'Eua Forest Plantation and National Park Walk
'Eua Forest Plantation and National Park Walk can be done without a guide and maps are available.
This walk takes you up and through the forest plantation. The forest plantation is Timber for Tonga'stimber industry, so we don't cut anymore of our native forest for timber purposes.The timber industry is not a demanding industry, so the timber forest plantation doesn't have a big strain on it.
This plantation forest walk is a planted forest but there are still pockets of un-touched forest as you are walking through. The plantations are made up of Pine trees, Red Cedar, Mahogany, Teek, Cowry Trees, Gum Trees, Sandalwood and many more. Anyway back to the walk...We drop you off at Hafu pool, Hafu Pool is a pool that fills up from a stream and over flows at the pool and continues on. Cross this pool and start hiking through lush rainforest with giant fern tree's along the way. Once you have trekked up hill for 10 to 15 min you will find on your left one of the “ Big Ovava” trees also nown as the strangling fig tree. This tree is pretty spectacular site as you approach the big ovava tre you will see that the roots of the tree are not where you are standing but actually begin at the bottom of a “sink hole” a huge shaft in the ground. To the left of the tree is another sink hole which acts as a sky light to the cave beneath.
You can access the cave and the roots of the tree to the right of the tree. Careful it can be slippery. Once down inside the cave you will hear south pacific swallows chirping as they circle the cave catching insects. A small stream carries on through this cave but it is not recommended to attempt to follow as it is very slippery and gets very narrow.
You can monkey climb the roots of the ovava back to the top or take the same path you took climbing down.
You can keep tramping through the logging roads, some logging roads are overgrown but when given a map you will be told the roads suitable to use at the time.Now we are making our way up to the National park Lookouts,Lokupo lookout, Laua lookout and the rats cave. When you get to these spectacular viewing lookouts, there are a great spot for lunch and a little break before coming back down to the starting drop off/ pick up point back at Hafu pool.Keep your eye out for the Red Shinning Parrot because you have been hearing a the loud squawk all the way through your walk. Also from the lookout you can see other pacific birds soaring above the National Park Canopy below, the pacific pigeon, white tail tropic birds white terns. See our page on the birds of 'Eua.
Trekking Fangatave beach includes Caves, Trekking, Climb and Snorkel