During his final day in Tonga today, Hon Murray McCully travelled to Ha'apai to visit affected schools and infrastructure destroyed by Tropical Cyclone Ian last year.

Accompanied by Tonga’s Deputy Prime Minister Hon Siaosi Sovaleni, he left Nuku’alofa this morning together with the New Zealand High Commissioner HE Mark Talbot.

He met the new Governor of Ha’apai Mo’ale Finau before visiting the affected Government Primary Schools of Pangai and Fotua and Ha’apai High School, the projects which New Zealand and the Asian Development Bank are co-financing.

He also visited affected houses rebuilt with funds from the World Bank, as well as tourism operators and the rehabilitation project of the electricity network funded by New Zealand.

The Foreign Minister returned to Tongatapu this afternoon and was expected to depart for Auckland tonight.