Pangi – a photographers paradise

25 Fepueli Tuesite

My Kotoni is more a Hilton boy than your average backpacker so I took the opportunity of Broni being here to visit the island of Pangiamotu.

Pangi is a short 10 minute boat ride from the wharf and a favourite hangout for palangis on a tight budget. It is especially crowded on Sundays as it is the most accessible beach where one can swim… and… wear swimmers.

Tongans swim in their clothes.

Doing anything recreational on a Sunday is a big no no in most places as this is a day for all things church.

Being mid week we virtually had the place to ourselves which is just the way I like it.

As the tide was coming back in when we disembarked our first escapade was to walk around the island before it became too deep.

It is not a big island so the stroll, taking pictures along the way took about an hour.
It was lovely to see another island and the big bay of islands from a different perspective as we waded through the watery tidal mangroves. I loved these spidery plants that looked like aliens emerging from the deep.

We passed some coconut palms in one area that looked like they had had their tops ripped off.

We suspected a cyclone had been through and gave us a little insight into what the whole of Ha’apai must look like after the devastation of Ian.
Before we knew it we arrived back at the Big Mama dockside bar for a swim around the close by orange coloured wreck which made a fabulous contrast to the aquamarine waters.

There are actually two wreaks… One very visible and the other just under the surface that gets revealed through googles.

There are a substantial amount of fish just ‘hanging’ at these rusty remains so lots of photo opportunities and snorkelling is a must. It was my first foray back into the mask since my big Angelina Jolie impersonation so I was extra happy.

Pizza in Marco’s garden and a stroll into the square in the starry cool evening put the finishing touches on an enjoyable day.

It has been so nice to take a slow pace in these final couple of weeks and of course spend time with a friend revisiting sights for the last time, smelling the flowers and just being.