Niue
01 August 2007
Greg
The crossing from Palmerston to Niue was the most uncomfortable we've experienced since leaving California. Our course was southwest and the wind was coming out of the northeast so was directly behind us. We had fairly large 15' to 20' seas but the bigger problem was that the waves were coming from different directions making the passage extremely rolly and uncomfortable. About 60 miles out of Niue we were hit by an intense low pressure system that swung the wind around 180 degrees to the southwest. We had 40+ knot winds and lots or rain. The seas were too confused to sail so we dropped the main and lay a hull for about an hour and just drifted with the wind. After about an hour and half, the wind left us completely, only to return thirty minutes later from the opposite direction. We realized the eye of the pressure system had passed over the top of us and we finally reached Niue and picked up a mooring at 0230 on Saturday morning.
The locals refer to Niue as "The Rock" because that's exactly what it is - a big piece of uplifted coral. In fact it's the largest uplifted block of coral in the world. It's very deep right around the island and there are no natural harbours. The locals have formed the Niue Yacht Club and put down 18 moorings for cruising yachts for which they charge a reasonable $10 per day.
Niue is an independent island nation (one of the smallest nations in the world) but has a free association with New Zealand which means all the inhabitants have New Zealand citizenship but have internal self-government. The island was decimated in 2004 when it was hit by Cyclone Heta bringing with it 350km winds and 30 metre seas. It is slowly rebuilding but there are lots of abandoned homes in serious states of disrepair that have been left by residents who have had enough and moved to New Zealand.
There are no rivers or lakes on the island and the rain seeps down through coral limestone into underground springs. Because of the lack of run off into the sea, Niue is known for the amazingly clear water surrounding the island, making it ideal for diving.
The island is on the path of the migrating humpback whales and they are currently here for calving. On a couple of occasions now we have been awoken in the morning by the sound of whales around the boat. It's the most astonishing sight to experience a massive whale lying beside the boat looking at you through its big brown eyes. They frolic around the four cruising boats that are here and it's as though they are really putting on a show. Yesterday we were standing in the dinghy alongside another yacht when one surfaced about 50 metres from us then came straight at us. Debbie got a hell of a shock and jumped out of the dinghy and up onto the yacht and I swear this giant whale had a grin on his face as it gently dived below the dinghy and hovered there while waving his flukes at us.
On Saturday after clearing in we were taken by the customs guy to the opening ceremony for a new church to replace one that had been destroyed by the hurricane. In fact the customs man had been killing pigs for the festivities when he was called away by Niue radio and asked to come into the office to clear us in.
While we were at the opening ceremony we met three other obvious outsiders taking photos (as we were off all the islanders done up to the nines in their finest outfits). It turned out that the bearded man was Ben Cropp - a very well known Australian underwater film maker. I grew up watching documentaries that Ben had produced and have visited his marine museum in Port Douglas. So it was pretty impressive to meet him in the flesh. He was with his lady friend and his niece and they are on the island shooting a documentary for an Australian television network.
They were going to a particular part of the island the next day to film water snakes and I asked if we could tag along. Ben readily agreed and we had a fantastic day on the Sunday snorkeling through underwater chasms filming sea snakes in their natural habitat. Ben also wanted to film the snakes on land tending their eggs, so rather than waiting to find an agreeable snake who just happened to be on shore laying eggs, he caught one in a net and we bought it ashore to film. I was roped in as the snake wrangler and became quite proficient picking this highly venomous snake up and putting it back in the nest we had made for it every time it slithered away from the camera. In fact it finally got away for good and we had to back into the water to catch another one.
All in all it was a successful day's filming and back at their motel room we looked at the rushes and yours truly features in quite a lot of the underwater footage. Our Australian friends should look out for the film to appear on the Seven network next year.
We have also met a New Zealand couple who are here on holidays and today spent a large part of the day with them touring in their rental car the windward side of the island. We are going out with them tomorrow to explore some caves and they are coming for dinner tomorrow night on board Volare.
Our weather forecasts are telling us the wind will be shifting around to the South in a few days time making this anchorage untenable, but also making for a beam reach all the way to Tonga so we'll be on our way possibly by Saturday. It's only 250 miles to Vava'u so it should take only a day and a half. On previous passages we've often lost stray bits of clothing that have been pegged to the lifelines drying. But on this next passage we cross the date line on the way so we lose a day somewhere out there. We also go from 11 hours ahead of GMT to 13 hours behind - all in the space of one short passage so I have no idea how I'm going to cope with that. My navigation will be in the lap of the gods.