> > by Cheryl Menagh
Niue may be easily reached, but is a world and time apart, and not easily forgotten. Pure virgin tropical rainforest covers almost a quarter of the island, and at 269 square kilometres Niue is four times the size of Rarotonga, yet you won’t find any crowds. With just 14 villages along the coastline, less than 90 hotel rooms and a total population of 1500, Niue really will feel like your very own island paradise. Sometimes the visiting whales outnumber the visiting humans.
You’ll have all the space and time you need to do your own thing, but whatever you choose to do, you won’t have to queue to do it. Walk through flocks of butterflies in virgin rainforest, drift beneath avenues of perfumed frangipani, discover tiny swimming coves teeming with coloured fish, explore the most breathtaking caves in the South Pacific, gaze upon breaching whales 80 metres from your breakfast table and snorkel over bright corals in warm tropical water acclaimed as being among the clearest in the world. Politically stable and one of the world’s safest destinations, Niue’s a place where nature hasn’t been broken, where it’s normal for strangers to wave at each other, where the sound of laughter melds with the drumming ocean waves, where everything stops at 4pm and no one understands the meaning of the word ‘hurry’, so it pays not to use it!
Niue ... undiscovered ... unspoilt ... unbelievable!
WHERE?
North east of New Zealand, within the triangle of the Cook Islands, Tonga and Samoa you’ll find the hidden gem of Niue Island. Getting there from Australia entails getting one of the numerous flights to Auckland, New Zealand to connect with the weekly flight Air New Zealand has departing Saturday mornings. Three and a half hours flight time and you arrive in Niue. Flights depart Niue Friday afternoons back to Auckland..
THREE TOP THINGS TO DO:
1. Swim with the whales - elsewhere in the world, you can spend hours chasing them around the open ocean, but on Niue, the whales practically come to you. These are very deep waters, and so whales can often be seen, between June to October, for hours on end, a mere 50 metres (150 feet) from the water’s edge. Because of the very low numbers of people visiting Niue, it’s even possible to go swimming, snorkeling or diving with the whales.
2. Niue’s unique geology - raised atoll - means their land-shelf drops off dramatically a stone’s throw from the shore. Add to this the ocean’s visibility and clarity which is amongst the very best in the world and caves and caverns providing sanctuary to all forms of wildlife, and you have spectacular diving and snorkelling to enjoy.
3. According to some European cave experts, Niue possesses the most spectacular and extensive cave system in the entire South Pacific. The spectacular underwater caves are dwarfed by the ones you’ll be able to explore on land. They’re easier to get to as well, and many can be self explored. For more complex technical caves you’ll need one of the guides available as some will make your spine tingle!