Page 29 - Explore Magazine Spring 2016

27

12pm and 1pm and return at 4pm, 5pm and 6pm. The QUICK FACTS – TONGA
cost is TOP45 which included a return ticket and lunch!
You need cash to pay for this and pay as you arrive at Getting there - Tonga’s capital Nuku’alofa is 1990
Pangaimotu Island. kilometres northeast of Auckland. Air New Zealand flies
several times a week from Auckland. The time zone is the
The short trip over was lovely. The island looks same as New Zealand.
breathtakingly beautiful in the distance and the turquoise
and deep blue waters are so calming that you feel any Language and currency - Tongan is the official language
stress dissolve. and English is also widely spoken. The currency is the
Tongan Pa’anga. While most major credit cards are
From the moment I stepped on to the jetty at Pangaimotu accepted in Tonga and there are over 200 EFTPOS outlets,
I was in another world. The big attraction is the Big Mama Tonga is essentially a cash society and visitors should
Yacht Club and Big Mama herself, as she is fondly referred make sure they have sufficient funds to pay for services.
to by everyone, including tourists. I have to say that from
the moment you arrive on Pangaimotu and are greeted Climate - Tonga has a mild tropical climate that is
by Big Mama, you are made to feel like one of a very large pleasant year-round. Temperatures are warmer and more
family. humid from December to April. The winter months from
May to November are cooler and dryer.
I enjoyed a delicious lunch of fish and chips and a local
beer and decided to walk it off by going exploring. It took Where to stay - The four-star Scenic Hotel Tonga is
me about 40 minutes to walk around the island and then located close to Fuamotu International Airport. Set in
I spent the rest of the day lazing on the beach, soaking 6.5 hectares of tropical gardens, its facilities include 76
up the fabulous scenery and having so much fun in the Superior Rooms and 1-bedroom Suites, Wi-Fi in public
crystal-clear water. I was sad to leave and can’t wait to go areas and the largest number of MICE venues in Tonga
back. That goes too for to Tonga, where there is so much under one roof.
to discover. What to see and do - See main story.

SCENIC HOTEL

HELLO TONGA

TONGA $ *

FROM 87PP
PER NIGHT, TWIN SHARE

In store helloworld.co.nz 0800 088 802

*Prices are per person, per night for up to 2 people. Travel dates apply. For full Terms & Conditions including cancellation policy, please refer to your helloworld agent.
HELLOWORLD : EXPLORE : SPRING EDITION