On the way to Niue, we managed to tangle the main halyard in the
shrouds. Barb happily climbed the mast to set it aright, and get a nice view
of the ocean.
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We celebrated Thanksgiving dinner with genuine Turkey (rehydrated),
Mashed Potatoes (powdered), Corn (canned), and Cranberries (dried). Yum! The
restaurant location was perfect!
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Here's Alofi Harbour. The water deepens quickly, so we were happy
to get one of the four remaining moorings. About a dozen washed away in cyclone
Heta (Jan 2004).
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The dinghy landing is a tall concrete wall with a ladder and some
steps. Makes us glad to have a bouncy dinghy.
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Friends on Freebird lent us their bicycles one afternoon so we
could explore up the coast a ways. Not like the Goose trail, but the drivers
were all friendly.
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At Togo there are amazing limestone pillars - very rugged. Nestled
in one small canyon we found a sandy bottom and four palm trees.
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Many caves have formed in the limestone, and some have pools inside
that once were reserved for royalty to bathe in.
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More stalactites and stalagmites. Great acoustics!
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Here (also at Togo) we are exploring a cave leading to the sea.
At high tide, and with a bit more surf, the inside would be very wet.
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Niue celebrated the 30th anniversary of their constitution while
we visited. There was ono pupus (lots of snacks) and drinks, accompanied by
speeches and enthusiastic singing.
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Part of the festivities included outdoor village fairs. Barb is
getting into the spirit by golfing for booze.
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To us, not being experts, the taro root on display all looked
pretty much the same. The judges however had the task of choosing the biggest
and best.
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The pirogue races were very popular. The longest route was well
over a kilometre and had the contestants well tired at the end. |
Popsicles are expensive, but we don't get to enjoy them while
at sea.
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Niue's water is renowned for it's clarity; well over 30 meters
visibility.
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One cave we poked through had an abundance of lobsters.
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Raccoon Butterflyfish.
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Spotfin Lionfish, seen from behind.
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Dozens of colourful Ribbon Morays poked their heads from burrows
at one dive site.
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We spotted many sea snakes like this one.They breathe air, but
can stay below for up to 30 minutes before needing to surface again.
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Though the hard corals at Niue don't have a lot of brilliant colour,
the many varieties of fish make up for this.
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Here's the smallest flying fish we've ever encountered. Good for
the dieters. |
In our dinghy one morning we spotted this tiny octopus. It was
successfully released back into the water.
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