Everyone has dreamt of it and it might soon become a reality. The inhabitants of the island of Niue in the Pacific could soon travel through time. ‘How is that possible?’ We hear you ask and rightly so. Here is how.
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This story, which is both unbelievable but true, does not involve a DeLorean like in ‘Back to the Future’ or any other kind of revolutionary technological device. Inhabitants of this island off New Zealand could soon travel through time as a result of… a government decision. As it turns out, a Niue parliamentarian has proposed moving this island to the other side of the global dateline meaning that, as a result, Niue would move from one side of the line to another, technically skipping a day in the process.
This imaginary line, created in 1884 during an international conference held in Washington, runs directly between Niue and New Zealand and unfortunately distances the two islands as a result. It’s also worth knowing that Wellington is the city that handles its little neighbour’s defences and international relations. Bringing the time forward a day or so, and traveling back in time in the process, would be a way to bring the two countries closer together, particularly from a tourist and economic point of view. Terry Coe, the member of parliament responsible for the request, explains:
They [will] know that in the event that they depart New Zealand, they depart on Tuesday, they get right here on Tuesday. […] They’re at the weekend once we are running on a Friday: then they begin on a Monday and we’re all at church.
As CNews has reported, a change like this will not be the first like it to have ever taken place. In 2011, the Samoa Islands moved from one area to another, subsequently going straight from December 29th to 31st, and so skipping the 30th December.
So, how do you feel about moving to Niue for a bit of time travel?
