Tongan Olympian helps pack supplies for ship while waiting on word from his missing father

A Royal Australian Navy ship has arrived in Brisbane to pick up humanitarian supplies on its way to Tonga. A famous Olympian who has not yet heard from his father helped pack some of the boxes.

One of the Royal Australian Navy’s largest and newest ships has arrived in Brisbane on its way to the Kingdom of Tonga.

The HMAS Adelaide III, a Canberra class amphibious assault ship, also known as a Landing Helicopter Dock, sailed into Brisbane and berthed at the new cruise terminal just after 10am today after leaving Sydney on Monday.

The crew of the ship has been tasked with picking up humanitarian supplies and heading to south pacific island nation to help with the clean up following the eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai underwater volcano on Saturday.

In posts to his social media accounts on Tuesday, Tongan Olympian and Brisbane resident, Pita Taufatofua – who has not heard from his father following the underwater eruption and subsequent tsunami – said he spent that morning overseeing the packing of some of the supplies destined for Tonga at Brisbane’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) humanitarian supplies warehouse.

The HMAS Adelaide pulled into the Brisbane International Cruise Terminal this morning. It will be loaded with supplies and sent to Tonga. Picture: John Gass

“Happy to say that this morning we were able to get the very first load of much needed supplies packed and off to the HMAS Adelaide to leave to Tonga tomorrow morning!,” he wrote.

“We thank the Australian government who helped facilitate these emergency supplies from @UNICEFPacific @UNICEF.”

Mr Taufatofua, who is a UNICEF Pacific ambassador, gained fame as an Olympian and flag bearer representing Tonga at the 2016 Olympics, 2018 Winter Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the sports of taekwondo and cross-country skiing.

Video and images of the native Tongan went viral when he carried his country’s flag in traditional dress at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The athlete has not been able to get in contact with his father, Dr. Pita Taufatofua, a recently appointed governor of the province of Haapai, since the tsunami struck.
While waiting for word about his father, Mr Taufatofua continues to help with UNICEF and has also set up a GoFundMe to help his home country.

Tongan Olympian and UNICEF Pacific ambassador Pita Taufatofua has helped pack boxes of supplies destined for his home nation aboard the HMAS Adelaide which is expected Picture: Facebook

A post on the UNICEF Pacific Facebook page showed a photo of Mr Taufatofua standing in front of pallets full of large boxes on the back of a truck.

“All packed and ready to go! UNICEF Pacific Ambassador, Pita Taufatofua, visited the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade warehouse in Brisbane today as UNICEF emergency supplies were being packed for shipping to Tonga aboard HMAS Adelaide,” the post said.

“We welcome the support from the Government of Australia to quickly transport emergency water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and recreational kits to reach children and families with the support they urgently need.”

UNICEF Pacific Deputy Representative Vathinee Jitjaturunt told the Courier Mail the 44 pallets of humanitarian supplies were in addition to the ones being provided by the Australian government.

Tonga's flag bearers Malia Paseka (L) and Pita Taufatofua (C) leading the delegation during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games opening ceremony's parade. Mr Taufatofua is praying for news of his father, who he has not heard from since a devastating tsunami hit the island. Picture: Hannah McKay/AFP

Speaking via phone from Suva, Fiji, Ms Jitjaturunt, 62, said some of the emergency supplies included 1000 Wash and Diginty kits, water buckets, and jerry cans.

A Wash and Dignity kit contains items such as laundry detergent, underwear and other toiletries and is designed for a family of five to last for a month.

With the nation’s water supply contaimnated by the tsunami and floods, Ms Jitjaturunt said essential water supplies, including water purification tablets and a potable water testing kit, was also being sent to Tonga.

“About 10,000 people will benefit from these supplies,” she said.

“In addition to that, we also provide an additional 50 recreation kits for children. ... The kits include some sports, some drawings, books, colour pencils, games they can play.”

The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai is an underwater volcano about 65km north of Tongatapu, the country’s main island.

Its eruption on Saturday it caused a plume of ash, steam and gas to blast above the Pacific Ocean and triggered tsunami warnings for coastlines from Australia to Japan and the US.

Paula Ulakai (left) with his parents, Viola Ulakai and Captain Sione Ulakai and his sister, Anaseini Ulakai. Paul, 21, says he and his sister Anaseini, 22, have not yet been able to contact their parents in Tonga. Picture: Supplied

The eruption and subsequent tsunami caused “significant damage” along the western coast of the main island of Tonga tapu, the New Zealand High Commission in Nuku’alofa said Monday.

Communications to the island nation have largely been cut following the tsunami, leaving family members around the world desperately trying to contact their loved ones to find out if they are safe.

Up to 80,000 people could be affected, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Paul Ulakai, 21, originally from Tonga’s capital city of Nukuʻalofa, is scheduled to board the HMAS Adelaide in Brisbane and head for home, where he hopes to find his parents, who he has not been able to contact, as well as help out with the humanitarian mission.

‘My mum and dad are in Tonga. My mum works for the Tongan Broadcasting Commission and my dad works for the navy as well … but we haven’t heard from them at all at this time,’ he said Tuesday night.

Tongan Navy midshipman Paul Ulakai. Picture: Supplied

The Tongan Maritime Force midshipman has been training with the RAN since March 2020 and said he received a call Monday asking if he would like to join the Adelaide to go to Tonga.

‘I might help out with things like informing the crew on what to expect from the people in terms of culture, and more so, language,’ he said.

Mr Ulakai said he also hopes to be able to head to his parents house or workplaces to find them and ensure they are safe.

‘My plan is to find my parents and give them a big hug,’ he said.

Mr Ulakai said the volcano eruption was a ‘’big shock’’ for everyone.

‘We’ve never suffered such a big natural disaster before. It was quite a bit shock for Tongans around the world,’ he said.

RAN Sub Lieutenant Cameron McCabe and Midshipman Sam Mathwin, with MIDN Paul Ulakai from the Tongan Navy. Picture: Supplied

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is supporting the DFAT co-ordinated mission to support the Government of Tonga following the eruption of Tonga’s underwater volcano and is sending the Adelaide to provide additional Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) support if requested by the by the Government of Tonga.

A Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon aircraft departed RAAF base Amberley, outside of Ipswich, Monday to conduct aerial surveillance over the central islands of Tonga.

This imagery has now been processed by Defence and is being used to assist the Government of Tonga in its ongoing recovery efforts.

A Royal Australian Air Force P-8 Poseidon aircraft departs RAAF Base Amberly, to assist the Tonga Government after the eruption of the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai volcano. Picture: ADF

The Defence contribution forms part of the ‘whole of Australian Government response’, which is led by the DFAT.

Minister International Development and the Pacific, Zed Seselia, shared a photo of supplies to his Facebook page stating that shelter, kitchen and hygiene kits ere loaded onto a RAAF aircraft ready to support Tongans impacted by the recent tsunami.

‘Australia is standing with our Pacific family, committing an initial $1 million to deliver humanitarian relief and emergency supplies for the people of Tonga,’ he wrote.