Cyclone Tino slides past Nuku’alofa (Tonga)

Well, it’s been a weird few days for the Street Food Guy! We arrived in Tonga via our charter plane from Samoa, and American checked into our beachside resort and very much hit the ground running. On leaving the said resort in the evening the manager rushed over to us and said we’d have to leave as a cyclone by the name of Tino was coming imminently.

In this situation, we did what any rational human would do and got drunk that night, before the mist of the group changed their flights to a Friday departure (from Saturday). I alas did not.

As things progressed we moved to the Tania hotel in Nuku’alofa (expensive) and waited for info on our flight to Australia. It was canceled, and Tino was due to hit at 7pm on Saturday 18th January 2020. We rebooked flights, got supplies and waited.

We got bored of waiting, so went against official advice and went swimming in the sea. Windy, wet, and rainy, but it appears the cyclone had not only missed us, but we’d have a Sunday to enjoy in Tonga.

People go to church on Sunday in Tonga, nothing is open, and it’s illegal even to swim.

Not quite the adventure I’d hoped for tbh, a rather costly exercise, and I’d now only briefly touch down in Australia, but at least no one died.

We’d survived Cat 3 Cyclone Tino.

Recent Articles