Utula'aina Point

'Utula'aina is a headland on Vava'u's northern coast where the land ends in cliffs dropping into open ocean, reached on a walk of half an hour or so through bush and plantation from near Holonga village. The swell comes in unbroken from the north here with nothing between the cliff and the deep Pacific. Whales pass close in season and can be watched from the top.

What you actually see

• The cliff drop - the land ending in open ocean on the north coast.
• The unbroken swell - waves arriving with no reef to stop them.
• The whale watching - humpbacks passing close below in season.
• The bush walk - the route out through plantation and scrub.

When to go

May to October is the drier season; whales are present roughly July to October. The path is overgrown and muddy after rain. Wind on the point is constant.

Honest expectations

The path is unmarked and easy to lose, so a guide from the village helps. The cliff edge is unfenced and undercut in places. There are no facilities.

Nearby

'Ene'io is south, and Neiafu is southwest.