3rd November, 2012 Niue Island

 



As photos were so slow to down load yesterday, if you haven't seen them I did them this morning early, if you go back to yesterdays blog . So maybe that is what I might have to do wait and post the whole blog the next morning.

This morning we got away about 9.00am to start our exploring around the Island. Probably covered a quarter of the island north from our hotel up the west coast.

First of all stopped at the tourist information centre in Alofi and redeemed our vouchers for various meals and trips which we purchased in NZ before we left.

Then first stop still heading north up the west coast was Vailoa (below)  where we walked down to the water but as the tide was too high couldn't do any reef walks this morning. The way the tides are we will have to do them in the afternoon.Still very nice at high tide with the waves lashing on the cliff edge into the caves.

.

VAILOA CAVES

Next stop Avaiki cave. (below). Very interesting walking through this great cave to come out at the waters edge but again no good for the reef walks.

AVAIKA CAVE

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Third stop today another walk through the caves called Palaha. Again down to the waters edge.

PALAHA CAVES

 

Fourth stop was at the Limu pools. We could drive down to these as it is a launching ramp for the guys to launch their one man dug outs to go out to the deep waters to fish. There was a fishing contest on for the dug outs and they were just coming back in to get to the wharf for the weigh in. Also there was a local women fishing in the pools with her two children . There was a reef shark swimming around in the pool where we were told was a good place to swim.  As the weigh in was due at the wharf we rushed back on our way back to our hotel to see the weigh in but not a lot going on except we got there just in time to pose with a yellow fin tuna which was caught from one of these one man dug outs. Amazing.

 

Boys had just lifted their one man dug outs and put them on the side of the ramp and rushed off to the wharf with their catch for the fishing competion. They put palm tree brances over the boats to protect them from the sun.

 



Local lady fishing in the pool at the end of the ramp in above picture.

 

 



 

 

Womens children sitting under rock to get shade while mum is fishing..

 

 

 

This is the reef shark at the bottom of the ramp. They tried to tell me they won't bit. The pool looked lovely for swimming in but I wasn't going to give it a chance.

 



 

 

Pete posing with the catch of the day. (caught from the one man dug out) Yellow fin tuna. We found out today that there was generally no fish on the island until todays catch. I found that hard to believe as we thought that there would be heaps of fish around the island. Apparently the Asian fishing boats that fish around the outer seas of the island have drained the supplies. The locals tell us that they can't do anything about it as they don't have the resources to patrol them. Looks like they need NZ's help.

 



Got back to the hotel about one. We were so hot we spent a bit of time in our room to cool down in the air conditioning. Pete stayed in while I went down to the pool for a swim.

The hotel is a lovely spot built up on the cliff edge so different to most pacific islands no beach although it is quite nice sitting around the pool or eating dinner or breakfast on the cliff top looking down over the ocean instead of looking through a beach.

The people are just lovely, such a lovely looking race. Always have big smiles for you and so friendly.

Tonight we had an Island buffet dinner where the kids performed a concert before we ate. Very enjoyable although during our dinner one of the guests collapsed. Poor guy We think that he was travelling on his own and after some time being attented by two doctors who were hotel guests, the hospital crew arrived and took him to the hospital which fortuately isn't too far along the road.After dinner came back to write blog but it is so slow down loading the photos. O.K. for internet from our room, hence the delay to post this morning 4th. Might have to do this every morning as the computor seems faster in the mornings. I will see how we go this afternoon.

Our rental Nissan, not too bad automatic and good airconditioning which is so important. The locals tell us this is the hottest week they have had.

 

 

Enjoying a cocktail at the concert evening last night where the local children performed their concert before dinner.