Tragedy in Tonga

There was distressing news from Tonga yesterday, with graphic scenes of a volcanic eruption which was said to be a one-thousand-year event. On the 6pm news we saw tsunami waves flowing over streets and houses, and an intrepid reporter spoke of brushing volcanic ash from her forehead.

Tonga is Aotearoa’s key defence partner in Polynesia, and the Tongan people share genetic and cultural similarities with Māori. The islands are the only constitutional monarchy in the Pacific, and their king has been evacuated to a villa further from the sea.

There is no cause for tsunami alarm here in the South Island, but warning is out for parts of the North Island and the Chatham Islands.

There are large numbers of Tongan-born people and their descendants living in Aotearoa, I don’t know any in Christchurch, but one firm I was employed by in Auckland had a large Tongan workforce. They all had European first names, and I now wonder how that came about. Whenever a new worker was required a cousin or other relative would be introduced. I’m thinking of them now and hoping their families are safe. Communication with the islands has been broken, but Jacinda is due to give us the latest news at 3pm.

No-one expected an eruption
to cause such far-reaching disruption