Eua Climbing Doco

AU$1,870
of $1,770 targetyrs ago
Successful on 17th Jul 2016 at 12:00AM.

‘Eua is a small but significant island in the Kingdom of Tonga, and home to an array of unclimbed limestone cliffs. In July, a small team of experienced climbers from New Zealand will be undertaking a recon mission to ‘Eua to assess the viability for a new tropical sport climbing destination within easy reach of NZ and east coast Australia. My plan is to tag along and create a roughly 15-minute doco out of this adventure.


About the filmmaker


My name is Brett Williams – I’m a freelance videographer and editor living in Melbourne. Over the years, I’ve made a series of climbing videos and worked with some remarkable people. You can check out my work under Side Trip Productions on Youtube. I love telling stories of climbing in a genuine, authentic style, while showcasing some of the amazing areas and routes that we have to offer in the Southern Hemisphere.


Back Story


Millions of years ago, the collision of the Tonga and Pacific plates pushed up the rocky land mass of what would become known as the island of ‘Eua. Unlike other islands in the Pacific, ‘Eua is not volcanic; it is composed mostly of limestone, and is scattered with cliffs varying in height from single to multi-pitch lengths. The island is also home to a vast network of sinkholes, caves and underwater caverns, and a lush jungle.


Today, it is a quiet tropical island known as tourist destination for observing humpback whales, hiking, fishing, diving, birdwatching and exploring remote beaches.



Several years ago, the idea of developing rock climbing on ‘Eua was first proposed by a visiting American climber who spent two years working on the island for the Peace Corps. In this time he documented much of what the island has to offer before returning to the US.


Flash forward a few years, and New Zealand climber Greg Jack is planning a climbing recon mission to ‘Eua. 


In Greg’s words:


"I heard about Niue (another Tongan island) for deep water soloing so went there for holiday. Had previously been to Vavau in Tonga and seen a bit of limestone though nothing amazing. Then I heard Jon Seddon had come back with stories of decent rock which got my attention. I searched for Tonga rock photos and only saw sea cliffs, so idea lay dormant until some other climbers visited Eua for holidays and returned talking about the potential. I then heard an American climber had spent two years on the island and tracked him down. This chap, Jason Schneider, sent me a pdf he compiled, after abseiling a few cliffs. Some of the photos looked very good and it occurred to me that everything else seemed just perfect for a tropical rock climbing destination easy and cheap to get to from NZ and Oz.. It didn't take much effort for me to book tickets to go scope the potential and interest has just grown and grown since then, so now there's a team of us on a rock recon mission!"

Greg has put together a team of five experienced climbers, including his wife Jean, as well as Tony Burnell, Alisa Woodruff and Nathan Duxfield. So far, signs of interest in climbing as a tourism venture have been positive, so the team are also bringing a consignment of custom-designed titanium bolts to safely place anchors in key locations and endeavor to set about ten sport routes. 

How The Funds Will Be Used

$1,500 is the bare minimum to cover my travel expenses over an 8 day period: flights, excess baggage, accommodation, and insurance. In the past I've always borne the costs incurred by shooting climbing films, but the unique nature of this one makes that a bit more of a challenge. As a freelancer with an irregular income, being able to cover the travel costs while being away from paid work for a week makes the project significantly more feasible. 


$270 will go towards the substantial cost of the titanium bolts, glue and shipping. Greg has already seperately raised about 75% of what he needed for the shipment, and I'm hoping the remaining donations will get him over the line. 


Any additional funds beyond the target will go into the ongoing budget for the film for future costs that will inevitably arise such as hard drive and memory card purchases, equipment rental, music licensing, motion graphics, etc. 


What’s in it for you


By supporting the film, you’re helping an established climbing filmmaker create a short doco that aims to entertain and inform you with a story of exploration and effort in a beautiful setting never before seen in the context of climbing.


If the team is successful, it will be the beginning of a potential new sport climbing destination on our doorstep (for Kiwi’s and east coast Australian residents anyway!) that is cheap to visit and uncrowded. Also, did I mention.. humpback whales!!




The Challenges

One of the things I admire about this team is the conscientious approach they are taking. The recon mission will involve meeting with Ministry of Tourism, locals and community leaders. It will also involve assessing potential environmental impact. The team are focused on ensuring that if a sport climbing scene is viable on ‘Eua, it should benefit the local economy and have no negative impact.


The Vision


My plan is to shoot this doco using my Canon C100, Sony A7II and the DJI Phantom 4 drone. I’ll be spending 8 days on the island, which I believe should be enough time to gather footage for a short doco film. With zero budget, I’m going it alone shooting-wise (I would love to have a second camera op), but I’m fairly used to working light and fast in this style.


I am hoping to tell the story of the team’s exploration, their interactions with the local community, the work they are putting in to develop the climbing and have it culminate in some impressive first ascent climbing footage.


That’s what I hope, but we honestly don’t know how things will turn out. It wouldn’t be an adventure if we did.



Frequently Asked Questions


1. Will I be climbing while over there?

No. In fact, I won't even be bringing rock shoes. I am there for one purpose - to capture a great story on video. Every climbing film I've completed in the past is always treated like work in order to get the best possible result. And to be honest, I just don't have room in my pack for anything not related directly to shooting. 


2. Who is the film being made for? Eg. companies? 

It is being made for you, by me. The maximum amount of sponsorship received so far for this project is one very kind donation from the New Zealand Alpine Club and a discounted gear rental from Lemac Film and Digital. We are without commercial sponsorship, not for lack of trying!


3. Where can the film be seen when it is completed? 

Ultimately the film will end up on my Side Trip Productions youtube channel. Prior to this, I'd love to arrange live screenings and hopefully some Mountain Film Festival success if it turns out to be any good!



Useful links


Eua climbing expedition Facebook group

www.facebook.com/groups/986159234811952/


Filmmaker website

www.sidetrip.com.au


Tourism Tonga ‘Eua page

www.tongaholiday.com/islands/eua/


#climbeua


Thanks so much for taking the time to read this, every little bit helps : )

The Beta

Contingent on team success, you’ll receive a free download of a digital pocket guide to the first climbs established on ‘Eua, with all of the beta accrued during the upcoming trip (including travel advice) and a video thank you credit.

3 chosen

Est. delivery is Oct 16

The Hard Copy

As above, along with a professionally printed version of the pocket guide.

4 chosen

Est. delivery is Nov 16

The Threads

As above, and a custom-designed “Climb Eua” tee. Should the trip prove unsuccessful, you’ll have a hilariously ironic t-shirt to wear at the crag.

7 chosen

Est. delivery is Sep 16

The Somethin' Special

As above, along with something special from ‘Eua picked out by us and an 8x10” original printed photo from ‘Eua to inspire your next mission.

1 chosen / 4 available

Est. delivery is Dec 16