Tiny Neiafu is the largest town in the Vava’u group and it sits in a very large and protected natural harbour. Since it is central to some of the most pleasant sailing to be had in Tonga, it has become a huge cruiser hangout, with most of the west-bound South Pacific fleet ending up here at some point in the season. For many boats this is one of the last stops before New Zealand, and people tend to relax here for a while to get ready for the next leg of the journey. Dozens of boats are sitting on moorings in this very deep harbour, but we were lucky to find a good anchor spot on a shelf right in front of town.
It has been fun to pull in here and recognize many of the boats we’ve met along the way. We have been reunited with friends we haven’t seen since Mexico and the Marquesas, and met new people whose voices we had heard over the radio but had never met in person.
It is a friendly town with a number of good cafes and restaurants and a great produce market, but a pretty limited selection as far as other grocery needs…. Though this is not a problem for us as we need to eat up all of the lentils and rice we have on board before the New Zealand biosecurity folks take them away (no kidding!)! The best thing to do is get the town chores done ASAP and move out to the gorgeous anchorages.