Beautiful Nuie!
15 September 2017 | Alofi, Nuie
Gillian
We have enjoyed Nuie very much. Such a friendly community and it very much feels like rural New Zealand. We hired a car for two days and hopped along the coast exploring beautiful rock pools, chasms and caves. The limestone caves were very spectacular abounding with stalagmites and stalactites. Some of the walks were a little difficult with lots of coral everywhere and it was slippery at times, but always well worth it, when we took in the spectacular scenery. On one of the days we stopped at the Matavai beach resort and enjoyed a delicious lunch of kingfish and fresh salad with slivers of watermelon giving it a crisp and original flavour. In the harbour where we are moored we have frequently seen lazy dolphins swimming among the boats, and whales breaching and diving with tails up, on the horizon. The water is so incredibly clear and blue, and there are plenty sea snakes swimming about. A freighter arrived not soon after we did and it was interesting watching a barge moving between the ship and the wharf loading and unloading containers, with the whole process taking three days! Today we have cleared out, stocked up on duty free alcohol, fresh food and water, and tomorrow we set sail for our last island group, Tonga. This passage should take us two days and we should arrive in Neiafu on Tuesday morning, local time. We cross the date line on the way so we will be missing a Monday!