One More Circumnavigation of Niue

We rented a car (USD$35/day) so we could hit the some of the highlights of Niue that we missed on our last rental car escapade. Stopping at the Sculpture Pak was not really a highlight. This growing ‘sculpture’ allows anyone to add on a piece of junk – I mean art – who wants to be part of the artistic merit. When I first saw it I thought it was the satellite antenna for the islands Internet connection. The island actually has a fiberoptic cable the circles the island – used for the phone system. Internet for the entire country is an 8mb satellite connection. That slower than most people at home have to their house – and this one connection covers the country.

This is my favorite sculpture – old flip-flops. It’s all in the eye of the beholder

Early on Saturday morning we stopped at Lakepa for the monthly village fair. Each village hosts once a year and everyone turns out. Lots of food, including donuts and sushi, for breakfast.

  We got there too late for Chris to pickup on some livestock. These little guys were already sold. Too bad…

A lot of the booths had coconut crabs out front to compete in the largest coconut crab completion.

The local dancing was not anything like the sophistication of the Marquesas or Society Islands. But, these kids got into it. Look at the their faces as they belt out some tribal yells.

Even the youngest can take an impressively threatening stance.

Some friendly, competitive basket weaving among the women, who can really whip them out in no time.

The days hiking brought us to through what looks like the badlands of the Togo Chasm. Just barely offshore you can see the white-water a humpback whale enjoying the wind and surf.

The trail leads over the eroded limestone uplifted reef.  A fall here would be some serious road rash, possibly fatal.

Its a long ladder down into the chasm itself.

Some impressive waves crashing onto the shore.

The clear blue Limu Pools, with Chuck and Laura (off Free Spirit) contemplating going snorkeling.

Looking straight down through about 6 feet of clear water you can see the ubiquitous banded sea snake. Their bite is very poisonous to humans, but their mouths are so small you’d almost have to spread your fingers and stick your hand in their mouths to get an unfriendly injection.

The aptly named Talava Arches.

The last stop on our island circumnavigation (all of about 67 km) was an ancient burial cave, complete with human skull bones in the center.

 

Check the bumps on this humpback’s head. He was just hanging out, right off our boat.

Here are a pair of humpbacks waving Fluke You as we prepared to sail off to Tonga.
Paul