*I created this cache for visitors to Nuku‘alofa. No matter if you're Tongan or palangi, if you came by plane or by cruise ship, if you're travelling on to the outer islands or only staying on Tongatapu, you will most likely have some hours or even a day in this town. This postcard cache will take you to some of its most interesting sights in the centre. Plan for about two hours to find this cache, some light education and a genuine Tongan final.
This is how it works: Look at the postcards of the six sights (further below) and find the six spots from where the photographs were taken. You can visit them in any order. If you need help, just ask a friendly islander. When you found a spot, take a look around you and do the counting exercises below the descriptions. They are easy to solve when standing right at the spots but you better look twice.
Originally, within a distance of five to ten meters you were able to find several identical stickers with the symbol from the postcard and a the number. By 2018, many of the stickers have faded and so you will have to count. Most of the stickers were/are on road signs, outside or inside metal posts or fences and easy to find. After you found one you'd be tuned for the five others.
Note down the numbers (all six add up to 21) to eventually calculate the final co-ordinates in the following way:
The co-ordinates will take you to an interesting building. You will find the cache inside (a few steps away from the coordinates) during the common Tongan opening hours (Monday to Friday 09:00-16:30, Saturday 09:00-13:00) which also means that it is unreachable at night and on Sundays. Inside, look for the postcard display, look under the table, and find the wooden box. If you have trouble locating it, ask the friendly staff. To open the box you will need three of the symbols/numbers you found at the postcard spots. The content should be self-explanatory, please mind the labels. Be creative with your logs!
If needed, a mailbox and stamps are available at the Post Office that is marked as the starting point of this cache. At the shop left of the main entrance of the Post Office you can also purchase a variety of fancy collector stamps to put on the cards.
1. The Royal Palace
The wooden Royal Palace is probably the oldest surviving building in the Kingdom. It was first constructed in 1867 with building materials, mainly from Norfolk Pines, imported from New Zealand. The Palace was altered and extended several times, most importantly in 1882 with the addition of verandas and major extensions in 2010. Cyclone Ian in 1982 demaged the Royal Chapel that also stood on the Palace grounds until 1989. With the exception of King George Tupou V (2006-2012), the Palace was the main residence of all Tongan Kings since George Tupou I. Another famous resident of the Palace grounds was the giant turtoise called Tu‘imalila that was brought to Tonga by Captain Cook in 1777 and died in 1966.
The street you are standing at is called Hala Vaha‘akolo, the "road between the towns". The area behind you around the Sia hill to the west is called Kolomotu‘a, meaning "old town". It is the site of the historic village of Nuku‘alofa. Everything on the eastern side of the street including the whole inner city is called Kolofo‘ou, meaning "new town", which developed after the elevation of Nuku‘alofa to the capital of the kingdom.
No sticker to be found? Count the number of (more than one!) crosses on one single crown you can see on the pillars at the side of the gate.
2. The Prime Minister's Office
Tonga's oldest stone building is a colonial style construction. It is one of the centres of political life in the Kingdom. Generations of Tongan Prime Ministers, usually nobles, used it as their office. In 2014, the long-standing People's Representative and opposition leader ‘Akilisi Pohiva (1941-2019) moved in as the first elected non-noble Prime Minister after the political reform during George Tupou V's reign.
The wooden Parliament Building is located on the next parallel street to the east. Until 2010 one third of the Tongan Parliament was appointed by the King, one third elected by the up to 33 nobles and only one third elected by the people. Today the majority is elected by the people after many years of scandals and struggle between conservative and reformist forces in politics and society that culminated in a riot on 16 November 2006 that left large parts of Nuku‘alofa's inner city devastated by looting and arson.
No sticker to be found? Count the number of open windows of the the upper floor of the tower of the Prime Minister's Office.
3. The Centenary Church
This is the main church building of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga. With about 40% of the population as members, it is the largest denomination in the kingdom. Also the King and the royal family are members. The Centenary Church is the venue of the royal coronations, the latest one of King Tupou VI in June 2015.
If you are here on a Sunday, I greatly encourage you to visit this (or another) church and listen to the breathtaking sound of the local congregation's worship. Maybe you will even see the King. Church life plays an important part in the lives of most Tongans. The Christian faith, the lotu, came to Tonga through Methodist and later Catholic missionaries in the early 19th century. It has been embraced enthusiastically and is now deeply rooted into the Tongan soul and culture.
No sticker to be found? Count the doves on the coat of arms on the wall of the Armed Forces Headquarter.
4. The Royal Tombs
This place is called the Mala‘e Kula (red field) and serves as the burial ground for the kings and the royal family. The cenotaph in the middle is for King George Tupou I (reigned 1845-1893), the founder of present-day Tonga, flanked to the left by the statues of his great-grandson George Tupou II (1893-1918) and to the far left his daughter Queen Salote Tupou III (1918-1965). On the far right stands the statue of her son Taufa‘ahau Tupou IV (1965-2006) and in between the one of his son George Tupou V (2006-2012).
Around Mala'e Kula you see several interesting buildings: behind you the Centennial Church of the Free Church of Tonga, on your left the so-called Pasilika of the Roman Catholic Church, on the other side of the field from left to right Queen Salote Memorial Hall, Tonga High School and Queen Salote College. The buildings on the right host the administration and facilities of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga.
No sticker to be found? Count the number of gates on the southern facade of the Centennial Church.
5. The Talamahu Market
As Tongatapu's main market hall, the Talamahu Market is the centre of public life in Nuku‘alofa. The sellers offer a wide variety of local produce: fruits, vegetables, root crops and flower laces, but also a notable variety of handicrafts. Don't forget also to go up to the second floor with additional stands. Just take your time now or later to discover the market and the shops and facilities in the adjacent streets, watch the checker players opposite to the Police Station, students in their school uniforms or join in for a bingo game (if you can understand the Tongan numbers).
At the postcard spot you can find Molisi, the biggest supermarket in the centre. To your right along the street in the green building there's the long-established Cowley Bakery while on the second street on your left you can find the Indian shops where you can buy almost everything that is not food. I encourage you to check out the different Tongan and international eateries around the centre. If you're lucky you can get a freshly-made ‘otai fruit drink or ‘ota ika, the traditional Tongan dish of raw fish.
No sticker to be found? Count the church towers that are clearly visible from this point.
6. The American Wharf
This wharf was built during World War II to facilitate American military purposes. Walk to the end and enjoy the view across the ocean with its turquoise waters and the many small islands with resorts you can visit: ‘Atata to your left, Fafā and Pangaimotu slightly to your right; just check when the boats leave at Faua Wharf to your right. If you're lucky you can even see a whale on the horizon. If you do not want to go that far, just jump off the Wharf for a good swim with the locals.
I am sure you have already noticed the bus stops at the seashore. The eastern one serves the urban area, while the western one is the central starting point to the rural villages. For the beaches and resorts at the west coast take a bus to Hihifo, for the blowholes (Mapu ‘a Vaea) and the tsunami rock (Maka Sio‘ata) hop on to Houma. The Niutoua bus will take you to the ancient royal tombs (Langi) in Lapaha and further to the Ha‘amonga Trilithon, while the Ha‘asini bus goes to the airport, ‘Anahulu Cave and ‘Oholei Beach. Wherever you see a bus in your desired direction, just wave it down and pay when you get off (Tu‘u atu hena will ask the driver to stop). Just make sure you ask when the last bus returns to town, usually no later than 4 pm. But no worries, if you miss the last bus, hitch-hiking (suto) is very convenient on the island and you will likely end up with new friends.
No sticker to be found? Count the number corners of the green sign in the water to your right.
Here's a map for you to help you locate the coordinates without an electronic device (by the way, all postcard spots are located within the range of this map):
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