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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Services available from Port Officer Greg:
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
Services available within walking distance:
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
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| 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
