mounted with hard coral.

I walked home, waiting for a bus to come up along side me that never came! I enjoyed the walk but was finding it hard to believe that it was 24 degrees as it felt much hotter. I rejected 3 taxis that offered me a lift as I was committed on getting the bus (its cheaper and a lot more colourful). 

Then no one drove past me! I savoured the walk by buying an icecream along the way.:)

On part of my accidental epic walk, I stumbled across a medical clinic supported by Aus Aid. I decided to knock on the door and introduce myself but it was locked. I'm sensing a theme here...

A man who worked at one of the resorts previously offered me a lift but I rejected it as I was sure a bus would come, and I wasn't sure if I was being silly getting a lift with a stranger.

He saw he walking on the way back and said ' you have walked a REALLY long way'. This was true,  so I took him up on the lift offer. He was very friendly and genuine and we picked up some of his friends kids along the way as school had finished. These kids are so cute. I really love the Islander kids and they seem to love me too. They even gave me Tongan cake to share with them and taught me how to play a game on their phone.

All the kids on the island wave furiously to you and are keen to start conversation.

Back in town, everyone is wearing red, Tongan football theme music is blaring and cars are paraded around the street covered in red and white balloons and Tongan flags. The Tongan rugby team versus Fiji tomorrow.  It's so exciting to be in a country when these kinds of things are happening. :)

Tonight I go to a traditional dinner and dance ceramony in a cave. Should be fun. :)

Nofo a

Xo

Made it to Tonga somehow!

Wow, I made it to Tonga!

 3 hours of broken sleep, a bus at 215 am to Auckland and arriving at Tonga at 1130am. The plane trip was awful cause the head rest wasn't able to move for you to rest against. So I was constantly falling asleep then waking up from falling off my chair for 3 hours, among some very noisy and obnoxious Mauri girls.

I am certainly feeling the island life here, I really feel like I am off the map, which is great! People here continue to ask me why I came to Tonga and are surprised that I am here on my own.

I'm the only backpacker at the guest house right now, but this is a true blessing tonight as I am exhausted and needing a good nights sleep. I spent the afternoon sleeping too!

I bought some food from an super market that appeared to be run by a Chinese family that didnt speak a word (of any language) to you and sold nothing fresh but apples. I have seen some fresh food at stalls randomly along the way which I might buy as I go. Fridges are a rarity (my hostel has one that doesn't feel cold). Electricity in Tonga in general is a bit scarce.

The infrastructure here all looks pretty primitive. I don't have a key to the hostel, you just walk in.

I saw some foreigners on my plane ( a couple) but I do feel like the only white person on this island! Aside from Toni, the guy who runs this hostel. Toni saw an ad for Tonga in the readers digest 25 years ago, he wanted to escape the English winters, so he has lived in Tonga ever since, married with children.

The climate here is fantastic,  right now is a low of 18 and top of 24 degrees. I love the smell of this place,  breathing in all of the island plants and trees, and what people are making for dinner. Island doggies wander around as well as people on motorbikes that look well overdue for servicing.

I went for a walk after my nap and I felt like I had accidentally paraded the white girl for the islander boys, everyone was honking their horns, yelling stuff out and whistling.  I stick out like a sore thumb!

I was talking to the nice young islander boy who works at the hostel, I told him about my experience walking today. I asked him if he felt I needed to wear more clothes, he said 'yes'. Ill have to keep my eyes peeled for a long Tongan dress. The young boy said that I should be careful walking by the bushes on my own , as some.people are dangerous.

I had to end up asking for a lighter from a household of Tongan guys. They gave me one but they stared at me like I was very strange!

We have a gas stove top here but the family next door use up all of the matches for cigarettes. :p

One of the Tongan women 'Lena' who works at the hostel, has been very sweet to me. We spent time talking about Tongan cultures and traditions as we drank kava together as I bought some from a family near by. It is my first time drinking it. It is fun to prepare, it has an earthy taste and makes your tongue and throat feel like you have drunk anesthetic. I like it. :)

It is a public holiday today as it is the Kings Coronation today. so everything is shut but all night I have heard people singing Tongan church hymns among the sound of crickets?  Some dogs barking and the breeze,  its fantastic.

Toni told me about a Canberra student nursing group that has done some nursing placements in Tonga. Naturally I knew both of the course convenors that run the group. I am starting not to be surprised that I find Canberra connections no matter where you are in the world.

Tomorrow I might hire a bike and go for a swim. Tomorrow night I will go to a traditional dinner with dancing.

Love Rasa

Leaving for Tonga after no sleep and a good old zorbing 17/09/2015

Oh my goodness. I am so deliriously tired! I barely slept the night before last, and last night I had 3 hours of broken sleep before getting my 215am shuttle in to Auckland.

It was very emotional leaving Tauranga,  my old standing relationships and new ones that still carry so much intensity. Maybe I will work here some time? I would at least not be too far from home.

Yesterday morning I spent at the play centre with Andrea and Mason. I sure am learning a lot about motherhood this trip!

Andrea and I had a go zorbing yesterday afternoon in Rotarua. It was mighty expensive and a little nauseating as i was so sleep deprived, but epic fun. My stomach hurts today from laughing so hard! For anyone who doesnt know what zorbing is; my explanation might make it sound more bizarre. You are placed inside a giant rubber ball with a little bit of water, and then you are rolled down a hill, where the speed can reach 30km an hour. This was set amongst the rolling hills in Rotorua with sheep nearby, so beautiful!

Zorbing has a similar effect of being on an extreme water slide. The video that we watched afterwards was hilarious, a constant mix of laughing and screaming and falling all over the place getting dunked in water! At the same zorbing place, they have jakoozies set up for after your zorb, sooo good. And no, that's not a picture of me in the zorb, cause I didn't want to pay $50 for a photo, damn tourist traps! watching the go pro footage afterwards was incredibly funny though! Andrea did such a good job managing to hold on to the go pro while I was swishing around like a drunk hamster.

I spent the evening at the hostel with Lucho and his friends who spent 10 hours lifting 25kg bags of a 'bora' chemical at a factory. They said that the factory was run by Mauri's and that they all had a hard time understanding them but regardless just nodded enthusiastically to everything.  I was told that I was much easier to understand then many other New Zealanders and Australians. I explained that I make a big effort when I travel and meet people who have English as a second language, to speak clearly and slowly. We talked about the complexities of different languages; French, Spanish and English. I didn't feel ready to leave, but I needed to try and get a teeny bit of sleep before Tonga.

I think my first day in Tonga will be sleeping, and I am definately okay with this. Again, I contemplated staying in a beautiful beach side resort, but, staying at  a backpackers really is the way to meet people and see a country.

It looks like a less than 30 of us will be getting on this plane to Tonga.  People ask why I am going to Tonga and I say, diving with humpback whales, I tell them I cared for a family from Tonga, I mention the TV show 'Jonah from Tonga'. But really the answer is, why not?  There is something great about going to a country that all you can find in a travel agent or even on the internet, half a page of information!

Yay Tonga! But even more, yay for sleep soon. Totally worthwhile sleep deprivation but will be great to sleep none the less.

Kia Ora

 Xo Rasa

Day two at Mount Maunganui 16/09/2015

Today  Andrea and I had take 2 of attempting to surf at the beach at Mount Manganui.

Today's surf was even flatter than yesterday.  It was completely still! So we went for another walk. We sat for forever on top of the cliffs talking about family and life. We talked about how our lives were both good and in different ways, and how you cannot really predict where life will take you. We talked about the 'sliding doors' thing, where one movement in your life can take you in a completely different direction. 

We had coffee and cake at the most amazing cafe; I could have eaten everything!

Andrea and I spent the afternoon at the hot springs where I was with Andrea last time I was here. I could have stayed there all day. Naturally heated water surrounded by New Zealand plants trees and birds is everything that makes me relaxed and happy.

In the evening I met up with Lucho and his friends, he is a South American traveler who has a working visa for New Zealand for a year before he starts work as a graduate Veterinarian. Lucho and his friends are very kind  and patient  my bad Spanish. And it was fun floating in between English and Spanish. I hung out with the group of travelers at the hostel also on working visas, and we talked about culture, life and politics between all of our different countries. This is one of the things that I love the most about travel.

All of the travelers were saying that it was hard to get work in New Zealand but that they were happy to do anything; factory work, farming, fruit picking, you name it, regardless of their skill set or previous jobs.

I got very little sleep last night but it was totally worth it!

I think we will go zorbing this afternoon.

Tomorrow will be a 215am shuttle pick up to get to Auckland, I'm gonna be an absolute zombie by the  time I get to Tonga! Ah well, all worth it. :)

Day at Mount Maunganui 14/09/2015

Andrea, Mason and I have just returned from the beach and Mountain are near Tauranga called 'Mount  Maunganui'.  

This place is just as beautiful as I remember it to be 2 years ago when I was last here.

The surf was weak  (even for me, the beginner). So we went for a walk together around the mountain by the sea. I'm so keen to go running again, but my body needs to recover.  Its nice to have a break and slow down  a bit too.

A lot of the morning, I was spending feeling reflective. I had terrible dreams last night. I think seeing Andrea with Mason has made me wonder when I will feel maternal and when or if I will have eternal love with another. 

When I was younger I was so sure by this age that I would want kids! A part of can see that all those things will be wonderful.  But another part of me is too scared about such a commitment and scared about it not working out.

The Mauri woman who spoke to us at the spiritual workshop said that each of us have different ways that we need to fulfill our spirituality. She used examples like being on the beach and feeling the sand in between the toes. She also talked about how she felt she needed to leave Auckland where she lived her whole life in order to explore her spirituality. 

She said that that making this move was both hard and incredible (in equal doses) as all of her loved ones still live in Auckland. I guess this is a lot of how I feel. I do feel like a part of me belongs at the beach. And I would love to get a one way ticket travelling, working however I can and learning languages and culture wherever I can. I'm also aware of how important my family and friends in my life are, and how hard it would be to be away from them, especially my grand dad. Most places that I travel to, I could see myself living there. And I can again see this with Tauranga, I felt that when I was last year.

 I love the culture of New Zealand, the landscape and the people in it. Perhaps I could create 7 of me to live in many different places? One of me could go and party while the other would stay in Canberra and get settled? 

Maybe Ill end up being a foster Mother if I don't end up feeling maternal? I quite like that idea actually. Before all that, a pet seems more appealing anyway. :p

I'm gonna miss Andrea so much when I leave.

Little ones help to bring you back to the present moment. Mason was having the greatest time, watching the crabs in the water,  the sheep, lambs and bunnies by the mountain and the seals.

We found a dead star fish that we took home with us. We ate the NZ Copenhagen ice creams at the end. It was brilliant.

Andrea seems to have recovered from her epic hangover which is good news too. :p

Its nice not having a schedule when you are away, having naps in the afternoon and  reading a lot more. Going for walks by the nearby historical village is lovely too. Oh and the sun, I was meant to be born in a sunny place!

Kia Ora.