'Eua National Park Explained

ʻEua National Park
Iucn Category:	II
Location:	ʻEua Island, Tonga
Coordinates:	-21.4017°N -174.9075°W
Area:	4.51sqkm
Established:	1992
Governing Body:	Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (Forestry Division)

ʻEua National Park is a national park on the island of ʻEua in Tonga. It is the country's only national forest park and covers an area of 4.51sqkm.^{[1] [2]} The park is located on the east coast of the island and covers an 800m (2,600feet) band of tropical rainforest and is bordered on the west by sheer cliffs to the ocean, which have numerous caves and chasms.^[3] It received national park status in 1992.^[1] The area is protected by IUCN.^[4]

Biodiversity

Endemic flora

• Aglaia heterotricha
• Arytera bifoliata
• Discocalyx listeri
• Dysoxylum tongense
• Guioa lentiscifolia
• Phyllanthus amicorum
• Pittosporum yunckeri
• Podocarpus pallidus, a rare and endangered conifer (approximately 1,000 trees) found in this location.
• Polyalthia amicorum
• Robiquetia tongensis
• Syzygium crosbyi
• Xylosma smithiana

Endemic fauna

• Lepidodactylus euaensis (Eua forest gecko), a rare and endangered gecko.
• Prosopeia tabuensis (red shining-parrot or red-breasted Koki), a species of parrot.
• Aerodrarnus spodiopygius (white rumped swiftlet)
• Phaethon lepturus (white-tailed tropicbird)

Attractions

• Lokupo observation deck, located above a cliff and provides a view of the Lokupo Beach.
• Big Ovava Tree (minimum of 800 years old)
• Hafu pool
• ʻAna ʻAhu (Smoking Cave), a 70m (230feet) vertical sinkhole with a waterfall cascading into it – the mist rising up from the sinkhole gives it its name.
• ʻAna Kuma, a 10m (30feet) deep cave
• Funga Teʻemoa – the island's highest peak at 312m (1,024feet)

Further reading

• Book: Draft Management Plan for ʻEua National Park : Kingdom of Tonga. Bellingham, P. J.. Fitzgerald, Gerard. 1996. Landcare Research New Zealand, New Zealand. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
• Drake, Donald R.. Motley, Timothy J.. Whistler, W. Arthur. Imada, Clyde T.. 1996. Rain Forest Vegetation of ʻEUA Island, Kingdom of Tonga. New Zealand Journal of Botany. 34. 65–77.

See also

• National parks of Tonga
• List of National Parks

Notes and References

1. Web site: 'Eua National Park in Tonga . en . protectedplanet.net . 2 May 2020 . 14 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200914163246/https://www.protectedplanet.net/eua-national-park-national-park . dead .
2. Web site: 'Eua National Park Reserve. The Queen's Commonwealth Canopy. 6 May 2020.
3. Web site: Tonga Parks & Marine Reserves. Jasons.com. 6 May 2020.
4. Book: IUCN Directory of Protected Areas in Oceania. Paine, James R.. International Union for Conservation of Nature. 1991. 9782831700694. 260–261.