After a quick tour of town the group headed to Scenic Matavai Resort where sunset cocktails provided a backdrop to local entertainment and a coconut show.
A snorkelling trip with Niue Blue in the ‘gin clear’ water was on Saturday morning’s agenda with the afternoon spent visiting accommodation options available on Niue while also leisurely visiting some of the sea tracks and snorkelling spots along the way.
Sunday was spent exploring the more rugged eastern side of the island, with some short hikes and a visit to an underground freshwater chasm for a swim, before returning to Washaway café at Avatele beach for a picnic lunch and great fish sandwiches.
That afternoon was more culturally immersive with a hunt for the giant coconut crab (uga) and a visit to a local plantation to discover the way of life of the Niuean people. The day was topped off with an uga feast at the clifftop Hio café and some stargazing.
Before flying home, the group had some last-minute shopping, a visit to the museum and the visitor information centre and an impromptu stop at the Niue Honey Factory.
‘While it was only a short stay, the trade team got a great overview of all that Niue offers, who it will suit... and who it won’t,’ says Hayden Porter of Niue Tourism. ‘They all headed back as converted fans of Niue – understanding what makes it completely different to other Pacific Islands, as well as the variety of accommodation, quality tours and natural attractions available.’
Rick Felderhof, Our Pacific says the highlights for him were the sense of community, the food, and the rugged landscape, ‘all wonderfully distinctive and quite different from other Pacific Islands.’
