Tonga - 2.1.2 Port of Neiafu

Port Overview 

Neiafu is the second-largest town in Tonga with a population of about 6,000. The port of Refuge is a deep-water harbour on the southern coast of Vava'u, the main island of the Vava'u archipelago in northern Tonga. Neiafu is the administrative centre of the Vava'u group and has government offices, banks, schools, a police station and a hospital. It is also an important centre for tourism with many yachts anchoring in the Port of Refuge. Queen Halaevalu Wharf is administered and operated by the Marine and Ports Division of the Ministry of Infrastructure. 

Queen Halaevalu Wharf is in the Vava'u Group, the second largest group of islands in Tonga, situated in the SW Pacific Ocean. 

General overview 

Queen Halaevalu Wharf is the main activity centre of the port, handling passengers and domestic and international cargo for the outer island group. There is also a safe anchorage for large cruise liners that cannot reach the wharf.  

Queen Halaevalu Wharf can handle international containers and cargo vessels only and domestic vessels. Tankers and LPG vessels are handled at Toula Terminal which is east of Queen Halaevalu Wharf. 

The principal exports are copra and bananas. 

Load line zone: South Pacific Seasonal Tropical Area, Tropical Apr 1 to Nov 30, Summer Dec 1 to Mar 31. Max size: LOA 120m, beam 20m and draught 7.0m. 

Key port information may also be found at: http://www.maritime-database.com 

 

Port Location and Contact
Country	Tonga
Province or District	Vava’u
Nearest Town or City  with Distance from Port	Neiafu. Adjacent to the port
Port's Complete Name	Port of Neiafu
Latitude	-18.6500
Longitude	-173.9833
Managing Company or Port Authority	Marine and Ports Division, Ministry of Infrastructure
Management Contact Person	Fualapaha Fuavao, OIC Marine and Ports Vava’u
Nearest Airport and Airlines with Frequent International Arrivals/Departures	Airport Name:  Lupepauʻu Airport  International Flights: Fiji Airways direct from Nadi, Fiji or via Lulutai Airline from Fuamotu International Airport

Port Picture 

 
(Source: Google Earth- Airbus 11/05/2021) 

Description and Contacts of Key Companies 

Marine and Ports Division (MPD) under the Ministry of Infrastructure is responsible for overseeing and managing of Queen Halaevalu Wharf at Neiafu, Vava’u. It has been declared under Port Management Act, as the Government Wharf amongst others.  

Queen Halaevalu Wharf is the second international port for Tonga and can cater for limited sizes and tonnage of vessels, including all domestic vessels calling Vava’u. 

There is only one stevedoring company in Vava’u which is the Vava’u Shipping Services. 

For more information on port contacts, please see the following link: 4.4 Port and Waterways Companies Contact List  

Port Performance 

Queen Halaevalu Wharf’s maximum draft for the channel is 6.6m and recommended times for vessels to berth with draft over 6m is 1 hour before or after high tide (5.5m Low Water). Pilotage service is compulsory and the Pilot must board outside of the harbour limit, which is an imaginary line crossing from Lotuma Island to Teleki (part of Tu’anuku Village). 

The Pilot boarding area is recommended to be at Faihava passage between Tu’ungasika and Luafatu Island if weather permits. 

Average time from pilot boarding to berthing is 1 hour. 

Seasonal Constraints 

	Occurs	Time Frame
Rainy Season	No	N/A
Major Import Campaigns	No	N/A
Other Comments	Small port with no handling facilities

 

Handling Figures for 2022
Vessel Calls	12 for international vessels and  20 for domestic vessels (maximum per year)
Container Traffic (TEUs)	220 TEUS

 

Handling Figures Bulk and Break Bulk for 2022
Bulk (MT)	No
Break bulk (MT)	No

Discharge Rates and Terminal Handling Charges 

For information on port rates and charges, please see the following link: https://www.portsauthoritytonga.com/publications-download/file/31-4-ports-authority-tariff-fees-dec20131 

Berthing Specifications 

Type of Berth	Quantity	Length  (m)	Maximum  Draft (m)	Comments
Conventional Berth	-	-	-	Pier depth 8.1 m – 10.1 m
Container Berth	1	65 m	6.6	This is the only international berth in the port of Neiafu Pier depth 7.1 m – 9.1 m
Silo Berth	No	-	-	-
Berthing Tugs	No	-	-	-
Water Barges	No	-	-	-

 
Additional information source https://shipnext.com/port/neiafu-vavau-tonei-ton  

General Cargo Handling Berths 

Cargo Type	Berth Identification
Imports - Bagged Cargo	No
Exports - Bagged Cargo	No
Imports and Exports - RoRo	No
Other Imports	No

Port Handling Equipment 

There are two forklifts at the wharf which is owned by the Stevedoring Company. One forklift is 3.5 tons and the other is 7 tons.  

Equipment	Available	Total Quantity and Capacity Available	Comments on Current Condition and Actual Usage
Dockside Crane	No	-	-
Container Gantries	No	-	-
Mobile Cranes	No	-	-
Reachstacker	No	-	-
RoRo Tugmaster (with Trailer)	No	-	-
Grain Elevator with Bagging Machines	No	-	-
Transtainer	No	-	-
Forklifts	Yes	1	3-5 mt

Container Facilities 

There are no cranes onsite. The side lifters of the container truck are used for the movement of containers inside and outside the wharf. 

Facilities	20 ft	40 ft
Container Facilities Available	Yes	Yes
Container Freight Station (CFS)	No	No
Refrigerated Container Stations	Yes	Yes
Other Capacity Details	N/A	N/A
Daily Take Off Capacity   (Containers per Day)	N/A	N/A
Number of Reefer Stations   (Connection Points)	One	One
Emergency Take-off Capacity	N/A	N/A
Off take Capacity of Gang Shift   (Containers per Shift)	N/A	N/A

Customs Guidance 

Customs are on hand for all arrivals when notified prior by MPD. They are generally efficient and effective in executing their duties. 

For more information on customs in Tonga, please see the following link: 1.3 Customs Information  

Terminal Information 

MULTIPURPOSE TERMINAL 

There is no multipurpose terminal facility. 

GRAIN AND BULK HANDLING 

There are no grain and bulk handling facilities. 

MAIN STORAGE TERMINAL 

There are no storage facilities Customs may be able to provide minimal short-term storage in their shed. (100 m2)) 

Storage Type	Number of Storage Facilities	Area (m2)
Bagged Cargo	N/A	N/A
Refrigerated Cargo	N/A	N/A
General Cargo	N/A	N/A

Stevedoring 

There is only one stevedoring company at the wharf which is the Vava’u Shipping Services. The company has two forklifts to assist during operations. Vessels with cranes and forklifts onboard can assist from board to dockside. 

Hinterland Information 

There are two side-lifters - one is 20ft and belongs to the Guttenbeil Transport and the second which belongs to Lavulavu Quarry is 40ft. They are both available to assist during operations at the wharf. 

Port Security 

Port is fenced with 24/7 gatehouse security. No history of security issues. 

Security
ISPS Compliant	Yes
Current ISPS Level   (Level 1 = Normal, Level 2 = Heightened, Level 3 = Exceptional)	1
Pilot Boat	1
Fire Stations	300m from   the wharf