His Majesty King Siaosi Tupou V arrives, landing on the Eua runway 30 minutes before the Sunday service of the Free Wesleyan Church starts.  A red, twin propeller plane with Katafa written in black on the portside fuselage and the Sovereign’s crown emblem painted in gold above the main hatch, had landed before the King.  On board this earlier flight were Princess Latufuipeka and her entourage of young girls and a little brown puppy named Lucky.

The government representative Mr Semisi Halaholo, a parliamentary representative, Mr Sunia Fili, members of the clergy, a small brass band, and a convoy of four wheel drive cruisers await the arrival of the King.  The small 'Eua local airport terminal is very congested for a  Sunday morning with officials of the church, police, brass band, and of course photographers following the King.

 

 

The red twin propeller Katafa plan arriving with the King of Tonga 5 October 2006

As the bright crimson red twin-prop plane lands and taxis off the run way it comes to a halt in front of the arrival/departure.  This is a blue brick shelter covered with fine mats and ladies seated along a tapa route.  The red painted twin-prop plane is reminiscent of one of the Indiana Jones movies.  The King steps off the plan.  He looks striking and is impeccably dressed in His regal black attire.  He is everything one would expect to see in a monarch.  He is greeted by the national anthem.  It is a truly historic day for the people of 'Eua.

A long line of four wheel drive vehicles makes a convoy and eases into the road heading north-east for 'Ohonua, the capital of 'Eua.  The Nafanua wharf storage is stacked high with crates of pumpkin awaiting the conclusion of Sunday before transportation of the latest export crop to the two barges alongside and a ship anchored in deep waters.  Squash exports have continued to contribute significantly to Tonga’s economy.

The Church is full not only with Free Wesleyan Church members but people of all denominations.  The church is perched on a narrow ledge that overlooks the harbour.  The church was opened by the late Monarch His Majesty King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV in the early 1980's.  All round the church compound is extra seating and tents installed to cater for the larger than usual numbers attending.  This proved very useful as we managed to find places on the lawn outside under a tent during the sermon.  A piece of beautiful ngatu was laid out on the road for the King to walk on and into the church.  'Eua High School students were seated along the end of the ngatu as they did outside on the side of the road.

His Majesty had lunch at the wooden palace at Ta'anga, his Royal Estate, and shortly afterwards traveled to Houma to inspect the sea cliffs facing north-east.  Rain, high wind and overcast skies hung over the northern slopes of Houma.  At the end of a dirt track was the beautiful and expansive vista out to the sea and the cliffs of Houma, a truly majestic and beautiful sight. White-tailed boobies are seen flying below our feet as we stand over the sheer cliffs.  The land below us is very fertile and is used for cattle grazing. The wooden palace was built by a German.  The view from where the palace once stood was indeed a sight to behold.  It resonated with a nostalgic romance with the sweeping views.  Sadly, the palace doesn't stand there any more.

The twin propeller red Katafa, is the King's own private plane and is His main form of transportation on His inaugural tour of Vava'u, Ha'apai and Niuas.  It is a very comfortable and spacious aircraft with a lot of leg room for passengers and very reliable over long distances.

 

Awaiting reception at the 'Eua runway on Sunday morning and the programme for Sunday was delivered by Rev. Sitiveni Manoa at the Free Wesleyan Church.  His Majesty King Siaosi Tupou V spoke briefly prior to the sermon.

Young Tongans seated alongside the road awaiting the arrival of King George Tupou V. This was a truly historic moment for these young Tongans, which they will remember for the rest of their lives.

Princess Latufuipeka at the 'Ohonu'a FWC Church

 

Crates full of squash ready for export to Japan.  The squash yield for 'Eua and Tongatapu is very high for 2006 and the reason for the exceptional yield is due to the milder and colder climate this year with higher rain fall, thus, the squash yield was exceptional.  Many growers are still awaiting confirmation of the pricing per kilo for the squash.  'Eua has become a leading grower of squash over the last couple of years and this has largely been due to its good harbour, close proximity to Tongatapu and large acreage of fertile land.

Article by Hon Albert Tu’ivanuavou Vaea