Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Shoreside
When we weren't in the water, we wandered bucolic Alofi nibbling sweet coconut bread
fresh from the bakery, finding a handful of cafes, a supermarket, and two gas stations. So-
mething struck us as unusual in the bank: the absence of bars at the cash counters. Obvi-
ously armed robbery is not an issue in this friendly island nation! Foreign tourism to Niue
is low-key, with a single weekly flight from Auckland that carries a mere 160 passengers.
They quickly disappear into a handful of inconspicuous hotels or into the homes of relat-
ives. In fact, more Niueans live abroad than on the island itself. Many islanders have im-
migrated to New Zealand in recent decades, most recently after Cyclone Heta struck in
2004. Indeed, a drive around the island revealed many abandoned dwellings sitting cheek
by jowl with their tidy neighbors. Still, the population is upbeat and the living standard
quite high (thanks to support from New Zealand) despite the island's isolation and status as
one of the smallest sovereign nations in the world.
Tourist infrastructure is unobtrusive but well conceived, like the many well-signed “sea
tracks,” coastal walks that range from five to twenty minutes. Visitors are pampered with
amenities such as clean toilets and fresh water showers at nearly every trail head. Together,
the sea tracks offer a feast for the senses: the rich, musky smell of old growth forest at Hu-
valu Forest Conservation Area; the roar and hiss of waves smashing into rock pinnacles at
windward Togo Chasm; the dark, damp echoes of Avaiki Cave; and the sensation of a
powerful sea surge trying to flush swimmers out of narrow Matapa Chasm and into the
open sea. Topping the list of island superlatives are the magical Limu Pools, sparkling
aquamarine basins where snorkelers can swim through the shade of a small sea arch. Fresh
and salt water mingle here, creating blurry strands for a psychedelic underwater effect. We
took in all these sights along the island's forty mile circumference by rental car, splitting
the NZ$100 daily rate of an eight-seater van among three crews. To drive on the island, vis-
itors are required to apply for a local driver's license at the police department, a ten-minute
process that costs NZ$22. Like our NYC membership, we considered the colorful photo ID
another trophy of our memorable stay on Niue!
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