The Rock

Wild side of  Niue, known as "The Rock of the Pacific"

Wild waves crash the "rock"

Aug 24 Niue
We sighted land early in the morning of our fifth day of passage, a low flat atoll on the horizon. Niue is the smallest independent nation, also affectionately known as “The Rock” by locals.  It is a large limestone uprising formation located in the southern Pacific Ocean 1000 miles from New Zealand and a popular vacation destination.
The seas are confused and we motor sail for several morning hours to our destination the mooring field off of the town of Alofi. This is but a blight of an indent on the leeward side of a huge rock that rising out of nowhere…Niue, the island.

Colorful artwork adorns a local building

Barely 1500 residents manage a living eked out of catering to the needs of tourist’s attractions and accommodations. Maybe 100 yachts visit a year, but they are just as important to the economy as the fly in travelers. Many New Zealanders fly in for holiday for fishing, snorkeling and whale watching during the season from May to October. The island was hit by a cyclone in 2004 and many homes and infrastructure was destroyed. Many young people have left the island in search of work in New Zealand.  There is a slow rebuild centered around tourism, especially dive tours.

Niue anchorage

 Our first impression is  its a "rock" in the middle of nowhere! Even getting on land is a challenge. There is a boat lift to get your dingy ashore as there is no beach to land only reef.

John uses the dingy lift

Today, we rented a car and toured the one main road that circumnavigates the island, stopping at points of interest.   The points of interest are categorized into sea tracks (path through limestone to sea), chasms and caves. We walked two different sea tracks and marveled at the limestone formations throught he jungle and out to a se view high up on the cliffs.

Great snorkeling on the reefs!

Snorkeled the Lima Pools with a fresh water layer.

Jungle walk of  the Vaikona Chasm trail to the sea

Togo Chasm 

Limestone rocks

Our favorite was the snorkel site off the Wash-Away-Café a popular burger shack only open on Sundays. The place is nothing much more

Wash-Away-Cafe

than a rock out cropping with tables and open kitchen frying up orders…what is different is the ‘ honor system” where all orders are tallied on a log and you pay the end of your meal.  It’s honor system for the drinks…you get up and help yourself to the beer and mark in the log book.  Here you sign up in a log, one burger, you get a number card while your order is made. If  you want a drink. you get up and get it yourself, but be sure to tally your drink on the log with your ‘number'.  At the end of the meal when you pay, the log book is consulted and your bill “tallied”… we have “run a tab” everywhere so far. Interesting way to pay.

Good beer!

The Niue Yacht Club works on the honor system,too.  We hang out doing the internet and have a few beers…tally as we go…and settle up at the end of our stay next week! They even lent us cash advance until we could get to the car rental where they give money on your credit card at 8% fee! What a racket!  There is other way for foreigners to get New Zealand dollars unless planned ahead in Tahiti.

Unique custom of burial plots in front yards and family land.

Limestone burial plot

Rob & Bri rent a motorcycle to tour the island

Team Alofi wins!

We also meet up with our old crew, Rob & Bri and Mark on S/V Compass Rosey.  Mark gets invited to play Rugby with the local team and we go watch.

Mark rents a bicycle to tour around on

Meet Layla, our new crew!

We have taken on new crew. Layla, a young traveler "jumped ship" from one boat to ours to help in the passage to Tonga.  There she may continue her travels or stay with us...we'll see.

Off  to Tonga!

The dolphins say goodbye to us!