Niue is an island country in the South Pacific, it consists of a
coral island of around 260 km² and lies in a triangle formed by the
island of Tonga, Samoa and the Cook Islands. The small state has
been associated with New Zealand since 1976.
Only about 1,400
people live on Niue. Around 2000 there were almost 1000 more. At the
beginning of the last century it was said to have been several
10,000. Many were "conscripted" in World War I and II and died in
Europe. The majority of the inhabitants emigrated to New Zealand for
economic reasons.
Economy: The remaining residents now either
work for the local government, in tourism (small shops, car rental,
hotels) or live on government support, or expatriate relatives.
However, the small hotels seem to be mostly run by immigrant
"expats".
Captain Cook named the island "Savage Island"
because it was here that he was forcibly evicted by the locals
during a voyage through the Pacific. On all other islands in the
Pacific, the reception had been friendlier.
Unlike most other
South Pacific islands, Niue does not have a surrounding lagoon, but
is a coral atoll raised above sea level, which is why it is also
called "The Rock of Polynesia". As a result, there are no beaches on
Niue worthy of the name, the only opportunities for swimming,
bathing or snorkeling are in the so-called 'rock pools', which are
distributed around the island.
The tourist information center in the “town center” of Alofi is open
Mon.-Sat. 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Getting to Niue is only possible by
plane or your own boat.
Entry conditions
Tourists of any
nationality are permitted to stay for 30 days without a visa, provided
they can prove that they have an onward flight and sufficient funds.
(The latter will be checked on the flight to New Zealand.)
For
all other types of stay, everyone except natives and New Zealanders
requires a visa. For details contact the Immigration Office, PO Box 67,
Alofi, Tel. +683 4219.
Duty free quantities
50 cigarettes or
50g of tobacco (price of a pack in Niue: at least NZ$35)
3 bottles of
schnapps or 3 bottles of wine or combinations thereof max. 3.5 l or 8
liters of beer
By plane
Hanan Airport (IATA: IUE). Air New
Zealand is currently the only airline to operate a weekly flight from
Auckland. The flight time from Auckland (AKL) is 3 hours and 30 minutes.
Niue lies immediately east of the Date Line. So you end up on a
different day of the week.
By boat
Since there is no harbor on
Niue, boats and ships have to anchor in one of the bays in front of
Alofi and you have to take a dinghy across.
Private yachts must
arrange their arrival with the Niue Yacht Club (nyc@niueisland.com), who
will assign an anchorage. There is space for twenty boats no longer than
20 meters. Fees (2023): NZ$30/day; Check-in NZ$50 (9-10am and 2-3pm only
on weekdays), plus departure tax NZ$150/person.
Since 2019, the
Niue Nukutuluea Multiple-Use Marine Park has existed around the entire
island with different protection zones that sailors must observe.
There is no public transport on Niue, so it is advisable to rent a
car, scooter or motorbike. There are six car rental companies. This
requires a New Zealand driver's license, which can be obtained upon
presentation of the domestic and international driving license for a fee
of NZ$22.50 at the police station, Mon.-Thurs. Can be purchased in Alofi
from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The classes correspond to the European ones. For
foreigners, the “rag” is only valid for one year.
Alcohol limit is
0.8. Since 2015, the police have been allowed to hand out traffic
tickets.
The only real road is the 64km around the island. It
makes up about half of the island's road network. Maximum speeds are 40
km/h in urban areas, otherwise 60 km/h - more than that is not possible
anyway, given the many potholes. However, Chinese development aid will
finance repairs from mid-2023. Particular caution is required when
driving through towns, as you often encounter chickens, dogs or children
playing on the road. The dogs also like to chase moped or bicycle riders
- sometimes even into the next town.
The only fully serviced gas
station is Central Services. It is open on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 8
p.m. and on Sundays in the early evening.
Niue is great for snorkeling, diving or swimming with dolphins.
However, the main reason for a holiday on Niue is likely to be the
humpback whales, which pass by the island every year between July and
October on their way to their birthing/reproductive area. Since Niue is
one of only three countries in the world that allows swimming/snorkeling
with whales, this may be Niue's “drawcard.”
All water activities
are carried out by the only diving center in Niue. Niue Blue (tel.
+6834347) is at the Scenic Matavai Resort in Tamakautoga. On the dives
you can see the corals and reef fish that are common in the South
Pacific as well as large fish such as: B. Stingrays and reef sharks.
Boats for fishing are available in Alofi from Fish Niue Charters, tel.
+6834664.
The Taoga Niue program aims to preserve the local
language and traditions. To achieve this, an annual “Village Show Day”
takes place in each of the 14 villages with dances and often feasts
baked in earth ovens. Handicrafts are also for sale.
The minimum age to purchase tobacco is 21 and 18 to purchase alcohol.
Honey and vanilla are also offered as souvenirs. In order to be able
to take them back to New Zealand you have to get a “zoosanitarian
certificate” at the airport before departure.
Woven and knotted
fabrics are traditional crafts that are encouraged. Every Wednesday,
indigenous women meet at Makini Hall with related offerings.
The
shopping options on Niue are rather limited; there is a larger
supermarket and a small “business district” in Alofi. Almost only
souvenirs are offered there. Alcoholic drinks are rationed and you must
present your plane ticket and passport to purchase.
The
Tuesday-Fri. The market, open from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Friday from 4
p.m. to 8 p.m., is next to the tourist information center.
Swanson Supermarket, Swanson Complex, Tapeu - Poritt Road, Alofi
(towards the airport). Open: 8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Vai Mamali Drinks
Stop (liquor shop; Tapeu - Poritt Road, Alofi). Open: Mon.-Sat., 5.30
p.m. - 8.30 p.m., Sat. until 9.30 p.m.
The few restaurants, more like snack bars, are along the coastal road
in Alofi.
Niue's cuisine is closely related to the cuisine of
other South Sea islands, so there is a lot of fish, sweet potatoes,
coconut and taro. A local specialty is Uga (pronounced: Unga), the palm
thief - the largest land crab in the world. This is served in most
restaurants and during cultural events in hotels. Since almost all food
is imported, it can happen that bottlenecks arise and even fruits that
we take for granted, such as bananas, are sometimes not available even
in the hotel.
Drinking, and the locals like to do that.
Accommodation on Niue is available in virtually all price ranges, but
the only hotel that actually deserves this name is the Matavai Resort.
The upscale Matavai has the great advantage that it is right next to the
diving center and is therefore only a short distance away from all water
activities.
All other accommodations are guesthouses or motels.
They all offer cooking facilities.
As of 2022, Niue is still the only part of New Zealand where male
homosexual acts are punishable.
The two cells in the prison near
the police station are rarely occupied.
Niue Foou Hospital, Halamahaga Rd, Fagalilika.
As on many Pacific islands, the efforts of Calvinist missionaries
found fertile ground. The “savages” were turned into believing sheep who
“sanctify the Sabbath,” i.e. Sunday is a day of rest. Apart from the
beach, you should not be dressed lightly.
Post and
telecommunications
There is no roaming. The uplink is via satellite.
Thanks to some WiFi installations of the Kaniu network, Niue was the
first country in the world with “free internet” - every user was
entitled to 60MB of free traffic at the time. Nowadays visitors are sold
15 day data packages for NZ$25 to use public hotspots. The available
pages are censored.
Otherwise you can buy a SIM card and data
from Telecom Niue. This can be done at the airport and in the
post/telecom branch next to the tourist information center. Prices here
start at NZ$32 for 3GB with a validity of 60 days.
Niue's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) covers an area of around 320,000
km². The boundaries of the EEZs of the Cook Islands in the east and
American Samoa in the north are determined by treaties. A corresponding
agreement with Tonga in the west is still being negotiated (as of
September 2020).
Niue lies immediately east of the Date Line.
Since this leads to difficulties, particularly in traffic and
communication with New Zealand (flights arrive on a different day of the
week, trading partners are still or already on the weekend), a shift in
the date line is being discussed in Niue (as of September 2020).
Niue is the tip of an extinct volcano and, with an area of 261.46 km², is one of the largest uplifted atolls in the world. It rises between 4000 and 5000 meters above the sea floor. The island's inner plateau is mostly flat and reaches up to 68 m above sea level. Niue has a steep limestone reef on its edge that rises up to 30 meters. Of the total area, around 80% can be used for agriculture, the rest consists of mostly tropical forests. The coast is very rugged with many caves and gorges, for example the Talava Cave on the northwest coast or the Avaiki Cave in the limestone on the west coast. There are no beaches worth mentioning.
The average temperature in Niue is 26°C and there is an average
rainfall of just over 2000mm. Since the rainwater quickly seeps into the
porous coral limestone, no surface water forms. Cisterns were therefore
built to supply water.
In stable high-pressure weather
conditions, Niue lies on the border between tropical and subtropical
areas with southeasterly winds. During low pressure areas the wind turns
northwest to west. Tropical cyclones also come from this direction and
hit the island in 1959, 1960, 1970, 1989, 1990 and most recently in
2004. The high wave crests caused by the hurricanes cause practically no
damage on land because of the cliffs, but the coral banks are severely
affected.
On January 6, 2004, Cyclone Heta severely devastated
the Pacific island. Two people lost their lives and over 200 residents
were left homeless. The storm surge caused by the cyclone caused severe
devastation across the entire northwestern coastline between Liha Point
in the northeast and Halagigie Point in the west.
The Niue flat-tailed sea snake (Laticauda schystorhyncha) only lives off and on the coast of Niue. Called “Katuali” by locals, it reaches a length of up to one meter, has a flat tail and spends part of its life on land. The snake is highly poisonous, but is said to be peaceful. The land hermit crab “palm thief” (Birgus latro, also known as “coconut robber”) also lives on Niue. Endemic to the island is Nacaduba niueensis, a species of butterfly from the blue family. Distinctive due to its characteristic brown coloring and intricate pattern on the underside of its wings, the butterfly is depicted on collectible coins and stamps. Humpback whales can also be found off the coast of Niue. Niue is one of the few places where you can legally swim with them for a few months of the year.
Niue was probably settled by Polynesians from Samoa since the 10th
century, with further settlers coming from Tonga in the 16th century.
However, Niue then had little contact with neighboring islands and
developed independently, which is reflected in major differences in
language and culture on other islands in the region.
In 1774,
James Cook discovered Niue for Europe. He couldn't land there because of
the hostile population and gave the island the name Savage Island.
Missionaries from England converted most of the residents to
Christianity around 1846.
On October 20, 1900, the island became
part of the British Western Pacific Territories. On June 11, 1901, Niue
was annexed by New Zealand as part of the Cook Islands, and was
separated again in 1903.
In 1960, the first Niue Legislative
Assembly was elected, and in 1966 the High Commissioner's powers were
partially transferred to the Assembly and a Niuean head of government
was installed. In 1974 the people voted for a new constitution and
decided on self-government in association with New Zealand.
A
tropical cyclone in 2004 caused devastation and severely affected the
economy. In the years that followed, the island was able to be rebuilt
with the help of foreign support, particularly from the New Zealand
government and the European Investment Bank.
Niue has 1784 inhabitants (2017). Strong migration to New Zealand has
reduced the population by more than half since 1966. This led to
numerous devastations. Around 24,000 Niueans live in New Zealand today.
The Niueans speak their own Polynesian language, Niuean, whose closest
related language is Tongan. English is also spoken.
About two
thirds of the population belong to the reformed Ekalesia Niue, and there
are also Catholics, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Presbyterians,
Methodists and Adventists.
Niue's status under international law is of a special nature. Niue is
an autonomous territory in “free association with New Zealand”. This
status was chosen by Niue in an act of self-determination that was
endorsed by the United Nations and is continually monitored. The Cook
Islands also have this status. Thus, New Zealand is Niue's suzerain.
Niue is a self-governing territory. The legislative and executive
powers are not subject to restrictions by New Zealand. The legislature
lies with the Niue Fono Ekepule and the head of government is the Prime
Minister. The country's residents are citizens of New Zealand. At Niue's
request, New Zealand continues to exercise certain of the country's
foreign and security policy responsibilities.
Both Niue's remote
location and cultural and linguistic differences from the rest of the
Cook Islands' Polynesian population have led to its self-rule.
The strong migration, further intensified by the consequences of the
storm disaster, led to speculation by New Zealand politicians in 2004
that the association status could be changed in New Zealand's favor in
the future. The considerations, put forward primarily by New Zealand
Foreign Minister Phil Goff, were firmly rejected by New Zealand Prime
Minister Young Vivian.
Niue is an associate member of the
Commonwealth of Nations and has been a member of the Pacific Islands
Forum since 1975. The island state has so far been denied membership in
the United Nations due to its association and low global recognition.
Although Niue has the same status as the Cook Islands, Germany has not
yet recognized the Pacific state.
Economic policy: The government
is trying to promote tourism and finance.
Environmental policy:
In April 2020, the Niue Parliament decided to designate approximately
127,000 km², i.e. 40% of its EEZ, as the Niue Moana Mahu Marine
Protected Area.