A view onto the ocean
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What is special about Niue?
Well, we did about 8500 contacts from Niue with only 100W and a G5RV antenna. The Condx are fairly good during daylight, on the higher bands, but
after sunset its like someone switches the ionosphere! You suddenly have signals on all bands, and you hardly can decide which one to use this time.
It showed that we did not have enough power for the lower bands, but on the high bands such like 20,17,15,12, and even 10m, we could reach every continent,
and stations told us afterwards that we had a good signal.
But thats not all about Niue. If you are interested, I have some details listed below, maybe your next holiday will be there!?
Here are some more details about Niue Island:
Where is Niue Island?
Niue is situated
in the southern hemisphere, on 19 deg. south and 168 deg. west,
nearby the international date line.
How can I reach Niue?
If you`re coming
via Sydney, you can book tickets from Auckland to Tonga and then to
Niue; if you`re coming from North or South America, you`re probably
coming via Honolulu, Fiji, and Tonga to Niue.
What`s so special about
Niue?
The
nickname of Niue tells it all: "The Rock of Polynesia".
Niue was a coral reef in ancient times, and due to earthquakes it has
risen above the Pacific. Its highest point is about 70m above the
ocean. It is near the Tonga rift, and it`s very separated from any
other islands or the mainland. You can even watch whales on their way
passing Niue, and there are many fish to view when snorkelling or
diving.
A view onto the ocean
What`s accomodation like on
Niue?
Well,
there are rooms for everyone`s wish available on Niue; you can choose
to stay in a hotel, in a guesthouse, or in a motel. We had a
nice 3-week stay at Namukulu Motel, which was operated by Robyn and
Joe Wright at that time. There are several others, too. Further
Information will give you Niue homepage: http://www.niueisland.com
What if I get sick staying
on Niue?
Normally
that should not be a problem. There is no malaria, and any sorts of
fevers haven`t been recognized since several years. In the case you
really get ill, there is a good hospital in the capital Alofi. They
will do their best to help you. If they can`t, you will probably be
flown out to New Zealand, depending on how bad the illness is.
The
container ship carrying food for the supermarkets
What are prizes like on
Niue?
As
mentioned before, Niue is a very separated island, so only few people
live there.
There
is a container ship coming regularly and carrying all the goods
necessary for life, including food and, of course, beer! For
example, a can of beer (0.375 litres) is available for 2 NZ-$, and a
bread also costs 2 NZ-$. It`s expensive, you might say, but remember,
that all that is coming via the ocean, except the bread and some
sorts of fruit.
(All prizes are from spring 1999)
What else?
Well, there`s a
lot more to tell about Niue, but it would fill a separate homepage.
To get more information, it`s always a good idea to contact Niue
Tourism Office in Alofi. They can give you the latest information
about upcoming events, bushwalks,
where
to snorkel and where not, and much more. There`s a guest book which
you can fill in, if you like.
The
island is about 70% covered by a natural rain forest, and there are
ways through the forest. Almost everything grows there, because it`s
very humid and warm there.
During
our visit on Niue (March/April 1999) we had one single day below 30
degrees celsius, on all the other days the temperatures were higher.
One
of the caves where snorkeling is a MUST!
Shopping
with a bike starting at Namukulu, going to Alofi is very exhausting
because of the high temperatures and the humidity, but after some
days you are getting used to it. Namukulu is about 10km north of
Alofi, directly at the steep coast of Niue.
If
you don`t want to "bike the Rock", you can also rent cars
from local car rentals in Alofi, and visit the east coast of Niue;
there are also some famous places to visit, although only few people
live there.
Another
cave with a pool for swimming and snorkeling
A guest licence for Ham Radio operation is available from Telecom Niue. It is prized very low (20 NZ-$, in 1999), and if you contact them before your trip, you can probably get your desired callsign with the licence sheet on the day of your arrival!
All other
information can be obtained either from the Niue Homepage, or from
Niue Tourism Office. People are very helpful and friendly there, like
all people on Niue.
You can contact numerous different hotels and motels, either via their own E-Mail adress, or via the tourism office. They can also tell you the present price tables for these different accomodations.
You should consider to
visit Niue, it`s worth time and money!