Tahlea Aualiitia
Tahlea Aualiitia is a presenter and reporter with ABC Radio Australia. You can follow her on Twitter: @taliaualiitia
Latest by Tahlea Aualiitia
As tourism returns to the Pacific, some locals are resisting a return to mass tourism
Beautiful places and friendly faces have long been the selling point of Pacific tourism. But after the closure of international borders during the pandemic, environmental concerns are causing Pacific countries to resist a return to mass tourism.
Keeping up with the Kardashians: Women turning to cosmetic surgery to be 'ethnic but not too ethnic'
A growing number of Australians are having fillers, injectables and other cosmetic surgeries. The procedures raise complex questions about culture and appearance, and about beauty trends that promote a look of 'ethnic ambiguity'.
Updated
'Our ears were ringing': Eyewitness accounts emerge after Tonga's volcanic eruption
A Tongan journalist describes the deafening explosion of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano and people fleeing inland to escape the tsunami that followed in its wake.
Updated
First Australian and New Zealand aid arrives in Tonga after the volcanic eruption as the first on-the-ground images emerge
Air force planes from both countries are delivering humanitarian supplies, as the head of Tonga's World Health Organization office says the local government is "very cautious" about letting in humanitarian support personnel due to the risk of COVID-19.
Updated
Tonga could be cut off from the outside world for weeks
Tonga's internet could be down for more than two weeks after a violent volcanic eruption cut the kingdom's only undersea communications cable, isolating the country from contact with the outside world.
Updated
Pacific youth 'grow up with fear' as climate change threatens their homes and lives
Children and young people in the Pacific have grown up in the shadow of climate change, watching rising sea levels swallow landscapes and waiting in fear for the next natural disaster to strike.
Fiji welcomes Australia's net zero by 2050 target, but other Pacific countries are sceptical
Fiji's Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama says he does not want any more excuses on climate action from big emitters, including Australia, when they gather for talks at COP26.
'People are going crazy': Two men killed by crocodiles in Solomon Islands after diving for beche-de-mer
The deaths of two divers from crocodile attacks come less than a month after Solomon Islands lifted its ban on harvesting sea cucumbers in an effort to boost the pandemic-stricken economy.
Updated
'Use the help from God': How one church leader is leading the way on vaccinations
By Tahlea Aualiitia and Sian Johnson
Vaccination pop-ups are being set through churches and other community organisations to help people feel included and to counter misinformation.
Updated
Fiji health staff who test positive for COVID-19 asked to continue working
By Mackenzie Smith and Tahlea Aualiitia
Amid one of the world's fastest-growing coronavirus outbreaks, Fiji's COVID-19 cases have overwhelmed hospitals, and at least 200 people have died.
'It means gold to me': Why Fiji rugby fans are clutching a rare $7 banknote during the Tokyo Olympics
It's been four years since Fiji released the world's only $7 note to mark the Flying Fijians winning Olympic gold. Its owners hope this year the rugby-obsessed Pacific nation can do it again.
'We are really frightened': Men arrested in Fiji for not wearing masks locked up in crowded cell
As Fiji's COVID-19 outbreak grows, a group of men in the capital Suva say they feared they would become infected after being arrested by police for not wearing face masks.
Updated
'Our target is not a suburb, the target is the virus': Mixed reactions to Sydney's COVID response
By Tahlea Aualiitia and Dong Xing
Sydney's COVID lockdown has brought with it criticisms of the state government from those most affected, but while some say the approach in the city's west has been heavy-handed, others believe it is completely justified.
Updated
'Incompetent gunmen' sought by police over two mistaken identity murders
Police describe members of the Comancheros motorcycle gang who allegedly murdered two men by mistake as being "panicked, incompetent" and "cowardly".
Updated
'A matter of life or death': Fiji hospital in lockdown as country records third COVID-19 death
A major hospital in Fiji is in lockdown with more than 400 patients and staff in quarantine after the country records four new cases of COVID-19.
'So many people seeking help': Fiji locals anxious as COVID outbreak continues to spread
As more Fijian soldiers test positive to COVID-19 fears grow in the country as to what an outbreak of the Indian strain could mean for the Pacific nation.
Updated
Domestic violence back in spotlight in Papua New Guinea after two boys killed
In Papua New Guinea, a nation that has historically battled high rates of domestic violence, police are investigating the alleged death of two children at the hands of their father. A campaigner says it is time the nation addresses the causes of abuse.
Updated
How a gender quota law may have dashed the chances for Samoa's first female prime minister
The law requires that at least 10 per cent of Samoa's parliamentary seats be held by women. But in an ironic twist, an interpretation of that mandate might stop Fiame Naomi Mata'afa from becoming the Pacific nation's first female leader.
Few expected Samoa's election to be close, except the woman who might end up prime minister
The Pacific island nation of Samoa — which has had the same government in power for nearly 40 years — is on the verge of a new political era, in large part thanks to Samoans in Australia who had a big influence without even casting a vote.
Updated
'Completely untrue': Experts debunk misinformation that mRNA vaccines 'genetically modify' humans
Misinformation around the COVID-19 vaccine is being shared on Chinese social media and within non-English speaking communities. But how seriously are they taking these claims?
Updated
The same party has been in power for nearly 40 years in Samoa, but a new challenger is on the horizon
Samoa has one of the world's longest-serving leaders but, with the help of overseas communities, a new party is shaping up to be the biggest threat to the Government in years.
Why Tonga's dog population is 'exploding' while Australians have had to wait months for a pup
People in Australia have had to wait months for a dog due to a surge in demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, but Tonga's main island of Tongatapu has the opposite problem.
How this Māori actor feels about being cast as a slave owner in Hamilton
The worldwide musical hit Hamilton is coming to Australia with its diverse cast including Indigenous and Pasifika actors, and they hope the conversation about representation continues beyond the show.
Updated
Hair is sacred in Polynesian culture. This is why Miss Samoa Victoria shaved hers off
Hair is believed to hold the sacred power of mana — or spiritual energy — in many parts of the Pacific. For Tiafau, cutting it off was both a cultural and personal sacrifice.
PNG celebrates as Justin Olam scores 'inspirational' first try of the NRL grand final
In rugby-mad PNG, Melbourne Storm player Justin Olam is being hailed a legend, after earning his spot in the history books by becoming just the fourth Papua New Guinean to be part of a winning NRL grand final team.
Updated