Nomuka Island

Nomuka has always been an important place to passing vessels, as it was one of the few places in the region where fresh water was widely available. Nowadays it is best known for its brackish lake, which occupies most its hilly interior. The island is excellent for hiking, but the villagers are not as friendly as in most other places in Tonga.

Nomuka is in the Ha'apai Group and has occasional ferry connections with other islands in the archipelago. It is also possible to fly there. Nomuka is 110 km north of Nuku'alofa.

Some 30 km (18.5 miles) west of Nomuka is Fonuafo'ou. Fonuafo'ou used to be a 2 km (1.2 miles) long volcanic islands the rose some 320 m (1050 feet) above sea level, but by 1949, it had collapsed and disappeared beneath the waved, as a result of volcanic eruptions and the action of the waves. Nowadays you may still see a few steam vents and some rocks submerging from the ocean. Occasionally, some serious volcanic activity takes place there.