Two men who died in the Kaipara Harbour tragedy will today be buried by their families.

More than 400 people have been deported for a criminal offence in the last five years - the majority from Samoa, China and Tonga.

A flight from Auckland to Tonga was forced to turn back because of an issue with runway lighting in the island nation.

Pre-visit research shows me the name Nuku'alofa means "abode of love" and Tonga's main island, Tongatapu, means "Sacred South".

Tonga's internet-breaking Olympic flag-bearer is ready to tread the catwalk tonight as part of the inaugural Pacific Fusion Fashion Show.

Tonga's well-oiled Olympic flag-bearer may have single-handedly triggered a tourist boom for the Pacific island.

The oiled Tongan flagbearer has bared all about being a professional athlete.

'Very oily!' Today hosts lose the plot as they rub coconut oil over Tonga's shirtless flag-bearer, Pita Taufatofua.

The Tongan Prime Minister has laid a wreath at Auckland War Memorial Museum this afternoon.

A trainee Air Force crew joined a search for a missing boat in the Pacific earlier this week, but failed to find it.

A 6.4 magnitude earthquake has struck Tonga.

I was absent mindedly washing my hands in the tiny toilet at the rear of the plane. Twenty minutes from landing.

It's an exhilarating feeling to launch a sea kayak from the beach and set out to explore a cluster of islands shimmering like a mirage under the tropical sun.

Tonga appears to have escaped casualties or major damage to infrastructure after being lashed by Cyclone Ula yesterday.

Flat seas threaten to ruin his surfing trip, but James Russell avoids breaking point thanks to some awe-inspiring oceanic phenomena.

Tongan royalty has called upon a group of Kiwi musicians to perform at the King's coronation next week.

The only palangi in the room, I had been invited by Tongan community leader Melino Maka, who was keen to speak about the place of kava in the culture here, writes Peter Calder.

A Kiwi student has come up with an innovative way to show off her artistic photography - by using traditional Pacific tapa cloth.

Leaders of Pacific nations are beginning to speak out about claims New Zealand has been keeping too close an eye on their people and one prime minister has called the move a breach of trust.

Tonga is a kingdom blessed with many warm-hearted people, finds Paul Rush.

Further volcanic eruptions have disrupted more flights to and from Tonga this evening.

A dramatic new image has emerged of the volcanic eruption which has disrupted air travel to and from Tonga.

Hundreds of travellers and holidaymakers have been left stranded after flights to and from Tonga were cancelled yesterday because of a huge volcanic ash cloud.

Flights between Australia and Tonga should be back up and running by Wednesday after plumes of volcanic ash above the small island nation grounded planes.

Large ash cloud from a volcano in Tonga is affecting flights in the region, with aviation authorities issuing an alert.

New Zealand double Olympic gold medallist Valerie Adams had a scare when a plane she was on started to skid off a runway in Tonga.

When the Tongan monarchy relinquished much of its power in 2008, it seemed the path to a working parliamentary democracy would be relatively straightforward.