Getting to Niue

Like any other untouched paradise on Earth, Nuie also has a small big problem, which is the lack of a port and the lack of commercial flights to the country. At the moment Niue has a nice airport, but with only one commercial flight a week operated by Air New Zealand.

• You have 3 ways to reach Niue:

- Swimming: Definitely not encouraged. Niue is in the middle of nowhere, and it is far, far away from Tonga, Samoa, or the Cook Islands.  Even Tarzan won't make it, unless he gets a ride on the back of a migrating Humpback Wale. So, once this alternative is rejected, you have two much better options...

- By Boat/ Sailboat: There are no regular ship lanes to Niue, except a once a month cargo ship from New Zealand, but there are plenty of sailboats passing by outside the Cyclone season. There is no safe bay to anchor in Niue, and the sailboat will have to stay at a mooring near Alofi's wharf. There are many buoys in the water, about 100 metres or more outside the reefs. They are rented to visitor's boats and are the best and safest way to park your boat in Niue (photo on the top of this page). If I am not wrong, these moorings belongs to the local Niue Yacht Club which no member owns a Yacht as I was told. The fee per night is NZ$ 10 including the use of the buoy, water and toilet in a building on the wharf. If a strong gale from the West comes and/or waves build up dangerously, the Captain may have to take a decision to move the boat to open sea as soon as possible. Anyway, normally it is a good anchorage, not perfect but good enough. Support tenders and inflatable can be put on the wharf with the help of an easy operated electric winch  [Niue Yacht Club website].

- By Plane: There is no better flight in the world than Air New Zealand flight to Niue. It arrives something around two in the morning and by 3:30 or 4:00 AM you will  be laying down on your accommodation's bed like a zombie. At the moment (2008), there are no other carriers operating flights to Niue besides Air New Zealand. This fantastic flight takes off at 10:00 PM from Auckland Airport in New Zealand, arriving in Niue exactly at the same time the roosters are waking up. As a guide only, the ticket average price is something around NZ$ 650 (round trip). So, it doesn't matter which part of the world you live, if you want to visit Niue, you must pass by the beautiful New Zealand.

Tip 1: If you are coming from Australia or any other place to Auckland, and you plan to connect the flight to Niue at the same day, know that you are considered to be officially in transit, meaning...you don't need to pay departure tax to Niue. All you do is...Check in the flight normally, and after you receive your boarding pass, go to the "Travelex kiosk" and ask them to stamp your boarding pass with "Exempt". So you'll save NZ$ 30 per person.

Note from the author: We arrived in Auckland Airport at 2:00 PM and had to wait till 11:00 PM to board the plane ( It was 1 hour late). So, during 9 hour of waiting, we've found out that the airport has 13.182 tiles, 12 different colours on the walls, 58 doors, 6 escalators, 8 different heights of ceiling, a new outdoor smoking area where cigarettes turns into ice cream due the temperature outside.  Mc. Donald's' Coffee is the cheapest in the airport. If this happens to you, we strongly recommend getting the shuttle bus to downtown and killing time over there. (check in the luggage in the flight to Niue, so you get rid of it). There were only 15 tourists in our 737 plane to Niue (November 2007), being the remaining hundred something passengers Niueans.