Fijian-born Auckland soldier commands New Zealand Army construction unit in Tonga exercise

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For Lieutenant Jokawiti (Sue) Vakanivalu, travelling to Tonga’s remote Ha’apai Islands to take part in the New Zealand Army’s Exercise Tropical Twilight reminded her of her home country of Fiji.

As commander of the construction corps, the Auckland Girls Grammar School graduate plays a key role in the annual humanitarian exercise, which sees skilled tradespeople support local projects that will help strengthen the Pacific Kingdom’s resilience to natural disasters.

Lieutenant Wakanivalu moved to New Zealand when he was four and grew up in South Auckland.

She said the Fijian village she came from was not that different from the one in Ha’apai.

“As soon as we arrived at the dock, I saw the similarities there and it made me feel like these jobs were home,” she said.

While caring for 37 deployed personnel was a daunting learning curve at times, Lieutenant Waqanivalu said her Fijian heritage gave her a deeper understanding of local customs and practices.

“You take advantage of what’s available and tap into local networks.

“A lot of issues were resolved on site and I’m very proud of my team.

“It’s a satisfying job, watching the walls go up, the lights go on, the plumbing switch over.”

Funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Tropical Dusk returns to Tonga for a second year to support the country’s recovery from the 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hungahapai eruption.

This year, soldiers from Tonga, Vanuatu, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Australia, the United Kingdom and Japan, along with nearly 60 New Zealand Army personnel, spent five weeks on the Ha’apai Islands completing medical and construction projects.

Major projects for the New Zealand unit included the installation of new accessible washrooms and kitchenettes at the Ha’ateiho Community Centre, as well as updating electrical work and improving water collection systems for the Meteorological Centre.

They also provided a new playground, improved water catchment system and upgraded bathrooms to Pangai Public Primary School, and a refurbished playground to Koulo Public Primary School.

“The community has been very supportive of our work. Hospitality is very important here and they bring us food every few days,” said Lieutenant Vakanivalu.

Now 10 years into her service in the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF), she still remembers taking the bus to Waiouru Barracks for basic training.

“My parents thought I was going to college, and on the bus ride, I remember thinking, what am I doing? But when I graduated and walked in front of my family, I knew I had made the right choice.

During her military career she also achieved many sporting achievements, representing the New Zealand Defence Force on the international rugby stage.