Niue is a small island as appealing for its diving as it is for quiet escapism – the definition of an easy-to-reach getaway for anyone willing to go in search of it, writes Julia Gessler
In Niue, we’re floating in deep blue waters. As pristine as it is all-encompassing.
This is an island of beautiful immediacy, one of the world’s smallest countries and largest coral atolls huddled in the Pacific, east of Tonga and south of Samoa, and you’ll witness an entirely different underwater world while snorkelling its crystalline waters; kicking past the shy bearing of seashells and parrotfish as serene as ornaments on a page.
But they’re not the only thing you’ll see again and again in this seductive idyll. Over the course of a week, I saw spinner dolphins, too – believed to be several pods that perform corkscrews and backflips and orbit Niue’s wild corners. This self-governing nation is affectionately called the Rock of Polynesia, mostly because everything grows out of the steep cliffs that rise and plateau as high as 60 metres straight out of the sea.
Coconut crabs – large, land-dwelling invertebrates called uga – crawl through the forests in sky-blue and red.
And between July and September, humpback whales float past during their annual migration.
For adventurers
It can feel like an act of self-disappearing here, into the vastness of nature, of the earth, because while there may be plenty of wildlife, there are hardly any people.
Niue has a sparse population of about 1700, and though getting there is easier than ever – a three-and-a-half-hour flight from Auckland via Air New Zealand, which runs twice a week – there are few tourists. It’s pretty normal for this time of year – May, when it’s hot (it’s always hot) but not stifling – though it’s not much different from its busy season between July and August (November to April is cyclone season).
The result is a trove of near-private sea tracks, or walkways, to dip in and out of along the main coastal road (it takes roughly two and a half hours to drive), all of which are marked by blue signs and wend down to secluded swimming spots where visibility sometimes extends as far as 80 metres.
The biggest challenge is picking where to go.
Limu Pools are a popular choice. Near Namukulu, one of the island’s 14 villages, it’s an easy walk to the main pool, a glassy, crystalline bay that’s a prime destination for snorkellers. You can access an outer reef through a channel on the northernmost pool through a connecting pathway – a window into the abundant biodiversity of its waters.
Matapa Chasm, a six-metre-deep inlet where freshwater and saltwater meet between two cliffs on the northwestern side, is excellent too. Set aside half an hour to make your way down nearby craggy rocks, through a stalactites-stalagmites cave and down ropes to Talava Arches, a series of natural limestone formations that frame the Pacific Ocean and are some of Niue’s most distinguished landmarks. A bridge; fixed, like morning.
The eastern side of the island is more wind-whipped. At Togo Chasm, a breathy 45-minute walk will take you through dense forest and cutting pinnacles – I trace my hands over fossilised coral, a feeling of endless looping – then down a perilously long ladder to an inland beach dotted with swaying palms. Elsewhere, Anapala Chasm sees a narrow cleft lead down to a pool of cold fresh water. You’ll need a torch.
Or head to Avatele, on the southwest, where you can wade in knee-deep and see your rock shoes – one of only a couple of small, sandy beaches on the island, water footwear is a non-negotiable. It’s a place to be enjoyed longingly. To be enjoyed unguardedly as sea urchins sway with the tide and white-spotted surgeonfish idle by.
For ocean lovers
Niue’s marine territory holds much ecological, economic and cultural value and has increasingly seen protections put in place to secure its future. The country’s Ocean Conservation Commitments concept, a first-of-its-kind fundraising initiative that means 127,000 allotments of the ocean are available to sponsor for up to 20 years, was announced last year in a bid to raise money for long-term conservation efforts.
This is rich territory for scuba enthusiasts, and tours from companies like Niue Blue, owned by New Zealand’s Dive Tutukaka. My tour was guided by Jackson Brook and Roxy Damseaux, the latter a self-described “ocean frother” from South Africa, with squid and jellyfish tendrils neatly tattooed up her forearm. The tours put divers of all skill levels up close with octopuses and green turtles, or magnificent caves and bedrock dense with coral.
Deep-sea fishing is also a no-brainer for water babies with a penchant for adrenaline. Join BJ Rex of Fish Niue Charters – I met the local skipper in the dark at Sir Robert’s Wharf shortly before I was bobbing on a chilly bin and a marlin was whipping into the air at the end of one of our sundry lines.
Yellow-fin tuna, mahimahi and wahoo are common here too – any of which might also appear on your plate at Vaiolama Cafe, a charming container restaurant run by BJ’s family, in the capital of Alofi, where you’ll find most of the island’s dining outposts.
For relaxation seekers
There comes a time when a holidayer must pledge allegiance to a day spa or masseuse.
If having your meridians stimulated is your sort of thing, head to Maulu Spa, run by Australian-born Alana Tukuniu. Her wooden hut, a nexus of calm located down a winding bush path of rocks and roots in the village of Tamakautoga, offers a range of wellness experiences, from reiki to Balinese, Thai and Polynesian-inflected massage treatments for unknotting and easing tightness, for something that’ll make you feel even better once it’s over.
I almost fall asleep as I’m coated in almond oil and Tukuniu’s nine years of expertise melt me into a dazed oblivion. The strength: Light (on request); I prefer to be kneaded like bread dough.
Where to stay
Niue’s only resort, Scenic Matavai, is an exclamation of luxury white and sweeping decks against a clifftop that boasts 180 degrees of cerulean. Its air-conditioned rooms offer garden or ocean-view options, or you can stay in a self-service studio apartment down the road from the main buildings. There are multiple pools and a swim-up bar (handy), and watersports specialists Niue Blue can be found next door via a short pathway. The oceanside accommodation is 10-15 minutes from just about everything including Niue’s Hanan International Airport and the main town centre Alofi, and dolphins and whales frequent its terrace outlook.
Alternatively, there’s Lau’s Getaway in Avatele, where double-storeyed villas offer a place of respite in shades of turquoise and are perfect for couples (the bathtub on the top floor is open-air and obstructed only by its glass-ringed balcony), while Namukulu Cottages in Tuapa, near Limu Pools, offer five self-catering units that are great for families.
Know before you go
- Niue is a self-governing nation in free association with New Zealand. Everything is priced in New Zealand dollars.
- There is no public transport on Niue. Rent a car from one of the island’s several providers.
- Sundays are for worship in Niue, and many places will be closed. Be respectful of local customs by not swimming near churches or villages on this day of the week.
- Air New Zealand flies to Niue from Auckland, with connecting flights from Christchurch and Wellington.
Checklist
NIUE
GETTING THERE
Air New Zealand operates non-stop flights from Auckland to Niue twice weekly on Tuesday and Saturday between April and October and one flight a week on Saturday during the summer months. The flight time is 3 hours and 30 minutes. Fares start at $283 seat one way. airnewzealand.co.nz.
DETAILS
Julia Gessler travelled to Niue courtesy of Air New Zealand and Niue Tourism.
