11 October 2024 –Niue Tour

Before I start I have another need. Someone now cannot make the New Zealand to Sydney leg in early January 2025 so I need ideally a sixth person. You would have to be in Auckland, New Zealand by about 3/4 January 2025 with a view to us leaving for Sydney, weather permitting, by about 7 January 2025. We should get to Sydney by about 14-16 January 2025. If anyone is interested please email me at hine.nick9@gmail.com  Thanks.

It was a beautiful morning when we woke and lovely and sunny, so it should be a good day for our tour which Keith, the Commodore is arranging. We had a good breakfast and were just about to head for the wharf. However, the heavens then opened and we waited until it stopped and then proceeded to the wharf. Once we had lifted the dinghy and unloaded Keith was there to meet us.

We started off by going up past the airport and on the road south. Before I can explain what we are about to see I have to explain more about the island’s history. Niue used to be a volcanic island and then over millions of years it disappeared into the sea and coral began to grow around it. The island was on one of the American plates and when they moved at some point they pushed some of the old mount (caldera) up out of the sea pushing up the coral and combining it into limestone- hence the 60–70-meter cliffs of limestone here. You can see the coral in the limestone. This also created an enormous underwater lake in the center, which they think is some 3km cubed and could provide water for the population for at least 10 years or more without any rainfall.

We headed on down south and Keith showed us the Scenic Matavai Resort, a hotel, which had a lovely position up the cliff with great views down the reef and shore each side. It can take about 70 guests and looked very nice with its views and pool. We continued on down the single road to the southwest corner of the island and then continued east and up the east side to what is called Togo Chasm. This meant in order to get to it, walking through the forest for about 15 minutes toward the edge of the cliffs and the sea. The forest was damp and had within it lumps of coral and limestone which it must have gradually overgrown.

When you come to the end of the woods there is a sign caution and you look out over what looks like a moon type landscape. This was razor sharp pinnacles of limestone sitting up like spikes as far as the eye can see with bits of green here and there. It was very unusual. There were steps and a sort of concrete path created over this sharp landscape with rope handrails etc. You had to tread carefully and take your time and gradually we went to the edge of the cliff looking out over the sea, which was some 30 meters below with the edge of the reef.

The path went off right between two large peaks and then there was a sheer ladder going down about 20 meters to a sandy area behind the cliff and one could walk around and then there were some caves (one of which was the chasm) which you could walk into and the sea was pounding in the far end. In rough weather you may only be able to get so far and the area at the bottom of the ladder would be flooded. This was an extraordinary geological sight.

We returned back to the van and had a drink and a biscuit. Keith then took us to Anapala Chasm. This was very different and although you walked through some woods for about 5 minutes you came to some steep steps which took you down to a chasm between two vast rock faces (like going down a fissure) and at the bottom was a fresh water pool which must link up to the fresh water pool I mentioned earlier.

Apparently in olden times the women from the villages would climb down here to get their fresh water. In addition, this particular water has been used to anoint royalty. It was again very interesting and different.

We then went to the North of the island and went to a sea water pool – see the picture of the day. The sea water comes in the end of the pool and it is totally protected by cliffs. However, there is a freshwater stream which enters this pool and that effects the visibility within it. We swam and snorkelled here and there were quite a few different tropical fish. However, the freshwater influence created a type of oil slick/out of focus element to what we were seeing. It was like seeing the heat shimmering off a desert but in water. The swim was great and refreshing.

Keith took us after this back to the Scenic resort for lunch as there was nothing else open. The food was very good and the view beautiful looking out of the bay.

The island is attractive and unusual with the limestone cliffs and the reef. The houses are one story and generally prefabricated. There is some mess here and there and abandoned cars but not as much as we have seen elsewhere. There are no beaches but coral bays and chasms which make a change. Even though it is Polynesian it feels different with the New Zealand influence and therefore not as nice as the other French Polynesian islands. I certainly could not live here but it has been great to visit. Keith gave us a Niue Pennant to fly from our mast and we have put this up.

We have enjoyed our visit and will move on to Tonga tomorrow and it will be interesting to see how different that will be.

Opportunity Year Two

In year two I will be going from New Zealand in early January 2025 across to Sydney and up the Eastern Australian Coast, Indonesia and then through Bali, Singapore and on to Thailand to end year two about the end of November 2025. I will need some more crew.

If there is any interest do email me at  hine.nick9@gmail.com  

The blog will continue as we move through French Polynesia and beyond. If you have any comments or suggestions about the blog then do email me on hine.nick9@gmail.com