South Pacific Ocean update - Niue is open to yachts
by Candy Wood 21 Nov 2022 09:14 UTC
Candy Wood and Rick Delfosse are sailing on a 43 ft sailboat Independence and attempting a circumnavigation. They started from New York a couple of years ago and are currently in Rarotonga, Cook Islands. Palmerston is closed and they heard that Niue opened up in October.
Candy has just spoken to Keith Vial, the OCC Port Officer in Niue, who recently returned from a trip visiting family in New Zealand.
Niue is open to yachts and aircraft but not to cruise ships. Yachts are allowed to visit and there are two mooring balls available at the yacht club for visitor's use. They will be leaving Monday for Niue, and Keith was very positive and optimistic. They wanted to pass on this information to others who might want to spread the news to other yachts.
Pamela MacBrayne added: "We did spend time in Niue in late September 2019 and highly recommend stopping there if you can. Unfortunately, anchoring is not tenable due to the depth and coral bottom. Also, there is no place to get ashore in a dinghy other than going to the dock and using a crane to hoist the dinghy. So, you want to make sure that moorings are available and that the hoist is working. (BTW, you will need to make a three-point bridal to hoist the dinghy).
"If you are unable to go to Niue, Beveridge reef would be a good alternative."
The small Pacific island state of Niue pledges to protect 100% of its ocean and in 2022 created a sanctuary the size of Italy in its exclusive economic zone. Niue lies about 2,400 kilometres northeast of Auckland, New Zealand, and almost 400 kilometres east of Tonga, in the southwestern Pacific. It is known for limestone cliffs and coral-reef dive sites. Migrating whales swim in Niue's waters between July and October.
In the southeast is the Huvalu Forest Conservation Area, where trails through fossilized coral forests lead to the Togo and Vaikona chasms. The northwest is the site of the Avaiki Cave rock pools and the natural Talava Arches.
This article has been provided by the courtesy of Ocean Cruising Club.