After the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai erruption on 14 January 2022 Tonga has been on the minds and in the hearts of many around the world.

The current covid travel restrictions and islands safety measures have meant that not a lot of people are able to go to Tonga to help with relief. This coupled with continued connectivity hiccups, has lead many people to express their love for the kingdom online.  

The bountiful love for Tonga is evident in the various fundraisers, resource drives and community mobilisations to get help back to the beloved islands. Along with tangible forms of ofa (love) there has been a outpour of written love online.

Through our social media pages we were able to collect anonymous Love Letters to Tonga. Since the devastating disaster we have received an enormous amount of love for Tonga in our inbox through peoples heartfelt messages.

Below are some of the messages we've received, accompanied by Images from Malau Media:

"I love you my dear homeland."

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"Tonga we are praying for you take care of yourself.…more

via Radio New Zealand 

Cover photo above - Digicel Tonga’s technical team working on satellite link equipment to restore internet connection Photo: Digicel Tonga

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Tonga is already rebuilding amid the devastation of a double whammy of natural disasters, according to the Red Cross.

Tonga Red Cross staff and volunteers have been assisting people from the moment the tsunami alert was triggered, and are ramping up the delivery of drinking water, temporary shelters and other critical relief supplies across the country.

Tonga Red Cross secretary general Sione Taumoefolau said its teams were using boat and trucks to take vital items to communities in need of the basic necessities.

Shelter was a top priority for families whose homes had been wiped out, he said.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian response into Tonga has been described as well a handled process, almost two weeks on from the eruption and tsunami.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has been helping to meet immediate needs, with a response coordinaton based in Fiji.…more

Story collated and written by Haitelenisia Afemui ‘Uhila Angilau for her 'Ordinary Tongan Lives' facebook page.  She is currently covering survivors stories from the Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai eruption and subsequent tsunami.

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“Since 2014, I have not been able to walk properly. I can try, but most times I have to lean on someone else to walk. On Saturday, we were doing maintenance work in preparation for my son’s wedding for this last Thursday. When my older brother saw the sea rising higher than normal, he alerted me. He knew I’d take a while so he said I should get going. He packed a few things as I left. I barely made it to the main road when my brother and nephew caught up with me, grabbed each arm, and helped me move faster. By that time, a wave from the West had made its way to the main road.

Now, the volcano is on the North Western side of our island. ʻAtatā’s map is like a tennis racquet. The wider part is where our plantations are.…more

Story collated and written by Haitelenisia Afemui ‘Uhila Angilau for her 'Ordinary Tongan Lives' facebook page.  She is currently covering survivors stories from the Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai eruption and subsequent tsunami.

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“It happened so quickly and suddenly that we were completely unprepared. We were going about our Saturday chores when I heard one grandchild from the beach, ‘Nana! There’s a wave coming all the way to our wild hibiscus tree! It’s coming Nana! It’s here!’

At first you’re confused but you quickly snap out of it and yell, ‘Run! Come, let’s run!’   We gathered all the grandkids and ran to higher ground with my children. Some of their parents are overseas for fruitpicking while I care for them. My husband was still inside the house when we ran. He later came looking for us. Talaiasi Seni’s house was our first place of refuge as it’s on elevated ground. 

Many other mothers and children from the village joined us there.…more

via Radio New Zealand 

Three shipping containers are being set up at Auckland's Mt Smart Stadium to be filled with donations for Tonga today.

The Aotearoa Tonga Relief Committee is organising the relief effort and plans to collect and ship food and emergency supplies donated mainly by people with family of those living in Tonga.

People can donate food and emergency supplies at Mt Smart stadium from 9am to 8pm on Friday and Saturday.

Priority will be given to people with family in Tonga, with each family being allocated a 44-gallon drum to send.

Items being asked for are non-perishable foods like rice, canned meat, as well as water, small cooking utensils, batteries and torches.

Comittee Secretary, Pakilau Manase Lua said the Tongan government would prioritise distributing goods to the worst affected islands like Mango, Atata, Nomuka, Fonoifua.

He said the relief effort was giving many Tongan families in New Zealand a chance to turn worry into action while they wait to re-connect with loved ones.…more

By Taualofa Totu’a 

DRESS TO IMPRESS

It’s Xmas Party Season! Whether it’s a chill BBQ at the park or a fancy restaurant work dinner, here are some cool options to help you end this hectic year of change with a colourful bang. Shop Panikeke’s latest vibrant Kollection with Panikeke’s Kloset or support local Moana designer’s with specially made clothing you’ll want to keep forever.

MOANA PATTERNS 

DRESS TO IMPRESS WITH PANIKEKE’S LATEST

Who: Panikeke Kloset

For beautiful prints look no further than Panikeke’s brand new Kamata Kollection available now. Sizes are inclusive and there are a range of styles to choose from,  so you’ll be able to dress your whole family for those Xmas pics. Perfect for summer, this small business also has the colourful dresses from their Lady Love Kollection still available and for you and your sistas. Check out all their collections and their accessories too for this year’s party season.

See more of the Panikeke Kloset on their website here.…more

2021 was a big year for these five extraordinary nesians defying odds and exceeding expectations in various fields from Entertainment to STEM! Take a look at these Inspiring Islanders who made major moves in 2021...

1. Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa

In 2021 Fiamē Naomi Mata'afa became the leader of the Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party and won the Samoan General Election. She is now Samoa's first female Prime Minister and was listed in BBC's Top 100 Women of the year. The trailblazing Samoan politian had a big year and joins a small but strong group of female leaders around the world proving that women can play a pivitol role in global politics. 

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2. Jerry Tuwai

This year was also the year of the Tokyo Summer Olypics. All our Pacific athletes who journeyed to Japan made us incredibly proud. In particular the Fijian champions who took home Olympic gold in rugby 7s had an epic pull on the collective heartstrings of Pacific people.…more

Nearly 600 Fijians have died in the Delta outbreak but the nation's fought back hard with vaccines.

Australia's High Commissioner to Fiji, John Feakes, said Australians are travelling to Fiji because of its high vaccination rate.

"I want to pay tribute to the Tourism Fiji but also to the medical frontline responders who have vaccinated Fijians to the point where Australians are very comfortable coming here."

Fiji Airways said 800 visitors from Australia arrived yesterday and about a thousand visitors will land in Fiji today from Sydney, Melbourne and Los Angeles.

Tourism Fiji said it's expecting 40-thousand international visitors to arrive in December.

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Video via 1News

More than 60,000 people have cast their vote in Tonga's fourth democratic election after becoming a constitutional monarchy in 2010.

Tonga's nobles have elected three new representatives, and returned six incumbents to parliament. But as reporter Tahlea Aualiitia explains, results for the remaining 17 people's representative seats have not yet been called.

The Cook Islands government officially announced it will open its borders to New Zealand from 14 January 2022 with no quarantine in either country!  

We know there are many that missed out on a Pacific Islands holiday the first time the Cooks opened their borders briefly earlier in the year.  The announcement means that the Cook Islands will be the only country people in New Zealand can travel to and from for a holiday in January.

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Here's what you need to know:

* NO QUARANTINE 

You will not be required to quarantine or self-isolate in the Cook Islands OR on your return to New Zealand.

* ALL VISITORS MUST BE 12 YEARS OR OVER & FULLY VACCINATED 

All visitors must be aged 12 years and over and must be fully vaccinated or provide a certified medical exemption. Children under 12 years of age will be permitted to enter the Cook Islands once children between 5-11 years of age in New Zealand have begun being vaccinated.…more