Kayaking team from Finland.

Tonga’s Ha‘apai Islands scenery is expected to be showcased in Finland after a Tonga expedition was documented by a team who completed nine-days of kayaking in the outer islands.

Explorer Patrick Degerman, who led the eight member team from Finland, said Tonga was one of five expeditions that would include Greenland, Madagascar, Sahara and Antarctica over the next three-years.

He said they flew from Nuku'alofa to Ha'apai and the expedition was self-sufficient where they kayaked, slept in tents and cooked their food on the beach, and filmed and documented the sights. 

“We kayaked along the string of atolls in Ha'apai including Uoleva, Foa and Lifuka and we had planned to kayak further to the deserted island of Uonukuhahake or Limu but we couldn't due to rough seas,” he said.

“When we get back to Finland we are going to make a promotional video mainly for our sponsors that will be broadcasted on national television with photos released to the press,” he said.

In addition, a Photo Exhibition of the Tonga Expedition will be presented at the MATKA Nordic Travel Fair that attracts around 80,000 visitors from all over Northern Europe, in January 2014.

Degerman said they are all entrepreneurs and the expedition was aimed at exploring and celebrating life, funded by various companies in Finland.

He said they also hoped to raise the moral of the Finnish people which had been down over the last five-years due to the economic downturn in the country.

“By doing crazy stunts like this to go to a deserted and untouched island like Ha’apai and then show the beautiful pictures and videos to the people in Finland would make them smile and they will be encouraged to take the risk that they can also do it and enjoy life.”

The Tonga Expedition returned to Nuku'alofa on October 7 before leaviing for Finland this week.