Nieu

Bondi Tram
Peter Colquhoun and Sandra Colquhoun
Mon 3 Oct 2011 10:09
Landfall in Nieu after a slow and windless 5 days from Rarotonga.
 
Nieu  is a very small, flat, island, 1100 km west of Rarotonga and 500 km east of Vavau, Tonga.  About 2,500 people
live on the island, though in the past it had a population of up to 10,000.  Nieu is independent in free assocation with
NZ and the islanders have residency rights there.
 
 
The island is surround by jagged limestone cliffs with caves and blowholes everywhere.
 
No coral, no lagoon, but very clear water as thereis no runoff from rains or sediment from reefs.
50 to 60 metres of underwater visibility is the norm.
 
 
 
The main town, Alofi.
 
 
Anchoring is impossible as it is all rock with lots of anchor swallowing holes in the rock.  However,
the Nieu Yacht Club has made moorings availble.   The bay is pleasant as long as the wind stays
easterly.
 
 
The wharf is the only means of getting ashore.  They have a supply ship every month or so which
takes 3 days to unload using the islands barge.
 
 
The shopping centre.  One bank, two supermarkets,a post office, an internet cafe, two souvenir shops.
 
 
The government office.
 
 
Crazy Uma's cafe.  An uma is a coconut crab.
 
 
Great coffee
 
 
The Niue Yacht Club and backpackers hostel.  Nieu gets one flight a week direct from Auckland
bringing a few tourists and Nieuians back home for a visit.  Two thirds of Nieu's houses were abandoned
in the last cyclone.
 
 
 
Looking at the cliffs from the landward side.
 
 
The Matavai Resort, government built, is Nuie's number one hotel.
 
 
The Washaway Cafe, only open on Sundays.  It has the distinction of being the ONLY place on Nieu
that is open on a Sunday.
 
 
The view from the Washaway Cafe. The canoeists are going spear fishing.
 
 
A new coconut tree takes root.
 
 
Walking through the forest to visit the Togo Chasm......
 
 
....through the eroded fields of limestone pinnacles.....
 
 
...to the chasm at the bottom of the cliffs.
 
 
Climbing down the ladder....
 
 
..at the bottom you feel as if you are in a desert oasis....
 
 
....with palm trees....
 
 
...and a freshwater pool.  All that's missing...
 
 
...are the camels.
 
 
The Talavara arches.
 
 
A pool, partly fresh water.
 
 
In order to go ashore on Nuie...
 
 
You have to land your passenger, then hook up to the crane...
 
 
...which Sandra operates...
 
 
until the dinghy is secure...
 
 
...and on leaving you reverse the process.  Quite a different experience.
 
 
One of the many caves along the shore....
 
 
...with stalactites and stalagmites.