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.
Getting to Niue is only possible by plane or by private boat.
By plane
Air New Zealand is the only airline currently operating a
weekly flight from Auckland to Hanan International Airport on Niue (IATA
code: IUE). Flight time from Auckland (AKL) is 3 hours and 30 minutes.
By boat
Since there is no port on Niue, boats and ships have to
anchor in one of the bays in front of Alofi and you have to cross over
by dinghy.
Transport
There is no
public transport on Niue, so it is advisable to rent a car, scooter or
motorbike. A Niuean driver's license is required and can be purchased
from Alofi Police Station for a fee of NZD 22.50 (as of Dec 2014).
Particular caution is required when driving through built-up areas,
as one often encounters chickens, dogs or children playing on the road.
The dogs also like to chase mopeds or cyclists - sometimes even to the
next town.
Activities
Niue is great for
snorkeling, diving or swimming with dolphins. However, the main
reason for holidaying on Niue is likely to be the humpback whales
that pass by the island between July and October each year on their
way to their birthing/breeding grounds. As Niue is one of only three
countries in the world to allow swimming/snorkeling with whales,
this may well be Niue's 'drawcard'.
All water activities are
operated by Niue's only dive center. On the dives you can see the
corals and reef fish usual for the South Pacific as well as big fish
like e.g. B. stingrays and reef sharks. Something special, however,
is the Niue flat-tailed sea snake (Laticauda schystorhyncha), which
occurs there in masses and can be observed on almost every dive.
Shopping
Shopping on Niue is rather limited, there is a
larger 'supermarket' and a small shopping center in Alofi. Almost
only souvenirs are offered there. Alcoholic beverages are rationed
and you must show your airline ticket and passport to purchase them.
Kitchen
The cuisine of Niue is closely related to that of
other South Sea islands, so there is a lot of fish, sweet potato,
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 at cultural events in the hotels. Since almost
all groceries are imported, it can happen that bottlenecks arise and
even fruits that we take for granted, such as bananas, are sometimes
not available in the hotel.
Accommodation
There is
accommodation on Niue in almost all price ranges, but the only hotel
that also deserves the name is the Matavai Resort. All other
accommodations are guesthouses or motels. The Matavai has the great
advantage that it is right next to the dive center and is therefore
only a short way to all water activities.
Climate
The average maximum daily temperatures on Niue are
between 25° (July/August) and 30° (January/February), most
precipitation occurs from January to April.
There is a storm
season in Niue, during which strong tropical storms sometimes hit
the island. This season lasts from December to May. The last bad
storm was "Heta" in 2004, which caused extensive damage. That means,
e.g. the local hospital was then destroyed. Many smaller buildings
as well. The New Zealand government once undertook a construction
project to build storm-proof homes for the residents. These were
completed, but are heavily contaminated with asbestos and are
therefore not used.
Practical hints
Thanks to some WiFi
installations, Niue was the first country in the world with "free
Internet" - each user was entitled to 60MB of free traffic at the
time. The uplink is via satellite, there are also old telephone
lines across the Pacific, which are not suitable for data use due to
their age and length.