242:"Three deities from Samoa, Tuvuvata, Sisi, and Faingaa, conspired to steal Tofua. So they came and tore up the high mountain by its very roots and its place was taken by a large lake. This enraged the Tongan gods very much and one of them, Tafakula, essayed to stop the thieves. He stood on the island of Luahako and bent over so as to show his anus. It shone so brilliantly that the Samoan deities were struck with fear, thinking that the sun was rising and that their dastardly work was about to be revealed. Hence, they dropped the mountain and fled to Samoa. The mountain became the island of Kao."
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on its lower flanks, interspersed with thick chest-height ferns that are virtually impassable to all but the most determined trekkers armed with machetes and a good deal of stamina. Although just passable, the jungle area itself ends with a tree line at approximately 400m up the mountain, a brief
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belt of more thick fern gives way to shorter fern growth. However, 75m from the summit the thick fern returns. Kao is an exceptionally difficult hike and climb. There are many gullies and ravines, some covered in plant growth, difficult to see and treacherous.
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The best access to Kao is by small boat on the south coast of the island, although heavy swell can make this treacherous and a skilled boat coxswain is required. There are no permanent paths to the summit. Small areas on the lower slopes are cultivated by
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flows, it is likely very recent in origin due to the absence of deep gullies or high sea cliffs. The slopes of the island rise at angles exceeding 35 degrees to the summit, which has a series of small
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E. W. Gifford, recording Tongan myths and tales in the 1920s, documented this explanation for Tofua's caldera and the creation of Kao Island to the north:
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The date of its last eruption is unknown. Although Kao does not display fresh-looking
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Invasive plant species threatening Kao endemic flora
218:. The last reported eruption was on July 10, 1847.
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16:Volcanic island and stratovolcano in Tonga
203:and reaches 1,030 m (3,379 ft)
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226:growers. The island is densely
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600:Juan Fernández Islands
310:Tongan myths and tales
125:19.67000°S 175.03000°W
130:-19.67000; -175.03000
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252:Geography of Tonga
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65:Highest point
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700:Dependencies
689:Cook Islands
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293:. Retrieved
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201:Tofua island
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804:New Zealand
794:Wake Island
539:New Zealand
414:Metis Shoal
128: /
116:175°01′48″W
103:Coordinates
895:Categories
612:West Papua
390:Fonuafo'ou
295:2020-05-05
263:References
113:19°40′12″S
81:Prominence
713:Australia
607:Indonesia
509:Australia
442:West Mata
438:Volcano F
418:Niuafoʻou
398:Home Reef
141:Geography
71:Elevation
524:Kiribati
422:Niuatahi
394:Fonualei
246:See also
146:Location
916:Haʻapai
812:Tokelau
583:In part
574:Vanuatu
386:Curacoa
228:jungled
193:Haʻapai
191:in the
156:Geology
91:Listing
822:France
651:Hawaii
569:Tuvalu
502:Entire
430:Tafahi
624:Japan
617:Papua
590:Chile
564:Tonga
554:Samoa
544:Palau
534:Nauru
434:Tofua
280:"Kao"
197:Tonga
150:Tonga
54:Tonga
759:Guam
684:Niue
519:Fiji
410:Late
382:ʻAta
224:kava
212:lava
178:1847
702:and
406:Kao
185:Kao
47:Kao
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271:^
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