Ralamanmkia walk end of July 2009

Rod invited us to join Sarah with her parents Robin and Cherry and her daughter Brigit from Australia for a walk close to the Tavurvur volcano.
When you arrive on site, the landscape is breath taking, and the roaring of the volcano gives you an idea of his temper.
The air is thick and ash falls around you.

It’s like a snowy day in winter time at home, just colors and temperatures don’t match.

Sam, a local guide with his assistants joined us for a walk up the hills. We stopped at the edge of an extinguished volcano. 5 km away we could feel Tavurvur’s activity. The walk was not easy, some times the ground was fragile and your foot would disappear up to the knee is the ash.

We made it slowly but surly up the hill and sat for a while looking around. One of the local went down the crater of the extinguished volcano to immortalize the event in the ashes.
The way back was quite fun, you could ski down hill if you had a set. Divers take theirs equipment with them, may be you can take your skies.
People will look strangely at you at the airport for sure!




Opposite the active volcano is Matupit Island (less than 3km away). That's were Sam leaves. The Island is a village; just a little bay separates then from the foot of the volcano.
After the 1994 eruption the government relocated the people leaving on the Island. The new location being too small, some of them came back and settled again on the Island.
The last time the volcano erupted in 2006, they had many earthquakes the day before and the inhabitants of the Island had time to leave the place and get shelter in the hills behind Rabaul. They lost everything under the ashes. I asked Sam if they have an evacuation plan, how it is organized. He didn’t give me an answer . . .


When we came back, we were covered with ashes. Avoid light colored clothes. Be careful with medical glasses, mine got stained, and I can’t get if off.

After the volcano walk, Rod drove us around and we went up the hill to the observatory. From there your have a nice over view auf Rabaul.




On the left side at the edge of the bay is what is left from Rabaul after 1994’s eruption. Center and right is Rabaul today. In SE winds, the city gets covered with ashes.















These two pictures taken before and after the last eruption gives an idea what the volcano spits out when he gets angry, and this is just ashes.

Thank you Sarah, thank you Rod for letting us shares with you this magnificent journey in your company.