Niue's remoteness, as well as cultural and linguistic differences between its Polynesian inhabitants and those of the rest of the Cook Islands, have led to it being separately administered The population of the island continues to drop from a peak of 5,200 in 1966 to about 2,100 in 2002 with substantial emigration to New Zealand, 2,400 km to the southwest It is self-governing in free association with New Zealand since 1974, with Niue fully responsible for domestic affairs, and New Zealand asked to retain responsibility for foreign affairs and defense
The economy suffers from the typical Pacific island problems of geographic isolation, few resources, and a small population Government expenditures regularly exceed revenues, and the shortfall is made up by critically needed grants from New Zealand that are used to pay wages to public employees Niue has cut government expenditures by reducing the public service by almost half The agricultural sector consists mainly of subsistence gardening, although some cash crops are grown for export The sale of postage stamps to foreign collectors is an important source of revenue Efforts to increase GDP include the promotion of tourism and a financial services industry
The word "Niue" is not used in the local language to refer to this island, meaning in fact "Look! There's a coconut" Captain Cook called it "Savage Island", thinking incorrectly that the natives who came to greet them were painted in blood
Niue's timezone is GMT-11 mainland New Zealand is GMT+13 in daylight saving time So Niue is one day later than the mainland
Tropical; modified by southeast trade winds The average daytime temperature is 27 C from May to October and 30 C from November to April December to March is the cyclone season
From the sea approaches Niue is flat with its cliff faces resembling a large ‘Swiss cheese’ composed of coral limestone rock peppered with caves, hidden caverns and chasms, buried grottoes and other subterranean natural fissures that are yet to be discovered and developed into tourist attractions
The island is approximately 73km in circumference with two distinct terraces The upper terrace, 60m high at its highest point, slopes steeply to a 05m coastal terrace ending with high cliffs, some over 20m above sea level A rugged fringing reef, which in places over 100m wide, surrounds the island
Steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau Unlike most Pacific islands, there are no long, white sandy beaches, only tiny, secluded, white sand beaches that might be yours for the whole day
You need to cross the Dateline west to east on travelling from Mainland New Zealand to Niue, so Niue is as much as 23 hours behind the mainland winter and 24 hours the whole day behind in the summerime So be careful about the date when you communicate between Niue and Mainland New Zealand, because Auckland is one day ahead of Niue
English often with a distinctive New Zealand accent is widely spoken The local Niuean language is increasingly falling out of favour but you'll win the hearts of many locals by learning a few Niuean words
Niue is dotted with many caves and limestone arches There are alot of 'sea tracks' that lead from the road to the coast Wandering down one and seeing what you find at the end is a lot of fun
Dolphins and whales can be seen off the coast
At low tide, the coastline around here is full of tiny little private 'beaches', little sandy coves varying from 5 to 15 metres long! Lie down and sunbathe, or explore the numerous reef pools Do be careful to leave well before the tide returns over the outer sea wall, and do take water, sturdy footwear, and some food
There are many activities to do in Niue All you need to do is adventure out Have a keen and energetic attitude towards everything Be positive and able to try anything and everythin that comes to offer in Niue, so you are able to uncover the interesting facts and interest that Niue can offer
These are just some of the activities, as the rest you must uncover yourself as there is more to it, with self discovery Kayaking, fishing, diving Niue Dive offers PADI certified dives, golf, cycling, etc Niue is different to all the other Pacific islands in the sense that there are no beaches Go spelunking in one of the many caves around the island
If your wanting to play a bit of touch, what better way to do it, by versing the locals About every village has a green and most evenings the residents come out and play a friendly game of touch So if you feel like mingling and playing abit of sports, just ask around and Im sure you will find a game
Snorkelling is an alternative to diving The Utuko Reef in Alofi and the reef pools at Hio Beach are excellent for beginners Further north from Hio there's a pair of giant natural pools at Matapa that are best at low tide Around the island there are places to snorkel outside the reef but should only be attempted by confident swimmers; in any case, seek local advice and check water conditions before venturing off on your own To be completely safe, go with a partner or take a tour Niue Dive operates snorkelling trips to sites around the island, including Snake Gully You can also snorkel and swim with spinner dolphins April to December and humpback whales June to October
Fishing trips are run by Nu Tours 4hr trips $280 for one or two people Fish with Fishaway Charters 4hr trips $250 and you can personally barbecue your catch at the Washaway Cafe Contact Willy Saniteli for info Of course it's also possible to fish on your own, but remember that fishing is prohibited on Sundays
Few souvenirs are available Postcards are available at the post office and there are two souvenir shops in Alofi There is also an art gallery at the Niue Commercial Centre Niuean weaving is among the finest in the Pacific and make great souvenirs
Cash is essential just about everywhere! There are no ATMs No businesses accept EFTPOS and a very small handful of upmarket hotels and Niue Dive accept credit cards You can get a cash advance on a Visa card only at Bank South Pacific for a $10 fee + 35% commission
Even though some places accept credit cards the system is often down If you run out of money you will be stuck Take the hint, do not show up in Niue without more money than you'll think you'll need!
There is a Western Union transfer service at Bank South Pacific
Niue uses the New Zealand dollar
Due to the fact that just about everything has to be imported, Niue is a bit more expensive than New Zealand Fresh fruits and vegetables are cheaper, though Tobacco products are much cheaper due to the lack of taxes Alcohol is rather expensive, although not as much so if you buy it at the duty-free shop Once you have bought your food and paid for your rental car and its fuel, there is not much else to spend your money on, though a couple of tours could be worthwhile and most are good value Exploring the caves, chasms and sea tracks on your own is free If you bring you own snorkelling gear with you, snorkelling in is free too
Don't expect McDonald's, Burger King, Subway, and KFCunless you want to fly to New Zealand or Australia to get your fix Bring a sense of culinary adventure Local specialties include uga coconut crab, anything with coconut, and the like If you love tropical fruit you'll have fun in Niue; passionfruit, cassava, taro, vanilla, kumara, and various other fruits are abundant
Has many delicious places and could say better then commercial food aye
we have a variety, from fish and chips to umu food and takeaway To suit anyones food wants and needs
Most visitors to Niue self-cater for most if not all the time Most shops are closed Sunday and open limited hours on Saturday; therefore it is advisable to stock up on food on Friday
Coconut water is very refreshing and a natural rehydrant on a hot and humid day
Frosty Boy serves great vanilla bean shakes and ice cream Run by the fabulous Brian and Ira Merrifield
Visitors can purchase up to three bottles of duty-free wine and spirits within four days after arrival from the Customs and Bond Store behind the shopping centre It is only open until noon on weekdays Bring your boarding pass
For the really adventurous, try Noni juice at the Vaiau Farm Anything that tastes that bad has to be really good for you!
It's advisable to make a booking in advance but not necessary
Most places to stay are in or near Alofi, and there are one or two options going toward Avatele Accommodation is nonexistent on the eastern side of the island unless you have friends or are fortunate enough for a local to invite you in Camping is permitted as long as you're not on private land but is strongly not recommended due to mosquitoes and, like in many Pacific islands, locals can take it like you're rejecting their hospitality
Room rate NZ $25PP night
Opportunities to work on Niue are extremely limited Teaching positions may be available at some of the primary schools Though do not let that stop you from coming to Niue If you have the mind and money to develope Niue with your product, by all means come to Niue and start a business Look at all the opporunities in helping and developing Niue to all
People that work in the private sector earn their own money on their own time, it could be from making jewelery, food, building houses, hair dresser or just selling many items in a shop There is great potential in Niue Work is all around, just need to open and take what is available
