Tonga's Prime Minister Hu'akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni is making a low-profile tour of New Zealand's Te Wai Pounamu, or South Island.
Hua'kavameiliku arrived in Christchurch on Wednesday and travelled to Ashburton and Timaru in Canterbury where he received a warm welcome from the local Tongan community.
He paid a visit to Timaru Boys' High School where he attended as a senior student in 1988 and spoke at a special reception about his teenage years in the town.
"Thirty-four years ago in 1988, four young Tongan students, including me, entered Timaru Boys' High," he said.
"Timaru Boys' High introduced us to the New Zealand way of life and what we needed to do to be successful in this environment in New Zealand."
Source:
RNZ Pacific