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Adventurer, sea kayaker and environmentalist Doug Spence and his
partner-wife Sharon discovered the Vava’u Islands in the Kingdom
of Tonga while on a sea kayaking expedition several years ago. Today
they spend half their time in the island group operating their
Friendly Islands Kayak Company - introducing other adventurers to
the joys of paddling in this untouched tropical paradise. And this
is Doug Spence’s dilemma - how far, in the name of eco-tourism,
can he intrude on this remote island with its unsullied beauty and
ingenuous South Pacific culture?
Three degrees west of the international date-line I find myself
riding the peaks and troughs of half-meter high waves in a double
Tofino sea kayak amongst the Vava’u Islands, South Pacific. In the
20 knot wind the bow of the kayak slices the waves, shooting a
cooling white spray onto my paddling partner in front of me. Only a
few kilometers to the east, the fringing reef, which protects the
Vava’u Group, stops waves much higher from entering the island
group. I’m looking around to check the group of paddlers, when
over the din of the trade wind I hear the distinctive holler of the
Tongan cowboy: "Yeee haaaa!" ‘Epeli Lavaki, with his
beaming cheek-to-cheek grin displaying a row of white shiny teeth,
rides the waves with which he is so familiar.
The facial expression of ‘Epeli’s paddling buddy instantly
transforms from one of apprehension to delight when she hears his
cowboy call. In challenging conditions such as these, I tend to use
comforting lines such as, "... our seaworthy double-kayaks are
especially designed for these conditions" and "... these
kayaks require no previous kayaking experience and everyone adapts
very quickly to the paddling skills required." ‘Epeli’s
method of comforting nervous souls seems to work just as well.
Our clients come from all over the world to experience sea kayaking
in this tropical Kingdom, and to participate in what is now a
buzz-word in the travel industry, namely "eco-tourism."
Kiwis, Australians, Canadians, Americans, Europeans and other
nationalities come together to form a collage of skin tones, accents,
cultures and backgrounds. The Friendly Islands is truly a perfect
setting in which to promote cross-cultural contact, cultural
sensitivity and environmental responsibility¾ the three main facets
of eco-tourism.
In the early afternoon the group sets to work erecting a beach camp
where we will spend two nights. Tarps and tents go up, water for a
refreshing drink boils of the gas stove, life vests and sprayskirts
are slung to dry in the warm trade wind, and fruit and vegetables
are hung from trees in mesh bags to air. All the cooking is done on
gas stoves. The occasional camp fire is set alight, using coconut
fronds and husks, either in the intertidal zone or in an existing
‘umu pit which the Tongans use to cook their underground meals.
After a cup of tea, ‘Epeli escorts the group on food detail into
an outer island village while explaining, in his perfect English,
details of his culture and environment. ‘Epeli, ‘Iloa and
Ma’a-our three indigenous guides have lived all their lives in
Vava’u¾ diving, fishing and tending their crops. Now they are our
link to their culture. Their roles include providing information on
Tonga’s environment and culture, arranging cultural events such as
feast and kava ceremonies in outer island villages, interpreting
their language, obtaining water, supplying fresh fish and coconuts
and purchasing fresh produce from the islanders.
The village of Taunga¾ the only one on Taunga Island¾ is clean and
simple. The people are friendly and polite and busy themselves in
their daily activities. While most of the men of the village are out
fishing or tending to the bush, the women weave mats for their fales
(houses), beat tapa (the bark of the mulberry tree is ground into a
paper like cloth and used for artwork), wash the families clothes by
hand and care for the young and old. It’s like a walk back in time.
These people are doing as they have done for centuries.
Back at camp Sharon and I prepare one of
our international meals while ‘Epeli climbs a coconut tree and
cuts open coconuts for his thirsty guests. I quietly contemplate
‘Epeli’s newly found profession as he sets his friends into fits
of laughter with his good humour, quick wit and contagious laugh.
Ironically two principles of his faith¾ the Ba’hai faith¾ are
cultural diversity and environmental responsibility. Where we are
camped is very close to a camp site where Paul Theroux camped in his
controversial but descriptive book, "The happy Islets of
Oceania". In the chapter on sea kayaking in Vava’u Paul
describes:
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"It was a perfect area for paddling a kayak¾ perhaps the best
in the Pacific. There was a surfy side and a safe side to each
island¾ the lee shores usually had the beaches; all were secluded,
all were lovely. There were no tourists, no signs at all, and no
litter¾ no indication that human beings had ever set foot on these
outer islands."
Where the Pacific plate slides the Asia-Australia plate, terrific
earth pressures slowly force upwards the coral islands of Tonga.
These islands are formed on the tops of two parallel ridges. The
western ridge, comprising of many dormant and active volcanoes, and
the eastern ridge, made up of raised and low coral islands, are
separated by the 50 kilometer wide Tofua Trough. The largest of the
eastern-ridge islands, Uta Vava’u, rises in three distinct
terraces to a height of 213 m. This main island is separated from
the 50 odd outer islands by narrow channels and coral reefs.
The day after our camp at Taunga the trade winds subsided to a
gentle breeze. After a breakfast of crepes filled with pineapple,
papaya and mangoes, and a hot cup of Royal Tongan cowboy coffee, we
set out for a day of kayaking and snorkelling at a few of the
neighbouring islands. Vava’s’s patchwork of islands affords
ample opportunity for exploring caves, skirting rocky shorelines and
coral reefs, drifting along shallow turquoise water, picnicking and
combing white sand beaches. During the day while paddling on the
oily-flat sea we sight brown boobies, frigate birds, noddies,
several varieties of terns and a turtle. Kayakers may also encounter
porpoises, humpback whales, flying foxes, sea snakes and a variety
of birds.
At Fua’motu Island, on the east side, we put on snorkelling gear
and plunged into the 25° C water. While ‘Epeli swam ahead with a
spear, Sharon and I showed our guests several species of reef fish
and some of the marine hazards. Below myriad fish, such as the tiny
iridescent blue damsel, the gaily coloured clown and parrot fish
darted amongst multi-hued coral pinnacles. Lunch time provided us
with barbecued reef fish, a sushi salad and fresh fruit.
I continually check the cultural and environmental impact our
presence is having on the area. One evening around the beach
campfire I asked ‘Epeli what impact he thought about the issue.
After a quiet pause and a few puffs on his rollie cigarette, he
explained to me: "As the world is getting smaller with more
faster and cheaper modes of travel, the joining of cultures is
inevitable. So what better way then to bring all these cultures
together and teach them (our clients) to be conscientious visitors
rather than tourist invaders. I believe in the eradication of all
forms of prejudice including religious, racial, national and sex to
name a few and that with cultures coming together, we have to
achieve this if we are going to live together as a world race. So it
all comes down to respect for each other."
At Ano Beach we arrange an ‘umu feast with Matoto, the town
officer of Pangaimotu village. After our group purchased some local
handicrafts the Tongans brought the gastronomic delight to us on a
pola, a table top made from woven coconut fronds. The whole affair,
consisting of roast suckling pig complemented by fresh root
vegetables, octopus, reef fish, and tropical fruits such as papaya
in coconut milk, was steamed in an underground oven or ‘umu.
Following the feast the Tongan men strummed cords on banjoes and
guitars and sang in perfect harmony while charming children and
friendly women in colourful robes danced their graceful steps.
On the last day of paddling the trades were behind. We launched our
kayaks, filled with two large garbage cans to be recycled. As we
surfed in the kayaks back to our home base the call from many happy
cowboys and cowgirls of "yep, yep, yee-haaa" echoed over
the water. The experience of the adventure bonded yet another group
of cultures together. Seven people from diverse backgrounds, all
with different goals in life and different outlooks. But what they
do have in common is having participated in eco-tourism and taking a
few special concepts home with them, that of cultural sensitivity
and environmental responsibility.
They’ve spent eight days kayaking, snorkelled amongst colourful
coral, observed the traditional Tongan way of life, spent their
evening on deserted beaches under waving palms and the Southern
Cross, and did it all without leaving a trace other than a few
footprints in the sand or a pleasant memory. As the Tongan Cowboy
says "One planet one people please".
(This article is contributed by Friendly
Islands Kayak Company - Editor.)
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