Niue Travel Guide

The Country Niue is affectionately known as 'the rock' and is reputedly the largest upraised coral atoll in the world. A single land mass in the center of a triangle of Polynesian islands, made up of Tonga, Western Samoa and the Cook Islands, Niue is located 2400 km north-east of New Zealand, on the eastern side of the International dateline and is 11 hours behind Greenwich meantime.

The island isolation and coral makeup create an exciting rugged coastline and reef which provides intimate swimming coves as opposed to the typical long stretches of sandy beaches so predominant elsewhere in Polynesia. The landmass of Niue is 259 sq. km, and 13 villages are found along Niue's 67-km circle island road.

The whole island is two tiered but is dotted with a myriad of caves that have yet to be discovered. Shaped like a saucer and rising only 65 meters above sea level, Niue is without streams or rivers, and therefore after rain the water filters through the porous coral out into the ocean completely devoid of any silt run-off. This allows the surrounding sea to be crystal clear with dive visibility often up to 70 meters. The flora and fauna are spectacular with butterflies everywhere, and an abundance of bougainvillea, frangipani, hibiscus and orchids. A variety of ferns and profusion of "crows nest" grow amongst wild rhododendron and poinsettia. There is a rich bird life with weka, swamp kens, parakeets and white tailed terns.

Start you visit in the capital of Alofi. From there you can start exploring the islands.