Camping Tongan Style

We have finally done it and got our first of hopefully many camping trips in. With two weeks of prep's - finding out who owns the Is and who we need to see about staying on it, then a nervous week of watching the weather we were off. We headed out to Malinoa Is on the out skirts of our reef system. We had some friends along to add to the experience. Rachael our self confessed whale spotting bad luck charm was no longer, as on the way into the Is a pod of whales came in right near the boat. After a short play it was onto the Is with access restricted to high tides only. We lugged the gear ashore, I thought I said one night but as you can see below, we could have stayed a week and I'm sure if we didn't all work it could have been the case.

The crew, luggage, boat and a magical back drop.

Jodie and Annie relaxing in luxury.

Anyone want to go home? Not! We set up under the shade of the coconut trees.

Mr Tommy Tippee made a relaxed weekend of it, rag hat and all.

Sports for the day consisted of football with the kids, collecting shells, catch and release fishing, canoeing, snorkeling, swimming, jumping off the sand ledge and collecting drift wood for our fire (we were responsible and took heaps ourselves).

Lyndon with a trumpet fish on fly.

Dyl with his Tusk fish from the canoe on a Popper.

Em launching into her long jumps in another attempt to fly. Think she wants to be a pilot.

The afternoon was spent on the windward side of the island with beers watching the kids swim and generally enjoying island life.

The view from our tents at sunset.

Would you expect Dyl to be doing anything else?

Washing up time with Red wine.

One of our visitors during the night. These sea snake come up to shed their skin between the branches.

We set up a bon-fire down on the sand point to kick back around and eat marshmallows but sadly they melted during the heat of the day! It also doubled up as a good way to clean up the rubbish left on the island by fisherman and tides. We even had an emu parade the next morning to collect all the plastics/glass, which we took home.

Lyndon slept in the boat and this was his view at sunrise, but he still woke up to the kids yelling out for the canoe.

Breakfast Ozzy style.

The next morning we woke to another set of whales off the island this time they were so close that Dyl and Lyndon canoed out for a close up look. See the bomby in the foreground and the huge black thing at the back is mum & bub whale just floating by.

The coral and snorkeling was magical but the shots never do the colours any justice.

Canoe rides anyone?

The island clean and the boat loaded we moved out to the edge of the reef just after high tide for our last snorkel and swim . That done it was a sleepy journey home for all of the kids bar one, until we hit whales again as they said good-bye and we hope, please come again with a fin wave.

Sunday Sea

Finally after two weeks of unpleasant weather we had a chance to load up the boat and head out for the day. Best of all it fell on a weekend. We had a few friends join us and headed out to sea with no real plans. When we stuck our nose out of the reef though it was a little sloppy but luckily on our way back toward Ata'ta we spotted..... whales. How bazaar during whale season and all. We have been so lucky this season and finally Jodie got to see them close up and this time it was a group of mothers and calves. We hung around them for about 3/4 of an hour then headed off.

And the photo shoot begins.

This time it was Jodie's chance to snap off a couple of rippers.

All the mum's on the boat were putting life jackets on the kids when they saw the size of this mum coming out of the water between us and her baby. Ah the belated protective instinct.

Dylan and Blaise having a rest on the bow while Lyndon found us a nice sheltered anchorage.

Swim time off the back of the boat. John and Clancy having a splash.

Em attempting to walk on water.

On the way home we then stopped at Pangi Is for a late lunch with beers and a play on the sand. Our friend Jen (very Irish) keep us entertained all day with her excitement and classic sayings. And she is sure that 'ues ave' the accent and not her. To be sure it was a wee ripper of a day!

Ocean of Light School Concert

The kids school - Ocean of Light, had their yearly school concert last weekend to raise funds for improvements around the school, (we hope!) Anyway, it was a whole day event with BBQ, raffles, cake stalls and the concert with each of the classes (both Jr and High School) performing, usually a dance by the Tamasi'i (boys) and one by the Ta'ahine (girls) then a combined dance. The kids covered everything from traditional to modern dance and the outfits were in most cases amazing. The parents put so much time and effort into the traditional outfits made by hand from Tapa, woven leaves and flowers. But Jodies' favourite is the head wear - she is picking up some great ideas for race day outfits when she returns. Em loves to get dressed up and perform the traditional dances but Dyl is a more modern kind of kid.

Emily's class ready to hit the stage. Em is becoming the seasoned dancer nowa days.

Ellie Rose putting money on the girls. The teachers waited on the sides to collect it off them later for the donations.

Dyl with mates during their modern section of his performance. Both mum and dad are still unsure about the hoody though.

An example of the outfits and these girls are prep equivalent back home. See what Jodie means about the amazing head pieces

The boys completed traditional dances of the warriors ( called maka) to prove endurance.

This was a stand out and it is made totally of croton leaves. Apparently the women of the family gather around two nights before the performance and knock these up while having a chat.

On The Spot - Stage Fright Performance

Friday night saw us head out to catch up with Em's dance troupe from "On The Spot", she had missed too much this time around with our Ozzy holiday and all so she sat it out although she did most of the moves in the crowd. In addition to this entertainment, the "On The Spot" group danced, they had live music between acts which also included another individual singer and the main act was an improvisation competition with the assistance of a visiting dance troupe from New Caledonia.

Three teams made up of 4 or 5 members and they are given two words (sometimes from the crowd) and they have 1 minute to make up a 3 min play. Each round was one team against another then they would swap. It was very entertaining, three languages with lots of french accents even from the Tongans and some with no language at all which all added to the comedy of the night. Some of the subjects were '15 & babies', 'Tonga & aliens', buffalo & bicycle', 'newspaper & election' to name a few. The improvisation was fantastic and sometimes they included the crowd, we would then vote with our hands and made as much noise for our favourite team.

On The Spot troupe including the Band and some of the visiting dance troupe.

The view from the bleachers of the girls shacking their booty.

Dylan on stage helping Yvanne with his play.

The live band, the girl was the main singer and she had the most amazing voice. As all Tongan seem to, must be all that singing in church.

Initially it was 4 babies on stage and they ran away so they stole 15 new babies from the kids in the crowd to replace them.

Emily hits Double Digit's

We awoke on the 10th of Sept with a Big Happy Birthday to our now Ten year old Emily. It was a big day as you would only expect, after a slow start as she is becoming more like mum and enjoying the sleep ins. She unwrapped her presents and thanks to you all for the great selection with big Hugs and Kisses from Em too. Dylan supervised the destruction of any wrapping paper then it was off to school. Mum was on her game as usual and built a pair of thongs (pluggers) for her school cake, as requested by Em. Mum and Dad took it into school at lunch time and everyone sang her Happy Birthday and Happy Long Life (a Tongan song) then they demolished the pluggers.

Unwrapping pressies was a great way to wake up.

Mum and another amazing creation.

Mr Nick and the Class 5 gang.

After school Em had a group of friends come over for a sleep over. Dyl stayed in too, he did a good job with that many crazy girls in one house. BBQ Dinner (with lots of explanations of what food actually was for the girls who hadn't had so many Ozzy choices before), dress ups, games down stairs and in the room, art and craft and then it was time for the big surprise. Mum had organised a Tongan Crockenbush as Em has been asking for one ever since master chef back in Oz. After the third cake it was time for Mary Poppin's (the original) and then off to bed. With the occasional call from Jodie of 'Go to sleep you girls!'

Lyndon's work mate Semisi made this cake for Em's birthday - it too was fantastic. Like the spelling of her name? Tongan style.

The Q tribe and the Crockenbush. (Tongan style)

The sleep over crew.

What a bunch of clowns.

After a good / short nights sleep it was up for pancakes, maple syrup and icing sugar! Then another session of screaming around the house before it was all over for another year.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMILY ROSE!!!!!!! WE LOVE YOU

The Quirky Chooker-ia is OPEN

Finally the Quirky Chooker-ia is open for business and housing five chooks - four Australian Reds and one Tongan chook. The Tongan chook belongs to no other than....... EM, just to be different. It is a black chook so Em named it Blue-Berry?? She flew the coop on day one, who new tongan chooks were so fast but after a successful recapture by the kids she was grounded/clipped. So no more flying off into the trees as she has proven to be our best layer so far.

This has been a long project so much so that the kids were actually beginning to use it as a cubby house and it's possibly big enough to house a small Tongan family. Our plan was to wait for our return from our Ozzy Ski holiday before we picked up the chooks from friends, Chris and Clare who own a local chook farm. The kids helped along the way with construction and also painted each other when we gave it a lick of paint. Lyndon and the kids also designed the name board for art and craft one morning. We also promised the kids they could pick out their own chooks so if they don't lay (become pets) they only have themselves to blame.

Speaks for itself. The I is a worm.

The frames were cut in the shed then moved into place.

A few beers later and a lick of paint she's all green.

Opening day. The Quirky tribe with the final product - Quirky's Chooker-ia.

With no chooks to be seen a couple of turkeys moved in.

Em picking out her Tongan chook, Blue-Berry with the help of her friend Marilin and family.

Five chooks in a box. Not quiet KFC.

Dyl unloading his chooks before Em let hers escape.

All safe and sound in the lap of luxury. Some of the luckiest chooks in Tonga I'd say.

Production bagan on the first morning and hopefully will continue.

Our plan is to let them free roam around our yard during the day and then into the pen for the evenings. Lyndon's next project is to fence in the vegie garden to keep the chooks out.