Volare is at sea again and have had a change of cruising plans totally!!! Well, that's what you can do when you're traveling on your own floating home

!!!!!! This morning we departed Vava'u, The Kingdom of Tonga for SavuSavu, Fiji, then to the Muscat Cove Race Week on the Island of Malololailai.

Our original plan was to sail through the Ha'apai Group of Islands to Nuku'alofa, the capital of Tonga, pick up my brother, Jim, then onto the Bay of Islands, New Zealand.

We've had an absolutely wonderful time in the beautiful Vava'u Islands and especially in the little town of Neiafu and we'd recommend anyone to come here, if you want to go back in time a little. It's still relatively untouched by the tourist industry and it's a place you should really try and see before it's discovered. Which may be as early as next year, as there was about 16 or so Japanese and Chinese documentary makers there filming the islands and especially, swimming with the whales.

Tonga is promoted, (when and if there is any promotion), as one of the last places in the world you can actually get into the water, and swim with the whales. Although, we know different, as we went to Niue and I would say you have a better chance there of seeing them and swimming with them. The season is July to November when the whales come from the Antarctic to give birth and to mate. Some of our friends were fortunate enough to see a frenzied mating session between 5 or 6 males and one female. There was lots of tail flicking, until she finally submitted to one lucky male.

We went out on Monday and I had a feeling we weren't going to be successful in swimming with them - it's the luck of the draw. It had rained off and on all night, so we woke up to a grey day. The wind was up and the sea choppy, therefore it was turbulent under the water. I don't think the whales like it when it's like that close inshore as the calves would be tossed around more and possibly onto a reef or rocks. So as the morning went on and we only saw one whale, we concluded they had all gone out to sea today and the guide confirmed this. They come in when the sea is calmer and the sun is out and they can play, bask in the sun and enjoy the islands, just like us. That was our last opportunity to do a trip but fortunately the regular tourists on board the boat had booked for 3 days straight, and the next day was a beautiful day, so I'm sure they would have had their opportunity.

There are 82 islands in the group and it really is very beautiful to sail the islands, as you are protected inside the group. There is a large Moorings charter operation here, with a serious flotilla of yachts and catamarans, so go for it, it's really worth a holiday. The problem they have still is that even though the riots of last year were only in the capital, Vava'u was not affected at all but the travel ban was in force for the whole of Tonga, unfortunately and Vava'u is the tourist area. So sadly, all the businesses been affected this season.

We have inherited a young talented and competent crew member, 20 year old, Amy Willson, who is South African/English and started her circumnavigation from Spain, she's crewed on 86ft traditional sailing yachts, modern monohulls and the fast catamaran "Free Spirit". The owner, of "Free Spirit" Russell, had to suddenly go back to US from Vava'u, as his mother was very ill. So he packed up and single handed "Free Spirit" to Fiji. Amy had stayed in a guest house for the first two weeks whilst she waited for her next crewing spot to arrive but they kept being delayed and delayed, so we said she could hop on board Volaré and save the accommodation costs till they arrived. Amy was really keen to get to Race Week in Musket Cove, as her boyfriend, Max, was one of the young crew on the 78ft "Moonraker" and was already on their way there.

So, the other night, after an exciting night at a Tongan feast with lots of dancing and carry on, where everyone we knew seemed to be heading for Fiji and Race Week, I dug Greg in the ribs at 5:30AM the next morning and said let's go to Fiji. If and only if, Jim, my brother, could change his flight from Nuku'alofa to Nadi, as he is doing the leg into NZ with us. I sent the email at about 8am and within 15 mins Jim had emailed back and said shouldn't be a problem. Amy was over the moon as she now had a confirmed possie on a yacht going her way.

We'll miss the other lovely islands of the Tongan Group but Vava'u has proven to be another wonderful cruising ground, with sunny skies, crystal clear water, and glorious starry nights. Coral, fish, whales, abound and idyllic tropical, sand fringed islands and small friendly resorts. There are plenty of fresh island foods consisting of fish, coconut crabs and lobsters caught in their own waters, locally grown vegetables and succulent pigs and root vegetables cooked in the traditional umu (oven in the ground). If you crave a wood fired pizza, pasta, a great hamburger served with vegetarian yam fries, a tasty Indian meal, a Tapis meal with a chilled bottle of wine right on the waterside you can also find this too. Does this sound like and ad, well it is, as the new King hasn't done much yet to promote this heavenly area.

As the sun sets in the west we are 253 miles from Duff Reef, a little reef in the middle of the ocean and our first waypoint, where, if the weather is right, we may stop for a wee rest on the way to Fiji.