Samoa to Tonga and Niuatoputapu

Left Samoa at 1pm for Niuatoputapu (New Potatoes or NP), a 2 night passage of 205 miles.
It was a rough passage until clear of the island and then turned into a great sail all the way to NP.
The entrance is started by going between to rusty steel pillars that were probably red and green at one time, and lining up a transit on shore. It looks intimidating at first with the surf crashing around but is an easy entrance once lined up and we noticed no current in the pass. Then you just follow the channel markers in. Our chart plotter was bang on also.
We learned you have to wait on the boat for customs, they honk their truck horn when they arrived and I went ashore in our dinghy to pick up the 3 officials. They were very polite and helpful and told us a bit about the island. They ate all our cookies.
The island had a lot of damage from the tsunami last year with lots of rebuilding going one. A local family nearby put on a feast for us cruisers using local food only. A pig from their back yard roasted on a spit, taro root, bread fruit coconut etc. They accepted donations later for the local school that was destroyed. Population of the island is only about a 1000 people, almost no cars so it is pleasant walking around, any cars that go by always ask if you want a ride. Some kids come by yelling 'where my lolly' and we gave them a piece of candy. Great place.

After a few days here it was time to move to head to Vavua Tonga 170 miles away. The course is almost due south and we were a bit worried about head seas, if wind came around to the south. The first 100 miles was a great sail in good E winds, and then the wind stopped seas became lumpy and then the wind came around almost due SSE. and the seas headed us and slowed us right down. We had to motor the last 60 miles. We arrived at Vavua tonga just after dawn and motored into the town of Neiafu and picked up a mooring buoy as it is very deep to anchor.
This was saturday morning and we could not clear in with customs until monday, but since we had done the initial clearance at NP we were ok to walk around until Monday. Neiafu is a small town with lots of interesting places, many nice little cafes and stores. After a few days here we headed to some of the outer anchorages behind the reefs for some R&R. Dorothy got lots of snorkeling in. We saw humpback whales preform for us, jumping and tail slaps. The local whale watching boat allowed its clients to swim with the whales.
After a few days of this we headed back to Neiafu for a couple of days, bought food and it was time to leave for Fiji 440 miles to the west. Note, having a hard time getting this blog done, our internet connection keeps dropping off.
We had one of our best sails ever for the first tow nights with gently winds, full sail up and gently seas, with full moon. Then the wind dropped sometimes to no wind so we motored of and on the rest of the way to Fiji.
Arrived at the harbour entrance just after dawn and called Suva port control for permission to enter and they okayed it and told us to call the Royal Suva Yacht club to arrange for the customs officials to come out the boat. After making us wait all day until 4pm everything went smoothly with 4 officials coming aboard and clearing us in in 20 minutes.
It drizzled rain most of the day so did not mind waiting on the boat. It seems to be cloudy most of the time here, being on the windward side of the large island
Info::
Start of entrance coordinates for NP, outside pass 15 55.247 173 45.590 then 15 55.507 173 45.590 should get you in pass. Niuatoputapu Tonga see write up above for most info. We anchored in 35ft at 15 56.403 S 173 46.140 W. Land dinghy at old stone wharf. Everything is different from guide books because the Tsunami destroyed everything, just ask, it is a small place everybody knows everything.

VAVUA Tonga Landfalls of Paradise is pretty accurate for here. Go to city dock on W side of town for customs, W side safer for your boat as weird bumpers on seaward side. Later take a mooring as very deep to anchor. Can just take one then try to find out who owns it later like we first did, or call Moorings VHF72 see if they have a buoy available cant remember the other company, a dive shop and a cafe own buoys, just ask. Have heard of some of the buoys dragging in a good wind.