At 131 meters, Mt. Talau is the highest point in Vava'u, but this is definitely not a tough hike. It is close to Neiafu town, and most of the hike is on paved or dirt roads. When you get close to Mt. Talau, the only hard part is finding the correct path up to the mountain.
Fortunately, our friends on s/v Forty Two had told us that we should take the turn BEFORE this sign, not continue down the road next to the sign, like they did. This road apparently continues on around the base of the mountain, and not up to the top.
You know you are on the right path when you encounter this sign:
This explains the Tongan legend as to why Mt. Talau is flat on top. It is so typically Tongan (and quite cute).
The views from the top are outstanding, and we picked a great day for pictures.
On our way up, we encountered children on their way to church. It was some kind of special day for the children at the Wesleyan Church, and they and their parents were ALL decked out.
Notice his tiny 'mat' around his waist. This the Tongan version of a tie--you are not properly dressed, for formal occasions, without your mat. Notice that Mom had firm hold of his hand, making sure he didn't get messed up on his walk to church.
Here is another character we encountered on our walk
Pigs are a fact of life in Vavau. Almost every house outside of town has a litter of pigs loitering around. The baby pigs are quite cute as they skip around and wiggle their curly little tails.
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