Dorsal fins, dark skies, and honey: Discovering the magic of Niue Island 

“Over here!”

Bushwhacking through a tangle of Pacific Island forest, I zigzag past an abandoned refrigerator and former pigsty to find Andy Cory—aka Niue Island’s ‘Honeyman’—standing in an overgrown glade framed by towering coconut palms. Stacked wooden boxes, their once vibrant pastel colors faded by decades of tropical sunshine, are revealed as beehives abandoned amid the interior of the world’s smallest—population around 1,700—self-governing island nation. 

Drawn by the promise of Niue’s isolated bush-clad beehives—a legacy of Italian bees imported from New Zealand in the 1960s—the experienced Kiwi apiarist first ventured to the island, which lies 2,500 kilometers northeast of Auckland, in 1999. Decades-old hives are continually being uncovered and rehabilitated by Cory and his team. Niue’s rich caramel-hued honey is one of the world’s finest. Top New Zealand chefs champion the island’s provenance; it’s for sale in gourmet retailers in London; and organic Niue honey was named Best International Honey at Britain’s prestigious National Honey Show in 2016. Easing into a relaxed island lifestyle at Niuean cafes, visitors will find honey-infused tropical fruit smoothies, and even a local craft beer dubbed “Stinger” pale ale.

Surrounded by chemical-free tropical forests, Niue’s hardworking bees are also some of the world’s healthiest. Free from parasites and other diseases, the island’s bees are seen as vital to combat the collapse of global bee populations. Cory has worked with the Niuean government to establish strict biosecurity controls. Now, healthy queen and worker bees from the island’s Pacific Bee Sanctuary could be used to repopulate hives around the world—a tropical island insurance policy similar to Norway’s Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Cory’s also keen to export the benefits of Niue’s bee industry—including revenue-sharing with traditional landowners and the climate crisis mitigation of native forest regeneration—to other Pacific island nations.

Niue’s formal accreditation as both an International Dark Sky Sanctuary and an International Dark Sky Community makes Niue the planet’s first and only Dark Sky Nation.

Returning to Niue Honey’s ramshackle yellow Land Cruiser—license plate HONEY 1—Cory celebrates a successful morning discovering more forgotten beehives, but also offers an honest appraisal of the challenges of beekeeping on a remote Pacific Ocean island. “It’s definitely more about the honey than the money.”

That sentiment falls in stride with the culture of Niue—a place that caps tourist visits to just 15,000 people per year, although only about 6,000 visitors make the trip per year. The island—although one of the smallest countries in the world—is one of the largest coral atolls. Whereas on other South Pacific islands, you will find sandy beaches, here are caves of limestone above and below the water, creating the perfect conditions for glass-like, clear waters. It seems that clarity, simplicity, and purity aren’t hard to find around here. The following evening, I learn about another Niuean natural sanctuary, focused on the pristine night skies framing the island nation.

My first after-dark memory of Niue is a fishing expedition at the turn of the millennium, riding shotgun in a boat, and trying to catch indigo-colored flying fish with an unwieldy apparatus resembling a butterfly net. Shimmering bioluminescence mirrored a Polynesian horizon extending to the heavens, while moonlight illuminated Niue’s craggy coastline of rugged cliffs and sea caves. Now, a quarter century later, after multiple visits to my favorite Pacific country, I’m atop the cliffs in the village of Tuapa, and learning about Niue’s status as an emerging stargazing hotspot.

Unlike decades of honey history, its stargazing merits are a more recent development, with the International Dark Sky Association confirming Niue’s formal accreditation as both an International Dark Sky Sanctuary and an International Dark Sky Community in March 2020 providing the entire country with recognition and protection, a unique combination, and making Niue the planet’s first and only Dark Sky Nation.

Supported by the New Zealand High Commission, tonight’s event has the dual focus of celebrating Matariki, the Polynesian New Year, and also introducing Niueans to the thrill of observing the night sky above their island home.

“Becoming a Dark Sky Nation means locals can reconnect and reflect on the value of the night skies to us as voyagers and Pacific Islanders.”

- Micah Fuhiniu-Viviani

Following a presentation from Niue Tourism Director, Micah Fuhiniu-Viviani, on the celestial wayfaring exploits of the ocean-crossing Polynesian ancestors of Tuapa’s younger community members, these same stargazing novices wait patiently to explore the skies through a clifftop collection of telescopes. Like in the Atacama desert of Chile, the sky beams with cosmic light and constellations. It feels even more remote than some other dark-sky destinations, and more of a treasure thanks to it not being overwhelmed by the presence of tourists.

Stubborn clouds finally part an hour after sunset, and as the night sky intensifies, it’s possible to see the Magellanic Clouds, two dwarf galaxies circling the Milky Way. Helming one of the telescopes is local fishing guide Alan Wilson, currently in the process of broadening his astronomical knowledge with his wife Olga, and preparing to offer stargazing experiences for visitors to the island. Like Fuhiniu-Viviani, he’s also keen to inspire the involvement of a new Niuean generation and is planning on training up community members as authoritative astro-guides.

For Fuhiniu-Viviani, it’s an exciting time for Niue. “Becoming a Dark Sky Nation means locals can reconnect and reflect on the value of the night skies to us as voyagers and Pacific Islanders,” she says.

It’s not only past generations that have traditionally crossed the wide expanses of the Pacific. Every year, humpback whales make the journey north from the cold, nutrient-rich waters of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, arriving around August to give birth in Niue’s warmer tropical waters. Guardianship offered by the third of Niue’s trio of natural sanctuaries—established in 2020, the Niue Moana Mahu Marine Protected Area spans 130,000 square kilometers and covers 40 percent of the country’s EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone)—ensures the roving cetaceans are protected as they’re raising their calves.

With no run-off from the land—there are no rivers on Niue’s raised coral atoll—underwater visibility is up to 80 meters, and coastal locations including Limu Pools and Matapa Chasm offer superb snorkeling. With gin-clear waters, Niue is also a prime place to observe humpback whales and resident spinner dolphins in their environment. As the tip of an ancient volcano, the ocean around Niue also gets deep extremely quickly. We’re just a few hundred meters off the island’s coastline, but Niue Blue’s skipper reckons “It’s at least two hundred meters deep here”,  and our group of snorkelers is reminded again of the strict rules of engagement when interacting with the whales: No closer than 20 meters and a maximum of six people in the water at any time.

Slipping gently off Niue Blue’s inflatable Zodiac, I float respectfully near a humpback whale and her calf. The pair is at least 30 meters away, but Niue’s superb visibility ensures they’re effortlessly spotlighted as the morning’s tropical sun continues to rise. A compelling experience lasting several minutes is only broken when they swim effortlessly away with languid flicks of their powerful tails. 

Again, I’m reminded of the simple, sweet magic of Niue Island, and my gratitude to be amongst it all.

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Author Brett Atkinson visited Niue with the support of Niue Tourism.

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