Tonga’S Charms

Tips for Prospective Tourists

From Our Nukualofa Correspondent IT is first of all perhaps necessary to emphasise the fact that these tips are not for the straight-out round-trip tourist, who jumps off the mail boat for 36 hours and then passes on.

Such transient visitors see the sights in the whirl and clatter of motor buses, importunate taxi drivers, vendors of island fruits and peddlers of native craft. They view the famous flying foxes, the gushing blow-holes on the “liku,” the stately “lagis” (tombs) of century-dead kings, and the mysterious trilithcn erected in dim ages past by some forgotten race. Then, when the whistle blows, they hop aboard and, hot and bothered, wonder if they allowed the right aperture for that last snap.

These tips are not for such!

In a friendly way, I want to talk to the other kind. By this, I mean the man who is either tired out with worry ing over his overdraft, or the fall in price of wheat or wool, or the share market, and who must have a couple of months complete rest in some peace ful setting to regain something of his lost youth.

First of all, the mail-boat return fare from Sydney to Tonga will run you into £55, and if you come from New Zealand it works out at about £10 less.

If you are a golfer, you will bring with you your best clubs, because our links deserve the best —they are good

links, and the bunkers not too exas perating. If you fancy tennis don’t forget to bring a “tropical gut” racquet.

Should you lean towards the ancient game of bowls, fetch along the set you used in the last championship; our greens are good and our players have cleaned up some fair travelling teams from time to time.

If you are, by any chance, a disciple of Isaac Walton, get hold of a strong rod with a quality silk line suitable for trolling and an automatic spinner about 6 inches in length. It may be that you would like to explore the outer reefs and outlying islands. If so, this is a good tip; if you haven’t got one yourself, borrow from a friend his little outboard motor and put it in your kit.

Rowing boats are to be had at an insig nificant daily or weekly rental and the outboard will enable you to visit and explore any one of a dozen coral islets in a day.

Besides, in adopting this course, you go when and where you like without bowing to the wishes of some obstinate and probably expensive launch owner.

And if you take a native lad with you he will gather you in rock-oysters, or clams, or crayfish, just as your fancy directs him. Then on the sand, watch him cook for you in the native fashion.

You will wish for nothing better than this.

If you don’t wish to indulge in any of these pastimes, and just want to bask in the sun or sleep under a coco nut palm all day, then all you require is a couple of changes and a tooth brush. The great thing about Tonga is that if you don’t want to be fussed over you can safely rely on the local folk to respect your wishes. They are a peaceful people.

Do you sometimes frequent the silent movies? We have them three nights a week—the “talkies” were ruled out by the Chamber of Commerce or somebody on the ground that it would perplex the native if he was forced to learn the American language to understand the picture —quite right too, most of our English worries him enough.

The other nights of the week are generally used up in playing bridge, or watching the native girls dance, or, but perhaps you don’t like dancing.

By the way, we have a high-power wireless station, but I think the tired business man usually views it with dis favour. A visitor has told me that about the biggest mistake he had ever made in his long life was when he conveyed to his manager the informa tion that the office could keep in touch with him if necessary.

Well, when you arrive you will natur ally want accommodation at the capi tal town, Nukualofa. We have no ho tels, but we have a good boarding house

with a very reasonable tariff. Then, there are two men’s clubs that are really good clubs.

In concluding this short “tip” list, I wish to state that I have only touched on the fringe of the many attractions that may be sampled here. I have not spoken of that wondrous harbour that graces our northern island, Vavau —an artist’s paradise; I have not as yet spoken of the many things that delight the geologist, the biologist and the en tomologist.

I am simply passing the word to that “tired business man,” in the hope that what I have written may assist him to make up his mind to leave the “hurly burly” and get that quiet rest under tropical conditions which every medical man tells him he requires.

A tourist attraction in the Tonga Group—the “Liku" at Tongatabu.