Vavaʻu

Vavau is the island group of one large island and 40 smaller ones in Tonga. It is part of Vavaʻu District which includes several other individual islands. According to tradition the Maui god fished up both Tongatapu and Vavau but put a little more effort into the former. Vavau rises above sea level at Mount Talau. The capital is Neiafu, which is the fifth largest city in Tonga, situated at the Port of Refuge.HistoryMyths and legendsIn Polynesia it is explained that the islands were created by the god Maui, who caught the bottom of the sea with his magic hook, fished up and left on the sea surface what became the islands of Vavau. In total there are 70 islands, of which 17 are inhabited, spread over six districts.Recorded historyDon Francisco Mourelle de la Rúa, commanding Spanish frigate Princesa was the first European to come to Vavau, on 4 March 1781. He charted Vava'u as Martín de Mayorga who was the Viceroy of New Spain at the time. Captain James Cook knew about the islands a decade before, but the people in Haʻapai told him it would be no good for him to go there as there was no harbour. Apparently they did not want him to go there, and Cook heeded their advice anyway.