Nukunonu Lagoon Bridge

Nukunonu's village sits on two islets separated by a channel between the lagoon and the ocean, and the bridge across it is the link that makes them one place: people walk over it constantly and it is where the village gathers in the evening. The water runs through fast on the tide. It is a modest structure that matters more to daily life than anything else built on the atoll.

What you actually see

• The channel - the fast water running between lagoon and ocean.
• The crossing - the link that joins the two halves of the village.
• The evening gathering - where people stand and talk at the end of the day.
• The tidal flow - the current changing direction through the gap.

When to go

May to October is drier and calmer. Ships from Samoa run every few weeks at best. Tide governs the flow through the channel.

Honest expectations

It is a small bridge in a small village and there is nothing built around it for visitors. The current through the channel is strong and swimming there is not sensible. Getting to Tokelau at all is the hard part.

Nearby

The lagoon is on one side, and the ocean on the other.