Photographer by Appointment

L'Esprit de la Mer
Dr Chris Bates
Wed 2 Jul 2014 05:43
We hae spent the week on a mooring off Nieafu town enjoying the royal isit . At last all the instruments are working and we hae AIS in the cockpit; this is a system which displays us to other ships and them to us..
Yesterday we watched with the KIng the school children of Tonga dance for the King .It was on the rugby field . the King and QUeen sat in a special throned tent with the nobles in other tents on either side . We watched from the embankment untill I decided to walk down to the nobles tent .I complimented the lady at the entrance on how beautifully the children danced and she was                very pleased . I took this as an invite to enter the tent with the nobles and crouched between the official caamera of Tonga TV and the comentator just 20 metres from his Majesty . I took oer 200 excellent photos including some very good ones of the King , The Queen and the Crown Prince .