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Misto - Days 138-143: May 24-29 Magical Niue!



The Magical Cat has found a magical destination in Niue.

The passage to Niue, though relatively short, was not the most comfortable we have had. A night of variable wind, motoring and squalls gave way to established trade winds of 15-20 knots on the beam but the seas were large, which translated into a rough, bumpy and rolly passage. Squalls dogged us the entire way and we arrived at 9.30 at night in Niue rather tired. We did not have the worst of it though, as boats that traveled the following day experienced winds up to 45 knots. However, the challenges of the passage were rewarded by what we found at our destination.

It's difficult to describe the attraction that we, and many other boats, found in Niue. This huge rock, miles from nowhere, is strongly connected politically and financially to New Zealand, but in terms of connectivity for goods and services it relies on a freighter that comes every 4-6 weeks and a single flight to and from Auckland every week (we understand that this is due to increase to 2 flights per week). The people are wonderfully friendly and welcoming and the beauty of the island is stunning. There are only about 1500 residents on Niue which has decreased from over 5000 10-12 years ago. The decrease has been due to a number of factors, including Niueans gaining New Zealand citizenship and unusual cyclones that caused a large amount of devastation.

The mooring field is on the west of the island, totally exposed to the ocean which means that it can only be used in settled conditions with winds from the easterly quarter. Even then the swells sometimes come around the island and make the anchorage uncomfortable. Landing the dinghy requires hoisting it out of the water using a large crane and hoist, which is clearly intended, based on size alone, for fishing boats and vessels larger than a yacht tender, and then parking it in a designated parking area! While we were there the new hoist was giving a few issues, but the engineers in the fleet soon worked out how to reset it if it tripped.

Incredibly clear water means that the diving and snorkeling are fantastic, with an array of fish that I have not seen elsewhere. The land is lush and green with the interior over run by tropical forest, except where the local residents have cleared areas for "bush gardens". This activity used to be achieved by the "slash and burn" technique, with the "burn" part sometimes running wild and causing much more devastation than intended. Today, the government owned bulldozer is used to clear the plots for planting and this is a much more satisfactory method.

There are many tracks, or trails, on the island that lead to stunning views, caverns and coves that all bear exploration. We enjoyed a tour to some of these and then also rented a car to see some more of the island. The welcome meal at the Matavai resort was arguably the best food we have enjoyed so far, and the resort itself enjoys an enviable position high on cliffs overlooking the ocean and providing views that should be on picture postcards. Other local cafes and restaurants that we sampled also provided some very tasty meals.

The Niue Yacht club maintains the mooring field and provides a meeting point for the yachties passing though. Keith Vail and his wife Sue, provide really useful information and make everyone feel very welcome. We left a NSA burgee at the club for them to add to their collection. which includes one from the Blackbeard sailing club in New Bern NC.

The 72 hours allocated to stop in Niue was too short and soon over. We would have liked to stay at least a week, and maybe, like Sue and Keith who came for 2 years and have stayed much longer and become established residents on the island, we would have ended up staying longer too. Maybe we can come back to Niue next year on our return from New Zealand, if the weather allows us. So we departed on May 29 around 7.30 pm, with fond memories and hopes to return to this enchanting place.
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At 5/30/2017 12:17 PM (utc) our position was 18°54.15'S 170°35.61'W




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