Talofa Malo - Journey into our own Treasure Island!

Talofa Malo - Journey into our own Treasure Island!

The rains arrived in August, Scott was tired of the Antarctic climate, so we decided to head for warmer areas and see if we could learn something about the birthplace of many of our Pacific Island friends. This combined with a previous club-talk by Stewart Palmer pointed towards Samoa.

An hour on from Tonga International Airport we approached the islands of Independent Samoa, Upolo and Savai’i. These are larger than Tonga and stretch almost as far as the eyes can see. These islands are surprisingly green but with one obvious difference from Tonga, being that there are mountains, quite high mountains in the centres of both islands.

The clock in the main reception lounge at Apia International Airport is stuck at 12mins past ten. Still this does not seem to matter too much and it is the cockcrow that seems to keep the time, starting at 3am in the morning just for the unsuspecting palagi.

The capital town Apia is interesting, a mixture of modern high-rise buildings interspersed with corrugated shacks, however it is the island of Savai’i that is the interest of our trip.

On the Saturday morning we left Apia and took a taxi down to Maulifanua wharf to catch the 10am across to the large island of Savai’i. We arrived ten minutes prior to 10am so you can imagine our surprise to see the back of the leaving ferry. The one place on the island which is not late but in fact early is where we want to catch the ferry, the luck of the kiwi!

An interesting experience in chatting with the locals who were wondering what two lost palagi were doing type dream of a Pacific Island paradise. There was a beautiful sandy beach with coral reef and waves evident approximately 100m offshore and the water was warm.

Sunset occurred around 6pm, the quiet was overwhelming, broken only by the soft lap of waves and what seemed the noise of millions of stars that dominated the sea beyond.

The world was wonderful and the sea gently absorbed the world around it.

Palms, palms everywhere (John Hickey)

Tramping & Mountaineering 2004

John Hickey sitting in their open concrete block waiting room.

We had booked transport with one “Bob Slater” who turned out to be a five-foot dynamic lassie who appeared very much in control of two larger but cowled chaps who appeared from a hole in a hedge over the next-door neighbours.

Bob, aka Tupu, turned us right on the only road that stretches right around the edge of Savai’i and we headed for Manase some 20km to the north. The road looked almost new with a pristine tar-seal cover which looks as if it had been laid within the past year. What with one road and red signs at the beginning of each village, route finding was in the gambit of all graduates of a WTMC bushcraft course.

Our journey took a few hours as in addition to being 30°C we were surrounded by white sand on the right, and on the left fales and reasonable size hills even by NZ standards and the local pigs and chickens sharing the road ahead.

Only two cars passed in two hours with the local legend being that the road was laid by a New Zealand team some twenty years earlier but with no one digging it up regularly to lay telephone or drainage lines, no wonder it looks new.

Manase turned out to fit the Robert Louis Stevenson

The next day dawned fine, it was Sunday, and I was woken by squawks of a flying chicken moving at excessive pace through the fales and off into the sand-dunes beyond. In hot pursuit were two of the local lads. Our chicken somehow knew when it was time to be absent. It was the day of the Matai (Chief’s) communal lunch with much invited guests and our almost feathered friend, using that innate perception possessed by many birds, did not wish to be amongst them.

The feast was picturesque and whilst our chicken was not present, local fish, a suckling pig and local fruits were very much in attendance.

From Manase we travelled up to Vaisala which is near Falealupo the north-western point of the Samoan islands and known for fantastic sunsets. There is actually a western style hotel here perched on a cliff overlooking a small coved beach. Whilst some deferred maintenance is evident the locals are keen to see an occasional tourist.

Also in this area is the Falealupo Canopy Walkway. This is rather an interesting walkway supported from some of the larger Bunyan trees within the rain-forest. The views from the top of the tree are almost 30m above the forest floor and a great view of the rainforest and land from the mountains to the sea.

Camouflage test on Falealupo canopy walkway (John Hickey)

Tramping & Mountaineering 2004 Fales from Manase reef (John Hickey)

The next day progress was made down to Satuiatua, warm water, warm lunches and warm welcomes. Swimming morning, noon and night. The locals have their village further back from the beach taking advantage of the forest cover to dissipate the daily heat.

Savai’i is an amazing place and whilst the modern world has impacted to a certain extent it still retains much of the original character carved out by arguably some of the greatest seafarers arriving from the East Indies over 3000 years ago.

The people of Savai’i have access to abundant sea and naturally occurring land food sources. As such there is little agricultural development when compared with many other more populated western countries and people are mainly settled close to the beautiful foreshore. While the weather is hot, the mountains of Savai’i are close to original and for all who wish to see an uncommercialised Pacific Island; this is the place to see.