Tonga's tourism

The sad week when Dolly messed up Tonga's tourism

From SIO MAGISI in Tonga It was the good tourist week that wasn’t—starting on February 16, when three cruise liners were scheduled to call in Nukualofa, Tonga. To blame was hurricane Dolly, which not only prevented two of the passenger ships from berth ing, hut drove the Australian owned fishing vessel “Ata” up on the South Minerva Reef, 250 miles south of Nukualofa.

For many weeks before, hundreds of Tongans had been feverishly pre paring baskets, tapa cloth pieces, shell necklaces, bowls, canoes and other handicraft in anticipation of a peak-selling tourist week in town.

But the first of the liners to call, the Canberra, on February 16, was only able to send ashore half of the 1,800 passengers on board because of the early effects of hurricane Dolly. Buying was at a low key.

The Oronsay, which called on February 18, could not be tied up at Queen Salote Wharf, mainly because, so Nukualofa Harbour master Capt. C. H. Hill-Willis said, of winds which registered up to 50 knots on the ship.

Overheated engine

As pilot responsible for berthing the Oronsay, Capt. Hill-Willis said that during berthing efforts the sh p’s starboard engine had become over heated, so that further attempts would have been unwise.

The Oronsay’s master finally decided to pick up only the mail and to leave that which it had brought.

No passengers were allowed off or on.

Many people from the far ouFying villages camped with their wares under the wings of the Treasury building that night so they could be up early to greet passengers from the Iberia the next day.

But the next day, Capt. Hill-Willis and the Iberia’s master decided against bringing in the finer because of high winds and rough seas, and all tour buses, guides and entertain ment groups suddenly became re duntant.

Altogether a bad week of business for Tonga, but one philosophical handicraft seller rea c “We can make up to Sioo on good days, so whv wo r ry. It’s life, man”.