Niue Island was once habituated by more than 5,000 people. Apparently, that number has gone down drastically as Niue Island is now only holding onto less than 1,600 residents.
Back in the 1960s Niue Island still had 5,000 people. The decrease to 1,600 resident seems to be due to the fact that 15 times as many are already living in New Zealand
According to the Associated Press, Niue Island once housed a school. Though now no children can be found in Niue Island. The lonely building which used to be an educational institution on the remote Pacific island now encloses only a punchbag that someone has strung, and a note on the chalkboard in Niuean, which reads, 'Keep this place clean so it stays beautiful.'
Niue Island is unlike a host of countries around the world which worries constantly with how to accommodate its rapidly growing population. Unlike them, Niue Island is stressed about how to keep its residents from leaving.
The coral atoll that is Niue Island had this steady and relentless flow of residents in the 1960s. From 5,000 to less than 1,600, fifteen times as many Niueans, which is around 24,000, now live across the ocean in New Zealand. That's 1,500 miles (2,400km) away from Niue Island.
According to aol.com, the reason for the decrease in the number of residents in Niue Island is that Niueans are automatically New Zealand citizens, even as the country governs itself.
In an estimate by the CIA, the population of the Cook Islands in the south has declined 3% per year. It is also in free association with New Zealand.
From six schools, there is only one institution now in Niue Island. The stories, songs and language which developed inside Niue Island for more than 1,000 years are at risk of vanishing.
In spite of all these and the steady decrease in Niueans, residents still remain optimistic, says reports. Last year, the island's tourism industry saw a boost of 7,000 visitors in the island. This was reportedly twice as many as compared to six years before.
Air New Zealand has thus scheduled extra flights this year during the southern hemisphere winter tourist season.
There are also picturesque and quiet beaches in Niue Island, as well as some of the world's best diving spots because of its marine life and underwater cathedrals.
Apart from this, according to The Guardian, remaining residents in Niue Island have been helped by the government of New Zealand in establishing an NZ$50m (£26m) trust fund as well as an annual aid which amounts to about NZ$11,000 per resident. This reportedly helps in funding the Niue government which accounts for most of the island's jobs, since some Niueans abroad send back remittances.
But New Zealand is reportedly reducing its aid to Niue Island gradually. They posit their contributions to the trust fund and its investments in tourism are already helping the country become more self-sufficient.
Meanwhile, Niue premier Toke Talagi remains bullish about his country's future, reports the AP.
He said, 'I know that some people tend to look at us and say: 'Well, you're not viable,'" he says. "You need to define exactly what you mean by that. We were viable before anybody else came here. We were independent before anybody else came here.
He added, 'Our task at the present moment is to use tourism to try to create opportunities so that people in New Zealand, or anywhere around the world that Niueans are living, will consider Niue again as a place for them to come back and live.'
According to tourism director Vanessa Marsh, Niue Island has been attracting diverse groups from wedding parties to ham radio enthusiasts. These people find the isolation offered by the island greatly reduces signal interference. The pristine waters of Niue Island also attract divers and sport fishermen from different parts of the world.
Some people are pessimistic, while others remained optimistic such as former New Zealand businessman and politician Mark Blumsky. Blumsky said he moved to the island permanently after marrying.
A 52-year-old reverend named Falkland Liuvaie who moved to Wellington, the capital of Niue Island seven years ago is worried that oral traditions once strong on the island are in danger of disappearing. He said, 'It's really hard. The more you stay away from home, the more you embrace other cultures, especially the western culture. There's nothing much you can do about it.'
Yet there is a renewed sense of national pride and hope remaining for the residents of Niue Island despite the decreasing population. Many still believe that it would be unusual for everyone in an island to simply pack up and leave.
Niue Island may be among those islands which will survive despite predictions that it will not. One of these islands is the Pitcairn Islands, home to about 50 people. According to an expert, it still is too early to tell.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
