Tourists are separated into various categories depending on their travel characteristics. I am what is known as a mass individual tourist who prefers familiarity over anything new. I like to have everything planned ahead with only a few things left to chance and tend not to take too many leaps of faith into the unknown. Despite this, in 2018 my "explorer" characteristic kicked in after being attracted by a friends continuous postings of crystal clear turquoise oceans and incredible snorkelling experiences somewhere in the middle of nowhere. I felt I was being lured out of my comfort zone, but the attraction was too hard to resist.
The place being showcased to me was Niue Island, the Rock of Polynesia. The island, which is affectionally known as “The Rock” to locals, is so called as it is one of the largest upraised coral atolls in the world. It is situated 2,400km north east of New Zealand in the middle of the South Pacific, and within a triangle boundary of Tonga, Samoa and the Cook Islands. This little commonwealth state self-governs in free association with New Zealand and all its residents are New Zealand citizens. So remote it is, that I have never met anyone who has even heard of Niue, hence my initial hesitation to travel there but I’m so glad I did.
Our flights to Niue were via Auckland as Air New Zealand is the only airline that services that route, and with tight connections, we opted for an overnight in Auckland in each direction. Visitor numbers are strictly monitored and controlled by only two flights a week in peak season, and one flight per week in low season, perfect for a seven or ten day stay - I wish we had stayed for ten!
The airport itself was an experience as the nation essentially stops for what is known as “plane day”. It is a busy time and many places on the tiny island shut down on this day so they can go and assist with arrivals and departures. Many of the passengers are Niueans visiting from New Zealand, almost all of them bringing their own food, so most of the luggage onboard consisted of large eskies, cooler boxes and well secured polystyrene boxes jammed packed with supplies for the week. In the photos below you can see the open air "departure lounge" and the duty free shopping and cafés on the right! I remember on departure day, we had to check in to our 3.30pm flight by 10am, leave our luggage, then go off and continue exploring for rest of the day before returning much later in time to board. I don’t think there are many places in the world where that happens!
There is a range of accommodation on the island but only one resort, where again my preference for familiarity emerged and I booked the safe option rather than one of the many (perfectly suitable!) self-catering options available. The Scenic Matavai Resort was incredible. We stayed in a ground floor Ocean View Room which was filled with the creature comforts that I would expect from a 3 ½ - 4 star hotel, complete with a family of chickens that would visit us every day. Each evening, there would be some sort of entertainment showcasing the local traditions, dancers and singers, and during the day there would always be local craftswomen sharing their carving and weaving skills with the guests.
Visiting the island is a unique experience. First appearances show that it is a broken country, the roads are not maintained and are full of potholes. All around you is evidence of homes trashed in various cyclones, owners of which have returned to New Zealand and the homes abandoned and forgotten. But you soon get the feeling that it is raw and untouched, and is a place where life is still simple and unchaotic.
It is an island filled with an abundance of art, culture, history and heritage with a huge range of exciting activities to take part in, either as a tour group or on your own. Activities include whale & dolphin watching, you can even swim with the whales in the right conditions and under the instruction of expert guides. Snorkelling is the obvious and deep-sea diving is available for both experienced and inexperienced divers. You can also go deep-sea fishing or even caving in magnificent limestone caves. The walking tracks are endless, or you can cycle using bikes usually offered by your accommodation. The citizens are passionate about the environment and this is evident in their sculpture park where all waste is turned into art.
Sometimes it felt that we were the only people on the island despite the plane load of people that travelled with us. We had caves and rockpools to ourselves most of the time, restaurants were never busy. It seemed that to support each other, restaurants and cafés would all be open on different days of the week to ensure visitors always supported them all which I thought was ingenious! Our two favourite cafés were the Wash-away Café, which is only open on a Sunday afternoon, and the Hio Café which served up incredible complimentary views of the South Pacific Ocean with our afternoon wine. At the Wash-away, there was usually no-one in service, you just helped yourself to drinks and wrote your name on the honesty sheet. When you left, someone would appear that you could pay. We loved it – so casual!
There are so many reasons to visit Niue. We travelled in July but on reflection late August/early September would have been a better time for whale watching. The magnificent caves on the island just entice you to explore, the indescribable chasms that you have to climb down into for glorious swimming & snorkelling in the crystal, crystal clear waters are truly amazing. The island is small enough to cycle around, the locals are so friendly, and there is so much history to learn.
Two activities that stood out most on this holiday was a guided snorkelling tour which gave us access to some of the more difficult to reach snorkelling locations, and we also went deep sea diving. Both of these experiences had been pre-booked prior to our arrival. Deep sea diving was a first for both me and Vince, and a terrifying experience WAY out of my comfort zone! The first practice session we had was literally over the side of the boat and I cannot lie, panic set in. It is not natural to breathe under water but somehow I found calm and we were able to dive to a depth of eleven meters for about twenty minutes. It was an amazing experience swimming deep along the edge of the coral wall and I definitely felt a new sense of self-identity and personal growth after the experience.
You have to go to Niue to believe, photographs do not do the island justice. It was truly one of my most magical, holidays ever. It was so relaxing, yet we were on the go the whole time.
My 6 top tips for visiting this incredible spot would be:
- Take your reef shoes! There are no sandy beaches and once you get down to the rock pools, you have to clamber over some pretty sole-ripping volcanic pathways that hurt!
- Don’t be in a rush. Niue puts “Africa time” into a new perspective. Relax.
- Prepare to shut down. Wi-Fi is limited on the island so leave your work behind. It will do you good.
- Plan your days according to the tides and restaurant opening times. Some pools are better in high tide while others are not accessible at these times and you don’t want to miss out on the once a week Wash-away Café!
- Hire a car and book it in advance. There are no shuttles on the island and no public transport. You will need to get a Niue Drivers Licence from the police station on arrival - required by law but a great souvenir! What we loved about the licence is that the photo on it is the Flame Lily, which is the national flower of Zimbabwe - our home country!
- Get ready to belong. You will arrive as a guest and leave as a friend already planning to return like I did!
If you would like to know more about this delightful little gem, please get in touch with me as there's so much more to share.
In the meantime, and in the words of The Scenic Matavai Resort, until we can visit this beautiful location again “Kia kaha everyone. Stay strong, stay kind and stay kiwi.”