Everything you Need to Know About the Niue Time Zone
When in Niue, who cares what time it is?! Time is seemingly at a standstill on this tiny raised coral atoll in the midst of the Pacific Ocean. But still, clocks do exist in Niue and you may need to know what time is it if you are trying to connect with friends and family back home or trying to figure out the tide times for seeing Niues coastal attractions. So here we go, let’s cover the time zone of Niue and start with a fun fact: Niue is home to the world’s last sunset!
Being located on the GMT-11 time zone that is only shared by Samoa and the even smaller Midway Island, Niue is the closest country to the international dateline that is using the UTC/GMT 11 timezone. That means that when you are dining to a beautiful sunset, you are one of the few last people on earth to do so.
The time zone in Niue also means that when travelling from Australia of New Zealand to Niue, you will be travelling back in time. If leaving on a Monday, you will land in Niue on a Sunday. Time travel has never been so easy! Check out more fun facts about Niue here. Otherwise, learn more about the Niue time zone in the guide below.
When it is 9am in Niue, it is…
- 9pm in London same day
- 10pm in Frankfurt same day
- 4pm in New York same day
- 1pm in Los Angeles same day
- 5am in Tokyo following day
- 8am in Auckland following day
- 6am in Sydney following day
Note that times are given for example purposes only, depending on the time of the year, daylight savings (DST) may apply to the times above.
Time Zone in Niue
Niue does not use daylight saving (DST) so there is only one simple time zone for the whole year and for the whole island of Niue.
Niue Time Zone: UTC/GMT -11
Luckily as soon as you connect your phone to the internet (see How to Get Internet in Niue for tips), it should adjust itself to the correct time zone automatically. But if you need to change the time zone on your phone manually, search for Alofi/Niue in the list of time zones. Alternatively, search for American Samoa if you can’t find Niue.
Daylight Hours in Niue
Being a tropical island, Niue is blessed with long sunny days all year long with a bit of a change between the wet and the dry season – the Niuean version of “summer” and “winter”.
The average day length in Niue is about 12 hours which is a lot of time to enjoy what this island has to offer. The longest day of the year, which is in December, lasts for 12h55min, while the shortest day is in June and lasts for 11h20min.
Sunrise and Sunset in Niue
The sunrise in Niue is usually between 5:30am and 7am with the earliest sunrise of the year happening in December and the latest sunrise of the year happening in June.
The sunset in Niue is usually between 6pm and 7pm with the earliest sunset of the year happening in June usually and the latest sunset of the year happening in December.
Daylight Savings Time in Niue
There is no daylight savings time in Niue. However, that is not to say that you will not have to adjust your time when catching up with back home. When contacting your home country, you should still be aware of DST as it may affect the time difference between you and your contacts at home.
If you are planning to travel while DST is happening in your home country, we suggest adding a reminder on your phone so you are prepared.
Time Difference with New Zealand and Australia
Alright so let’s keep it simple: if you are travelling from New Zealand then Niue is 23 hours behind your current time. If you are travelling from Australia (Sydney) then Niue is 21 hours behind.
When daylight savings time kicks in over in New Zealand or Australia, then there is an extra hour of time difference.
More About the Niue Time Zone and Other Travel Tips
- 30 Tips for Travelling in Niue
- 18 Must-Have Travel Gadgets for Niue
- 10 Essential Travel Tips for Niue
That’s it for the guide to the Niue time zone. Get even more travel tips for Niue from The Complete Travel Guide to Niue and the 31 Tips for Travelling in Niue.
Author
Robin C.
This article was reviewed and published by Robin, the co-founder of Niue Pocket Guide. He has lived, worked and travelled across 16 different countries before settling in the South Pacific, so he knows a thing or two about planning the perfect trip in this corner of the world. He is also consulting regularly with Niue Tourism to ensure content accuracy. Robin is also the co-founder of several other South Pacific travel guides and is a regular host of webinars with the South Pacific Tourism Organisation.