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纽埃岛上的七天七夜（一） (2009-11-08 13:22:12)

（博主按：丽莎和约翰.贾米森夫妇（Lisa & John Jamieson）前往南太平洋的纽埃岛庆祝其结婚周年，本文是他们在纽埃岛渡过的七天七夜的美好记忆。）

With Air New Zealand supplying the only passenger flight to Niue on a weekly basis, what is there to do for several days on a coral island inhabited by 1500 people? Plenty, especially if you love the sea, as Lisa and John Jamieson discovered on their wedding anniversary.

If you took Rarotonga and stretched it out to twice its size, raised it out of the water to create cliffs down to the reef, punched various holes in the reef to make swimming holes and in the cliffs to make caves and chasms, filled the forests with geckos and land-dwelling crabs, filtered the sea water to make it crystal clear and chucked some sea snakes and hard corals with tropical fish around the fringes, then you’d be wasting your time, because it looks very much as if someone has already done it – and it’s called Niue.

Day 1

It was Friday and we were on the way to this “Rock of the South Pacific” called Niue on the once a week flight leaving Auckland at 10 pm and arriving in Niue at 2 am on the same day.

We got a taste of how friendly those who live in Niue are as we chatted with a local on the plane. He gave us the low down on the stats – just over 1000 people live there, 25,000 Niueans live in NZ, the locals say goodbye to another local emigrating each week, it grows the best fresh produce in the South Pacific and we even got an invite over to his place for a coffee!

It was wet when we arrived (300ml of rain the night before) but things don’t stay wet for long on this porous island as the water seeps straight through the coral rock.

We arrived at the Matavai Resort at some ungodly hour of the morning and were issued a candle to find our room (very quaint) as there was a power cut. It seems that one of the two generators that power the island had broken down and one just didn’t cut the mustard, so power was being rationed to half the island at a time until the parts arrive from New Zealand – thank goodness the airport had power when we landed or we’d be on our way back to Auckland and this would’ve been the shortest holiday story in history.

A few hours of sleep and, as Niue is just on the other side of the dataline from New Zealand, it was Friday morning again – a kind of Ground Hog Day event! Matavai Resort is on a cliff top with multi layered decks enabling you to enjoy the view of the gorgeous south-western bay from various areas, including two pools. As we were soon to find out, it was the perfect place to sit with a drink or three and watch the sunset each evening with spinner dolphins playing off the reef and schools of fish panicking at the surface.

We took a stroll about 500m down the road to Pofitu sea track which meanders through some bush with lupa caterpillars hanging on silken threads from skeletonised foliage. Geckos and crabs scuttled away through the leaf litter as we strolled to steps leading down to the reef. A frolic on the reef in the shin deep water enabled us to catch our first glimpse of the graceful sea snake (katuali) – a peaceful and curious character with strong venom but no inclination to nibble us as their mouth is too small and, well, they just don’t want to try people, anyway.

It was hot stuff and we quickly realised that we needed some wheels. So, after a quick dip in the Matavai pool and a chat to the resort manager, (Hima, who was performing some emergency electrical work – yes you have to be a Jack of all trades to survive in Niue) we were taken in to town to rent a motorbike off Les at Alofi Rentals.

After getting a $10 license from the police station it was time to find some lunch. There are at least two great cafes to have lunch on the island. Both serve simple and delicious food. The Crazy Uga Café in town (pronounce ‘oonga’ – named after the coconut crab) overlooking the ship anchorage and bay off Alofi. This is open every day except Sunday – but don’t panic because on Sunday you can lunch at the Washaway Café at Avetele beach. Both are owned by a marvellous local character, Willy –who also takes people fishing, coconut crab hunting and caving – and in his spare time is the local mechanic and a baker – a busy bloke!!

With our new wheels we explored Anaana lookout where there were rod holders cemented on top of the cliff and flat bits of cement to sit at your rod. After sitting on the jagged coral rook we decided the strange flat bits of cement weren’t such a dumb idea after all. At the end of Tamakaoutoga sea track, we found a wee beach where you can take a shallow swim when the tide is in. When the tide is out you can walk to the end of the reef for a snorkel at a top dive spot.

Friday night is $10 fish and chip evening at Matavai Resort (cooking is by gas - so who cares about the power?) which is very popular with both locals and tourists. It was a good opportunity to meet the aforementioned Willy the entrepreneur, Mark the artist, Kim from Reef Fisheries and Jed, alias Mr Mom. Between them they probably make up the majority of the private sector earnings on the island.