Niue is one of the world’s largest raised coral atolls, making it unlike any other Pacific island. Photo / Niue Tourism
From whale swims to world-class fishing, Niue is a dream destination for families who love adventure writes Sarah Porter.
There comes a time when an ideal family holiday shifts from checking your youngsters into Kids’ Club and savouring time out alone, to wanting to create lifelong memories experiencing epic adventures together that you know you will retell for years to come. This is where Niue takes family holidays to the next level and provides the most unique landscape to explore – both above and below the water.
Swimming with humpback whales, catching 30kg+ wahoo and tuna, scuba diving or snorkelling in gin-clear water, and nighttime missions catching Uga (Niue’s coconut crab) are just a few of the experiences on offer once your kids get older, and you’re ready to share family adventures together.
READ MORE: Holidays in Niue: Discover the untamed beauty of the South Pacific
As one of the world’s largest raised coral atolls, Niue is unlike other Pacific Islands with amazing rock pools the size of tennis courts to snorkel in, as well as caves and chasms to discover and explore. When kids become a bit more “self-sufficient” and are both competent and confident in the water, Niue provides the perfect playground for families to experience new adventures together, and many families return year after year for more.
Touching down in Niue after a quick three-and-a-half-hour flight from Auckland, you are greeted with not only warm temperatures all year round, but the most warm and hospitable welcome possible. It’s best to pre-arrange a rental car for your arrival, as Niue is large – 64km around its ring road. Driving is easy though, and tracks and sites are very well sign-posted all over the island making the whole island your “one island, one resort” to uncover.
Families have a choice of different accommodation types, from the Scenic Matavai Resort to family-friendly self-catering homes, and intergenerational travel is also proving popular where several units are booked next to each other, or even an entire accommodation complex, such as Namukulu Cottages, Taloa Heights or Tuaga Lodge.
Unlike many islands, Niue’s reef runs around the island, which means snorkelling and swimming is best in rock pools dotted around the coastline. As well as providing easy access from the land, this also means you are in a confined pool-like space which gives many kids (and parents) confidence to snorkel in safety. Operators can take you outside the reef to snorkel, as well as swim with the resident spinner dolphins and seasonal humpback whales, and with visibility up to 80m it’s well worth the trip. However, most days you’ll find yourself packing your snorkelling gear in the car boot and setting off on your own adventure down the 30-plus sea tracks Niue has to offer.
From July through to October humpback whales migrate up from Antarctica to the warm waters of Niue, and if your kids have reached that magic age of 10, and are confident in the ocean, you can experience a family bucket list tick many only dream of – swimming with these gentle giants in Niue’s crystal-clear waters. The whales hug the reef, so even from land you can enjoy whale watching around the island, with many vantage points set up with free binoculars.
Scuba diving together is another dream for many ocean-loving families, and Niue’s safe waters provide an interesting playground to explore together. From underwater caves to sandy gullies, the team from Niue Blue ensure your next family calendar is filled with epic photos; and if you’re lucky the resident spinner dolphins will come to play while you’re between dives.
Fishing can be a polarising family activity; with seasickness and the lengthy time it takes often putting families off investing money to spend time bobbing in the ocean together for a day. Niue breaks this mould entirely and, again, it’s thanks to the close reef that runs around the island. As the seabed drops away so dramatically, deep-sea fishing happens almost instantly, with lines dropped as quickly as 10 minutes from leaving the wharf. Again, hugging the coastline means there is little motion … and Niue’s fast-paced sport fishing leaves no time for anyone to feel unwell or get bored. Many of Niue’s skippers are young dads themselves, so they relate extremely well to family dynamics and engage kids in all aspects of the fishing adventure. It is certainly “action stations” when wahoo strike, and everyone in the family will be jumping to take the rod. In as little as four hours, a boatload of fish can be landed and you’re back at the wharf after an early start to enjoy lunch and an afternoon of further exploring … or napping!
There are massive cave systems and sea tracks found all over the island that can be explored with ease via well-signposted tracks. Many of these sites have well-maintained showers and toilets and the walks vary in length from five minutes to a few hours. Think of them as family treasure hunts, but you just don’t know what’s down the path … yet.
A favourite for many is Talava Arches, which is a moderate one-hour walk that takes you through the bush and then into a cave system that pops you out on the coast to a spectacular display of mother nature and the ocean’s power that has formed a huge arch. It’s worth taking snorkelling gear, as there are crystal clear rock pools to swim in at the end of this walk. On your way back, many families take the five-minute detour to enjoy a refreshing dip in amazing Matapa Chasm – a place where the kings of Niue once bathed.
Another family favourite is Avaiki Cave, which is only accessible at low tide. After a short walk down through a cave you arrive at a breathtaking setting straight from a James Bond movie, where you swim in caves as well as the rock pools that are teeming with sea life. More adventurous families set off to Togo Chasm, which takes you through jungle and then on to sharp rocks before descending a ladder into a sandy chasm. On the same eastern coastline, Anapala Chasm sees you venturing down 155 stairs before diving into a freshwater chasm that is only lit by a crack of daylight above. Time this track perfectly for the middle of the day to catch the perfect light, after Togo Chasm and before a lazy Sunday afternoon at Washaway Cafe, Avatele Beach.
Niue’s cafes and restaurants will leave parents and children filled with not only delicious food and drinks, but also personable service from locals. Washaway Cafe is only open on Sundays, and perhaps the last honesty bar in the world. As well as ice-cold drinks, enjoy homemade burgers and fish focaccias, and kids can explore the safe beach of Avatele. Hio Cafe and Fana Cafe are two other favourite dining spots that showcase Niue flavours, and you can even enjoy authentic Japanese sushi and sashimi at Kaiika. There are plenty of spots to grab an ice cream or cold drink while out exploring, however many will reach for a local coconut or slice open a pawpaw.
Nightlife in Niue is limited, and after a day of exploration many parents and kids “crash” early, however, do make sure you look up and enjoy the night sky, as Niue is also the world’s only Dark Sky Nation. You can book a guided astro-tour led by trained Niueans, learning their long history of star navigation and a life regulated by lunar cycles and star positions; or simply enjoy the unspoilt night sky from the deck or front lawn of your accommodation.
If you still have energy to burn, head out with a local guide to look for Uga crab, the local land-dwelling crab that feeds on coconuts. Tours, such as the A5 Plantation Tour or Taue Uga Tours, offer the chance to hunt for huge Uga, which are a local delicacy, and these tours (and others) can easily be booked at Niue Island’s Visitors Centre once you arrive in Niue.
The population of Uga is probably the densest anywhere in the world as they can only be eaten locally, as export of them was banned several years ago so the natural balance is now back in order. It’s not uncommon to stumble across Uga when you’re out driving or exploring on your own at night … just don’t try and pick them up without expert advice as they could easily take your finger off with their sharp pincers!
A visit to the primary school’s assembly, the small but well-curated Fale Tau Tāoga museum, or a cultural performance at one of the many island umu buffet nights will fill your soul with singing and dance; and the smiles are contagious. The Scenic Matavai combine a umu (hāngī) buffet with a cultural performance, as does Manuiz. Hunting for the Uga crab, either by day or night, or a plantation tour enriches a family holiday in a fun and authentic way. The kids will learn a lot from the people, the food, the geography, the ocean, and from each other while you explore and share local experiences together.
As your week (or two) comes to an end, under a sky full of stars, there is a high chance you start planning your next trip to this diverse paradise. One thing is for sure, once you discover the beauty of Niue, both above and under the water, it is a destination you will be drawn back to … just like the migrating humpback whales.
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