Cook Islands to Tonga, including our time in Vava'u (3rd Oct to 3rd November)

On Monday the 3rd of October we set sail from Aitutaki in the Cook Islands to Nuie island. (588nm to the west) With the wind behind us and light breezes we put the little downwind twin sail up and relaxed watching movies.
On the evening of the second day our friends on SV Leto had arrived in Nuie island from BoraBora and on our radio schedule they informed us of a tropical low over Fiji which was predicted to arrive in Tonga in a few days. Nuie island has little protection from the west, there is no lagoon or reef to shelter from wind and waves so they and other cruisers decided to head to Tonga and seek shelter while there was time. We felt sorry for them as they had just arrived and had to leave again so quickly.
We considered going to Palmeston island but decided to continue on towards Tonga (240nm from Nuie island) and watch the weather forecast. On the 4th day we managed to download the grib
weather on our pactor modem through the SSB radio and assessing things ourselves we decided to continue heading north away from the path of this developing tropical storm.

With the mainsail fully reefed and 3/4 of the jib out to keep our speed down we continued on a nor-west course but we calculated that we would still arrive too early so we "hove to" for several hours.
We kept radio contact with  "SV Invictus" and "Vida" who were leaving Palmeston island for Nuie island.
The next 3 days the wind was mostly 20 knots with the occasional rain squall. We were able to top up our water tanks. We block up the scuppers with plugs and take the stopper out of the deck filler. With a torrential downpour we can collect as much water as we want.

  It was ideal fishing weather for our set up and Eric caught 3 wahoo but only landed 2,  3 skipjack tuna but we let 2 go and lost a Mahimahi. One of the wahoo we caught propelled itself skyward, the highest we've ever seen with lure and line still intact! The new lure had well and truely paid for itself and after several repairs to bitten parts he made another.
Enjoying yellow fin tuna in a wrap

On the 8th day the wind died out and turned to the west so we motored. Peter and Cathy were safely tucked up in Vava'u and apart from some rain and moderate wind the low pressure system had weakened and headed south.
On the morning of the 9th day we sighted Tonga, then she was enveloped in cloud and rain cells

Arriving here was very special for us as we crossed our path made 10 years ago which has completed our world circumnavigation.

Arriving in Neiafu harbour in the VaVa'u islands

We celebrated with bubbly and cocktails as the sun went down with Peter and Cathy from SV Leto
They took us out to dinner the next night as an official circumnavigation celebration

For the next 3 weeks we revisited all the places we had been to 10yrs previously and met lots of lovely people.
It was wonderful to visit our German friends Elke and Werner in the blue lagoon on Fofoa island and we spent several happy hours on several occasions catching up. They had built an innovative and interesting home.

We enjoyed sundowners looking out to the Blue lagoon from their beach

Meeting Alan again after last seeing him in Malaysia in 2011 on SV Zebedee, a motor less junk rigged yacht was great. He had circumnavigated back to NZ and left again to winter over in Tonga. We met his sailing companion, Caroline, who had flown in to Tonga from the UK

Anchored near Nuku island with SV Leto and SV Zebedee

We shared meals, stories and hiking with them and Cathy and Peter.

Pigs and their piglets were a common site

Getting in to some places without a motor was difficult so we both gave Zebedee a tow into and out of Hunga lagoon where we spent a few days

 The island of Kenutu was one of our favourite places so we navigated the reef stricken pass. Visibility was poor so being a deeper draft, Cathy and Peter decided to wait a couple of days until the weather was better. We took it slowly and got anchored just before a rain squall came through. We were delighted as our water tanks were getting low and we managed to fill them. There were 2 other yachts there but they left the next day and we had the island to ourselves.
We had a BBQ ashore and enjoyed the facilities that were there.

On the island of Umuna, next to Kenutu we remembered a cave with a fresh water pool in the bottom that we had swum in so we went off in the dinghy to find it. A house had been built on the land near it and we met the lovely owners of the property  and were invited to walk to the cave.
We were disappointed to find that trees had fallen into it and some of the boulders had collapsed so it was too dangerous to get down to it. We went back to visit the next day with some fish we had caught and enjoyed coffee and conversation on the deck overlooking the beautiful bay

 Eric caught this fish with very sharp teeth. After being captured it took vengeance on his fingers

 When we went back to Neiafu harbour to get some fresh produce there was a cargo ship and passenger ferry docked

 and the next day a cruise ship came in

 Neiafu harbour and town

 Lotuma island and old naval base lookout

 A great view from the top

 Swallows cave is beautiful on Kapa island. We took the dinghy inside and watched the swallows flying and nesting

 This lovely anchorage off Mala island was a great spot to snorkel, clean off the hull and kayak

 Lion fish

We hired motor scooters with Cathy and Peter for the day which was fun

 Buying pineapples and papaya at a roadside stall

 Lookout at the top of Mt Talau

November 2nd 2016......        We are now preparing to leave these beautiful islands.. Tonga is still high on our list of favourite cruising grounds in our travels around the world..
Our fresh supplies are loaded, latest weather downloaded and course plotted
Tomorrow we will clear with Customs and Immigration, top up our diesel tanks and stock up with duty free liquor and we will be off...... New Zealand here we come...
We may stop at north or south Minerva reef if the weather is not conducive to continue to the lower lattitudes.. .... We will update our positions with shiptrak during our passage