Has Tonga Volcano Affected Pacific Crossings?

[carstenb]

I know it is early days yet. The pics of Tonga after the volcano certainly seem to preclude trying to sail to there.

But what about the countries surrounding?

Anyone know if Vanuvatu, Fiji, etc have been hard hit?

[GordMay]

Volcanic affects aside:

Travel to Vanuatu is currently restricted. Currently, all people entering Vanuatu are required to complete 14 full days of quarantine in a government-designated facility. All passengers entering Vanuatu (Resident, Citizens and Non-Citizens) are required to pay for their own quarantine cost.

Fiji officially opened its borders, on 1st December, 2021, for the first time in two years. Entry requirements largely depend on where you are travelling from. If you’re fully vaccinated, and travelling here from a Travel Partner country, a holiday in Fiji is quarantine free!

[JPA Cate]

Tonga is closed, since 2020. New Caledonia is still closed. Australia and NZ I think will allow yachts, but require quarantine, even with documentation of double vaccination and boosted, length would depend on a rapid antigen test being negative. They are presently not available in Hobart. Don't know about availability in other ports of entry. Probably not in Launceston, either.

We do not have information relative to the damages in Fiji from the Tongan volcano Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai. There has been flooding and evacuations in the Lau group, in the east, I read yesterday. Probably significant ash-falls there, as well. Both nations are largely horticultural economies and I really don't know enough about their soil to have a good take on how the gardens will grow, having been flooded with salt water. The ash is usually nutritious to the soil, once the big bits have been cleared.

CF has 2 threads running now about the volcano and its effects, and many links have been posted. If you check them out, it is obvious that we are in the very earliest days yet of getting information about what the people need, let alone whether they will open their borders.

There is a lot of remembering about how Cook's expedition brought disease; the missionaries brought smallpox; others brought measles; and each time mass extinctions came from European-introduced diseases into places that had not before had to cope with them. The Tongans are really keen to not get Covid, and are presently Covid-free. Today's New York Times had an article explaining that history, today: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/18/w...ano-covid.html

Probably doesn't much affect a crossing, per se, but it will affect where one should go. imho, it's not time yet. If you need to renew your US Visa, would a trip to Mexico for a few months do it? From Mexico, you could go to Japan, then maybe back to the US till the Pacific is welcoming again; or possibly, segue on down to South America. There are certainly many natural wonders there, and perhaps travel will be okay. El Pinguino was allowed into Ecuador for 2 weeks. Not long for seeing a place, but at least not still totally closed, either.

Ann

[El Pinguino]

Kiribati allowed in their first commercial flight just the other day, it brought in 40 covid cases from Fiji.
(I won't mention who chartered the flight).
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/south-...-cases--report

Me and Ecuador? I have chosen to stay only 2 weeks, I have a 90 day visa which is the norm. Purpose of the trip was to establish whether, even though she is on GoogleEarth, I actually still had a boat, sort her status, and to get ready for our next voyage.
She had been 'in country' as an 'undocumented alien' since April 2020 when her previous papers lapsed.
That was all sorted today - hassle free - and I have a brand new 180 day temporary import permit.
For yachts coming from overseas Ecuador was sort of open, now with the Omicron its closed again. Ditto Chile but the situation is very fluid.

[Montanan]

Samoa's borders remain closed.

Nuie remains closed to visiting yachts.

Would not expect the restrictions to change any time in the near future.

Travel during a pandemic remains ill-advised and fraught with uncertainty and challenges.

[Montanan]

Images of ash deposited on Tonga by the volcano.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...Shairana%20Ali.

[iSaint]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Kiribati allowed in their first commercial flight just the other day, it brought in 40 covid cases from Fiji.
(I won't mention who chartered the flight).
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/south-...-cases--report

C'mon, who was it? Travel agency, likely.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by iSaint

C'mon, who was it? Travel agency, likely.

Read the link... plane load of godbotherers ... the curse of the Pacific

[iSaint]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Read the link... plane load of godbotherers ... the curse of the Pacific

OOOHHhhh, Mr ADD here didn't see that. Good grief, why did they even let the plane land?

[StuM]

Originally Posted by iSaint

OOOHHhhh, Mr ADD here didn't see that. Good grief, why did they even let the plane land?

They're everywhere in the Pacific
Kiribati:
"As of 2019, there were 20,946 members in 37 congregations, making it the largest body of LDS Church members in Micronesia. Kiribati also has the most LDS Church members per capita in Micronesia, and the third most members per capita of any country in the world, behind Tonga and Samoa."
Tonga:
"According to the LDS Church, there are over 65,000 LDS members (which would be about 60% of the population of Tonga) in Tonga, which means that Tonga has the highest percentage of Latter-day Saints in the world."