tonga vava'u

TONGA VAVA'U PORT GUIDE

The Vava’u Island group in the Kingdom of Tonga is a spectacular tropical island paradise in the Pacific Ocean. It has a year-round climate suitable for swimming, snorkelling, diving and sailing. Some islands are ringed by white sand beaches while others have tropical forests, sea-level caves, and dramatic limestone cliffs with breath-taking vistas.

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Greg

Services available from Port Officer Greg:

  • Assistance with clearing in formalities
  • Offshore assist via offshoreassist@vavau.to
  • Advanced Notice forms – Fiji/NZ/Australia.
  • Courier package assistance/advice on request
  • Charts/Courtesy flags for the Pacific/Asia • Receiver of recycling/Used Oil/Battery/etc.
  • Harbour wifi provider and free info, weather etc. via a Walled Garden
  • AIS host via www.marinetraffic.com  ADS-B via www.flightradar24.com
  • Laundry: the only frontloading rain water and gas laundry in Tonga. Max 9kg per load. Wash / Dry / Fold / Spin
  • Espresso Coffee/Café/Bread/all day breakfast/lunch/Dinner
  • Provisioning for whales/picnics/passage.
  • Pre shop of supermarket provision items
  • Ice cubes and 2kg solid ice blocks – rain water
  • Drinking water: potable filtered rain water, your container or our 20 litre loan container, free car ride to your yacht at wharf or small boat marina
  • Fully licenced bar
  • Vava’u Deli: meats, delicatessen items
  • Rain water hot shower
  • Retail Store – carvings/maps/soaps/postcards/ magnets/iron on flags/lapel pins/cuff links…
  • Vava’u vanilla/coconut oil
  • Resell TCC/Digicel phone credit
  • Resell Kingdom Koffee. Beans and Ground (to order)
  • Free booking and information service
  • Huge free book swap and reference library
  • TV (11TB) and (10TB Movie (8000+) Documentaries, Concerts, Music, Comedy, Children, Fitness, Christian).
  • www.offloop.net/media password tropo Research and basic shopping cart
  • Overnight computer update/download service
  • Rentals – mountain bikes, kayaks, snorkel gear, tents, cars, scooters
  • Butane Gas tank refill service
  • Local news/info feed Facebook “Tonga Expats and Locals”Gift Vouchers
  • Agents for Boat House Apartments in the harbour
  • Show your support for this information https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tropicana
  • Snail Mail/Courier arrangements –please advise before sending
    Yacht in transit SY Yacht Name

c/- Café Tropicana

Fatafehi Rd (or Private Bag 34 for Postal Service)

Neiafu

Vava’u

Kingdom of Tonga +676 71322 tropicana@vavau.to

 

Port officer’s name: Greg Just

Best way to contact: Cellphone

PO contact information:

Email: greg@vavau.to

Twitter: @tongamazingweb

Instagram: tongamazingcom

Linkedin: tongamazingcom

Viber: +6768812347

Phone +676 71322 (Café Tropicana)

Mobile: +676 8812347 or +676 7512347

VHF Ch: 26

Home Address: Mt Talau

Citizen: NZ/UK/Tonga

Divemaster     IT Manager     Analyst/IT/Fin/Proj

Yachtie       Master Drycleaner (nz)

Website: www.vavau.to/Tropicana

Agent  www.tongasuperyachts.com

For Sale https://cafetropicana.company.site/

Menu  https://cafetropicanavavau.business.site/

Tourism portals

www.vavau.to

www.haapai.to

www.tongatapu.to

www.whaleswim.to

www.whitepages.com

www.sailingtonga.com

www.tongamazing.com

www.tongaholidays.com

 

 

Services available within walking distance:

  •  Hardware : EM Jones, (PTH is out of town)
  •  Laundry: Café Tropicana and Bubbles Laundry
  •  Supermarkets – China Fortune, Neiafu Shopping Centre and various others,
  •  Produce and Fish down at the market on the waterfront
  •  Arts and Crafts market next to vegetable market on the waterfront, also Langafonua next to Tourism
  •   Post Office
  •  Police and Fire Station
  •   Duty Free Shop
  •  Historical – Pounu Park
  •  Scenic – Mt Talau National Park
  •   Cafe/Restaurant/Bar: Cafe Tropicana bar and grill, Kraken Restaurant and Bar, Bella Vista, Sam Restaurant,  Basque Tavern, Falalaleu Deli,  Mango Cafe (re-opens May 2023), Tongan Beach Resort (reopens May 2023)
  •  Transport:
  •  Mountain Bike and Kayak hire in Café Tropicana
  •  Ana Tevunga Taxi Stand: Phone +676 8872525 +676 7519622
  •  Max Taxi Stand +676 8707686 VHF 13
  •  Lulutai Tonga Domestic Airline +676 71115 next to Tourism
  • lepani.baleinausori@lulutai-airlines.to no website
  • Domestic National Ferries – freight/passage - Kelesi (Ko e Kelesi Pe) +676 7770965
  • osimiki@gmail.com No website
  • FISA (Otu AngaOfa and Niu Vaki) +676 23853 friendlyislandshippingagency@gmail.com www.friendlyislandshippingagency.com
  • Tofa Ramsay (Taka I Pomana and Vaomapa) +676 7725972 ramsayshippingcompany@gmail.com No website  Services available in area covered:

 

Superyacht Agencies

Yachthelppacific.com - David Hunt/ Hakula Lodge

Super Yacht Services Tonga – Derek Leonard/Julie Goss

Tongasuperyachts.com - Cafe Tropicana

Slipways

Fishing slipway for smaller monohulls

Pafilios slipway for multihulls

The Boatyard Vava’u - Mono and multihulls on hard storage.

www.theboatyardvavau.com

Water

Town supply water available at Moorings/Riki Tiki by appointment please

Rain water from Café Tropicana

Rain water showers at Café Tropicana

Fuel

Fuel available at Moorings or fuel stations.

Duty free fuel at check-out wharf Min 200litres 70972. Pacific Fuels booked 24-48 hours prior to departure. See page 5 for info

•          Duty Free Alcohol

Leiola Duty Free +676 70148 next to Cafe Tropicana, 24 hours prior to departure pay for order, Leiola will deliver to Customs, you show receipt to Customs at Wharf and check off items, customs will take to your yacht.

•          Trades

-      Rigging/Skipper. See Mary at Café Tropicana

-      Welding/Fabrication. Friendly Island Fabrication Ken 8437123  friendlyislandfabrication@gmail.com

-      Vava’u Shipwrights – The Boatyard Vava’u +8816854

-      Diesel mechanic Tau +676 8731368 +676 8627252 -The Yachtshop Tonga:Chandlery +676 8816855 https://cnmmarine.com/ Shopify

 

Local cruising NET:

•      VHF Cruisers Net VHF Channel 26 8.30am each morning except Sunday. Alternative VHF 06

https://www.facebook.com/vavaucruisersnet

 

VHF Cruisers Net Order of service

Emergency/priority traffic

Check-ins

Arrivals and departures

Weather

Buy/sell/trade

Crew available/wanted

Local special events

Anything else

Brief adverts from local business Local Charts and Chartlets:

•          Sailingbirds Guide to Vava’u/Ha’apai sold at Café Tropicana

•          www.vavau.to/marineguide free pdf for all of Tonga. Created by Cafe Tropicana

•          NZ822 / NZ82 / NZ14605 / NZ14602/ 2691 Fiji A0 charts and laminated A3 Chartlets – sold at Café Tropicana

•          www.vavau.to/weather all the weather in one spot!

•          GigGuide/Calendar with summary of local regulations. The Vaa’u Blue Water Festival is late September, other local events are on the calendar. www.vavau.to/gig guide 2023.pdf   VHF Channels:

•          06 Backup channel for VHF Net

•          09 Beluga dive/Beluga moorings

•          11 Te Pana Island

•          13 Max Taxi

•          16 Hailing ONLY – Mayday/Pan Pan etc.

•          26 Repeater channel – VHF Net and used for long range communication, please be considerate, if you are talking to vessels that are close to you. Be aware this channel is monitored by Customs, Police, Governor and Tourism!

•          71 Game Fishing

•          72 Moorings/Sunsail calling

•          73 Moorings/Sunsail working

•          74 Whale watching operators

•          77 Mounu Island

•          Please be considerate and discrete on all VHF channels, especially the above and move to a non-working channel as soon as practical…

08, 14, 17, 68 Common chat channels, be aware nosy people may follow you and listen in….

Other useful information specific to this area:

•          SPEED limit in the harbour 5 knot – and/or no WAKE.

Be aware of wake for other yachts, swimmers, divers, fisherman turtles, whales! By order Marine and Ports Harbourmaster.

•          Please consider the environment and follow MARPOL rules and go 12 nautical miles to dump septic waste.

•          Please walk on the pavement/sidewalk – NOT the road, this is a LEFT side driving country, the roads, drivers and cars are not very good. If no sidewalk walk on the right side of the road (against traffic so you can see vehicles)

•          Cover and clean any open wounds, flies carry staph bacteria. Stay out of the sea, especially the first 50 metres from shore.

Beware of Alofi a tall Tongan hawker – flag maker/bread/ feasts etc. Rows a dinghy and rides a bike. Report any problems to the Police, or Ministry of Tourism. He does homemade flags from tshirt
material, charges for everything he does and frequently exaggerates about services he offers. Cruises through town on a bicycle to show

you his guest book from other cruisers, AVOID talking to him...

•        Special Management Areas/Fish Habitat Reserve

SMA/FHR are now in place, the legislation is designed to protect the breeding areas and environment. Fees to anchor, snorkel and dive can be levied by the village whose waters are protected. Officers carry ID, give receipts etc.

An old sma/fhr map is available  https://vavau.to/Tonga_SMA-flier.pdf   it is being updated soon.

•        Whale watching regulations 2013

1.Unless you are in a licenced whale watching or whale swimming vessel, you are not allowed to approach any whale closer than

300m

2.    Swimming with whales is prohibited unless you are on a licenced vessel and in the water with a certified guide.

3.    If a whale surfaces near you, you should change the course of your vessel, in a safe manner, and move 300m from the whales at no-wake speed.

4.    Kayaking with humpback whales is prohibited unless the kayak is launched from a licenced vessel.

5.    No jet Skis are allowed within 2km of any whale.

First time offence is a fine of between $1,000 and $5,000 and/or imprisonment of up to 18 months

Repeat offence is a fine of between $1000 and $10000 and/or imprisonment of upto 3 years.

https://vavau.to/TongaWhaleWatchingandSwimmingRegulations2013.pdf

•        Do not feed street dogs, they might bite the next person walking by with food who does not feed them….imagine if it is child… Please report dog bites to the Police

Non-Government Organisations/Charities/Volunteering:

•        VVMRA Vava’u Volunteer Marine Response Association

Monitors VHF 26/16 24 x 7, responds to local and EPIRB (via RCC NZ), works with Tonga police, and locals/yachts based in Vava’u for emergency Response www.vvmra.org

VHF 16/26 “Vava’u Radio” emergency, not general enquiries

Cell +8465645 Brian

P O Box 43 Neiafu, Vava’u, Kingdom of Tonga

•        VEPA Vava’u Environmental Protection Association. An environmental NGO based in Vava’u. Mangrove, education, turtle and other conservation. Located next to the Bookshop in the middle of town. www.vavauenvironment.org

Accepting volunteers https://vavauenvironment.org/volunteer/

•        Vava’u Public Library The first public library in Tonga and a self-funded NGO.

Accepting volunteers for english story reading Saturday morning and English childrens books Membership $5 a year

https://www.facebook.com/groups/225935794136987

•        VCT/VBWS Vava’u Community Trust. Youth NGO Trust.

Employment, education. Owns Vava’u Blue Water School (Sailing and swimming school),

Accepting volunteers to repair our training vessel SY Lobo and other projects

https://www.facebook.com/vavaucommunitytrust

•        Host A Vet Partners with Vets to conduct Clinics/Surgeries/ Neutering, free medicines etc. See The Yacht Shop for donations etc  https://www.facebook.com/hostavet

•        Vava’u Breast Cancer Committee. Based in Vava’u working solely to assist Vava’uan women with breast cancer. Transport, treatment and accommodation

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100070118191741

Pens, paper, drawing pencils etc,Toothpaste/Tooth brushes,  English childrens books, reading glasses. Accepted and distributed by Café Tropicana, or we can make suggestions if you wish to drop them off yourselves. We can also suggest places to Volunteer your time…

Must See and do in VAVA’U:

  • Sunday Tongan Feast
  • Walk up Mt Talau National Park; magnificent views from lookout platforms
  • Swallows and Mariners cave tour
  • Kava circle at Fire station or any village
  • Sunday church service 10am for amazing singing at Catholic Cathedral, English service at City Impact Church in Toula
  • Talau Cemetery – Palangi Cemetery
  • Pouonu Park – birth place of Vava’u Code
  • Kilikilitefua Wall (Makave) the old census system
  • Catholic Cathedral
  • Beaches (Eneio Private), Keitahi (Private), Talihau Beach, Ano Beach, Holeva Beach
  • Toula cemetery and Veimumuni Caves
  • ‘Utula’aina (Holonga), ‘Esi ‘o Salota (Holonga), Hila Ki Tapana/I ‘o

Mata’aho (Leimatua), Tufutele Pool (Mataika), Rock Island Beach

(Holeva), Vaipua, Ngofe-Reed fields (Tu’anuku), Mo’ungalafa

(Tu’anuku), Longamapu. Lolo ‘a Halavalu (Neiafu), Fa ko Fiem’a

(Vai ko lelea) (Neiafu), Sia ‘o Kafoa (Taoa), ‘Api ‘o Maka (Taoa),

Loto ‘a afitu (Makave), Mapu ‘a Tonga (Makave), Nga ‘unoho

(Talihau), ‘Out Mala (Talihau), ‘Otualea (Ha’alaufuli), To ‘anga’ofa

(Utui) www.vavau.to or www.tongatourism.travel for other tourist information

Map of Vava’u harbour with description:

International Clearance Berthing Note:

Pacific Fuels – Petrol/diesel:

Duty free is available once the vessel is cleared out from the final port. It can be shared to meet minimums. Duty free is a significant saving, Fiji does not do duty free fuel. Fuel bunker is closed for trucks if a bunker boat is in the harbour.  Appointment times are indicative only. Duty free is about 30% cheaper than the retail price at the pump (15% CT/15% Duty).

 

Vava’u

Phone: 70972 NO VHF

Email: tuiaki.kauvaka@p.energy

Website: www.p.energy

Hours 9am to 4.30pm  M to F

GPS coordinates: at Wharf  18°39'6.97"S 173°59'9.03"W

OFFICE Toula fuel Bunker  18°40'36.58"S 173°59'8.61"W

 

Vava’u Minimum 24-48 hours’ notice. Cash Only. Duty free 200litres Min but boats can share. Duty free generally delivered after 10am to the wharf and AFTER customs have given clearance papers. MUST be last Tongan port. Tanker refills petrol stations Monday morning and Friday afternoon.  Nuku’alofa

Phone:   22511 22397          VHF Ch: None

Email: ifalemi.tauheluhelumau@p.energy

Website: www.p.energy

 

Tongatapu Minimum 24 hours’ notice. Cash Only. Duty free 1000litres Min but boats can share. Duty free generally delivered after 10am to the wharf and AFTER customs have given clearance papers. MUST be last Tongan port.

 

Ha’apai no duty free fuel

 

Niuatoputapu no duty free fuel

 

Homegas/Tongagas – Butane:

Gas bunker is closed for refilling bottles if a Gas bunker vessel is in the harbour.

 

Vava’u

Phone: 70319 VHF: NONE

Email: NONE

GPS coordinates:  18°40'37.44"S 173°59'8.27"W

Location: Toula fuel Bunker

 

Vava’u Cafe Tropicana charges $5 a kg and a $5 surcharge – generally next day if not weekly.

 

Nuku’alofa

Phone:   21390          VHF Ch: None

GPS coordinates:  21° 8'33.09"S   175°10'33.57"W

Location Ma’ufanga Bunker

 

Website: www.homegas.to

DOES not have all adaptors – NO CAMPINGAZ fittings!!
Vava’u Taxi from town is $5 each way. Or bring in to Café Tropicana  Hours 9am to 4.30pm  M to Sa

 

TONGA VAVA'U ANCHORAGES