Stanmore Cyclone Gita no match for Tonga Mrs Mary Nosworthy has taken leave from Newington College for a year to teach at Tupou College, Newington’s brother school in Tonga. She was there when Cyclone Gita hit in February, but says it was no match for the Tongan spirit. life back on track, clear roads and restore buildings. Pumping petrol relied on generators, so service stations opened for limited hours. Cyclones are part of life in the Pacific. They are loud, violent and destructive. They scar a country physically and psychologically, but they bring out the best in people. Tongans are an accepting and faith-based population and one Category 5 cyclone is no match for their spirit nor resilience. I am still getting used to Tonga’s weather, church services in Tongan, swimming in a pool at that has a temperature of about 30 degrees. But the positive aspects of Tonga far outweigh the bugs, beetles, mozzies, coral roads and 40km speed limit. The community is incredibly generous I started the year settling in as an door to the principal’s house. It was and supportive. The students are English/Humanities teacher at Tupou temporary and had no power and, friendly and respectful. Tupou College College, Tonga and establishing our initially, no water. This made for very represents all that is good in education. home for the next 12 months. Our creative cooking and personal hygiene. It is an old-fashioned institution that house is small: a two-bedroom, basic But within a few days generators were prides itself on its long and cottage, the last residence on the farm installed. These burst into life and distinguished history (it was established road, just after the tar runs out. We had roared away for two hours, twice a day. by Rev Moulton in 1866, just a few a lean-to car port for our Vespa. This sound and the daily whirr of years after he founded Newington), its Then, on 12 February, our world was chainsaws became comforting in the close relationship with Newington and a turned upside down—literally—when stillness after the cyclone. respect for the opinions of all. Cyclone Gita hit Tonga. After 21 days, power was finally Newington College filled a container with The night of the cyclone, we stayed at restored to Toloa. The buzz of activity much-needed goods to help Tupou the principal’s large, safe, concrete was incredible as people worked to get College. house. Solar-powered street light illuminated the torrential rain all night. We woke as dawn broke to see chaos and incredible destruction. School was closed for a week and the massive clean-up started. Truck after truck headed into the bush and returned laden with coconuts to feed the pigs. An enormous avocado tree was uprooted outside our staffroom. A water tower that supplies the staff residential cottages was metres away in the bush and solar panels were badly mangled. Everywhere trees were snapped in half, and many had been blown across fences or onto rooves. Gardens lost entire rows of crops. Huge puddles of water created a muddy, messy Ethan Payne, Charlie Millar, Aidan Morrell, Morgan Jones and Finn McCreery (standing) quagmire. dressed in red and white for Mufti Day in March to show their support for our Tongan brother school, Tupou College. Students donated a gold coin to raise money to help the We moved into the guest cottage next community in Tonga rebuild after it was devastated by Cyclone Gita in February 16| NEWS AUTUMN 2018| OPPORTUNITY