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Tamakautoga
Sea Track and Beach
The
view you have above
is from Tamakautoga Reef Flat. It is the swimming pool area
of the Matavai Resort. Tamakautoga Sea Track is located at
the South -West part of Niue, between Alofi and Avatele.
The access from the main road is very short and there is a
sign at the entrance. Just about 100 metres after you
enter the gravel road, there is a small parking area
which has a nice view to the flats. From the car park, the
access to the reef takes maybe 2 minutes going down short stairs located at the left side of the carpark.
Yes,
there is a beach
there with a nice deep hole underneath a mushroom shaped
big rock. This pool is fed by sea water during both, high
and low tides, being very warm but at the same time
refreshing. The only problem this place has (as with all
of Niue)
is when there are big swells washing the reef over. In this
case, the place will be rough and dangerous. We went there
twice. The first time it was beautiful and perfect as the
photos here shows, but by the second time, it was just
impossible to reach and waves were washing the entire reef
with strong force.
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the edge of the reef you can see 3 beaches. On the
top of the hill where the coconut palms are, and
between the leftmost beach and the central one, is
where the carpark is. From there, you can choose a
small track to go to the left beach or another
track to go to the right one. Far away on the
right, there is another smaller beach. Anyway,
with the right conditions of tide, etc..It doesn't
matter which track you take, because you'll be
able to access any of these beaches from the
reef flat. (Panorama made out of 4 photos stuck
together). |
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The
pool is nice and
refreshing, especially when the tide is starting to move
in. It is deep enough to stay standing on the sandy bottom
with water about your neck. The shade the rock provides is
a blessing on hot sunny days. When we went there for the
first time, we met a local family with two young kids
bathing in the pool and playing on the sand. Nice and
friendly people, which we spent a long time talking with
about Niue. In a perfect day, Tamakautoga is a place you
can really feel the vibration of being in Polynesia.
The
reef is also nice
to explore. There are not many corals or sea life on this
reef flat, but anyway, if you are up for a long exploration, it is a nice place due
to the beautiful view it
provides of the shore line. Reef shoes will be an
advantage but not strictly necessary. The reef is sandy and has some algae
that gives you a good feeling when stepping on it. Just watch out for some
unexpected holes with sharp edges and
of course don't forget to get back to the car before the
tide gets too high. Walking on Niue's reefs gave a great
sensation of freedom, and Tamakautoga was elected by us as
the best beach in Niue.
Note:
in the event of very rough seas for a prolonged periods,
these beaches can be washed away and disappear partially or
totally.
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Well,
looking at this photo makes me want to jump in this pool right
now as i can remember the temperature, the clearness of the
water, and the views from Tamakautoga reef flat.
Great place in Niue. |
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