The erupting volcano, located about 65km north of Tonga's capital Nuku'alofa, sent thick ash and steam 20km into the sky and created a devastating tsunami.
Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha'apai volcano in Tonga erupted on Saturday. Photo / Tongan Navy
Lano Fonua lives in Tauranga and works as the Tongan international rugby team's manager. The rest of his family, except for his brother, remain in Tonga.
Fonua was at dinner with his wife when his mother, Tongan journalist Mary Fonua, messaged saying the "waves were coming" and it was "pretty bad".
His mother told him they would stay put and not evacuate as the roads were already underwater.
At this stage, he didn't know the scale of the disaster, but neither he nor his brother could get through to her.
"I was worried because there was no communication. I didn't know if it got worse or if there were more waves ... if the eruptions are going to continue."
Lano Fonua (left) with his children twins Emi and Tui, Siale and his brother Finau. Photo / Supplied
Fonua said an old school friend living in Tonga was somehow able to contact him through her work internet and let him know his family was safe.
His mother has also been quoted in news reports.
"It was a massive relief," he said.
However, the lack of communication was difficult.
"You feel real helpless not being able to do anything, you just have to wait ... you can't get over even if you wanted to," he said.
He said it sounded like there was a lot of damage and that there would be a "tough recovery", with the nation still recovering from a cyclone not long ago.
Lano Fonua (left) the last time he was in Tonga with his family, with his mother Mary (right). Photo / Supplies
Te Puke resident Anne Le'ota said her Tongan-born late husband Joe Le'ota had a large extended family who lived in the village of Te'ekiu.
She said she had not heard from anyone since the eruption and it was "really hard and scary".
"I have also talked to five other local families and none of them have heard a thing from their relatives.
"We're praying and hoping for good news."
She said watching the images of the eruption and the devastating impact of the tsunami was "so scary".
For her and the other families, not being able to be there to comfort their loved ones was "heartbreaking" and the unknown was "worrying and frightening".
Le'ota said she and her late husband were in Tonga during a previous eruption and understood part of the island that came up during that eruption had "disappeared".
She said they also heard lots of other smaller islands have been impacted by the latest eruption but the residents' fate was also unknown.
Rotorua Pacific Islands Development Charitable Trust manager Mata Mafileo was video-calling her sister in Tonga who was looking after two children and heard the "loud boom" of the eruption.
Mafileo saw it starting to get dark and her sister told her it seemed to be clouding over, showing them the ash falling from the sky.
"She was panicking."
Mata Mafileo was on a video call with her sister in Tonga when the volcano erupted. Photo / Andrew Warner
Earlier that day her sister had told her the town smelled like Rotorua — the sulphuric smell similar to boiled eggs.
Her sister had said they were not allowed on the beach and were told to wear masks when they went outside.
Mafileo was with two others, including her mother, trying to calm her sister down, pack an emergency pack and get inland.
The network suddenly cut off and Mafileo hasn't spoken to her since.
"I can't sleep at night."
Mafileo said she was busy either checking for updates or trying to call any family, hoping each time the network would be working again.
She said she and the other Tongan families in Rotorua were struggling not being able to hear from their relatives.
Kiwifruit company Seeka has 60 Tongan Recognised Seasonal Employers (RSE) working for them.
Corporate services general manager Kate Bryant said all these staff chose to work yesterday and the business was providing pastoral support.
Bryant said they were working with staff to determine what they needed.
Multicultural Tauranga president Premila D'Mello said her heart went out to all the local families and their loved ones living in Tonga.
She said the full impact of the eruption was still unclear, but text messages suggest some people have lost homes.
D'Mello said Tongan-born people who live in New Zealand continue to support their families in their homeland and understandably not knowing how their loved ones are faring is "scary and heartbreaking".
