Notes from several small islands: Part II - Lava-ly Tanna

We rejoin our Vanuatu adventure as the sun sets over the islands and we land in Port Vila at last (you will remember the flight was delayed). Mindful of the airport taxi fares we  confidently jumped into what we thought was a local minibus for a fraction of the price, although realised afterwards that it was possibly just someone taking their family home from the airport. Our hotel Moorings' deck over the water was a romantic location for a yummy dinner (poulet fish, Thai pork belly). The evening was enlivened by Roger poking a large purple crab with a Tusker beer bottle ("it's definitely dead" - me) and almost falling off the deck ("it's not dead!").

Port Vila

6.30am: morning tea in front of the blue-green harbour and hills, framed by the shutters of the room. A quick swim (making the most of the hotel) introduced us to four cackling Australian women sitting outside their ground floor rooms smoking, who I distracted by pointing out the incoming cruise ship, so we could make our escape. Roger ate many fish-shaped fresh waffles at breakfast and then we set off to explore Port Vila. 

We called in on one of Dad's old colleagues then walked past Nautilus where I learned to dive, a new Chinese-built conference centre that looked like something out of Command & Conquer (for those who get this computer game reference), the dreaded French School, my old house, the International School, Independence Park where the French parachutists used to land on the annual independence parade, and down to the handicrafts and food market. We topped off the afternoon with a famous ice cream sundae at French cafe Au Peche Mignon. Then it was back to the airport on a second local bus, toward Tanna!

"Do you know where he's from?"
"Finland?"
"Oh yes. You know."

Our host at Tanna Yasur View Bungalows, Mike, welcomed us at the airport and we hopped into the 4WD to join "the French couple" who were suspiciously Nordic looking and indeed turned out to be Finnish. A long, bumpy journey in the dusk was rewarded by the sight of an unearthly red glow as we came over the hills - Yasur the volcano! We zoomed across the ash plain, through a stream and up two sharp muddy inclines. From our hut's little verandah we could see the glow and the milky way, enhanced by the intermittent rumbling of the ancient God. We had to wait until morning for the view - lush green vegetation and mountains all around. Thank you Charles and Lydia for the recommendation!

Yasur View Bungalows

After breakfast with the Finnish couple (swapping travel stories and re-budgeting stories following the discovery of the doubled-in-price volcano entry fee) we bought a volcanic rock carved figurine from the tiny handicrafts stall and set off on a walk to the ash plain. A 'wrong' turn led us to the village, where preparations for a fundraiser football game followed by a boxing tournament were in full swing, with many willing machete-wielding men. We also ogled tree-top bungalows set high up in three huge banyan trees. We eventually made it to the ash plain for a geology lesson. 

In our absence our bungalow had become infested by homeless hornets, searching for the nest that had recently been cleared. Mike and a sidekick did a good job of swatting, and assured us that they weren't the type that stung. I assured Roger that they were the type that stung; there's no mistaking the little blighters that took to Julius' face when we were climbing our frangipani tree as kids in Vila.

Walking round the rim of the Yasur's crater

Following a series of daring raids into the hut by Roger to get volcano-appropriate clothes, we set off on foot for the entrance of Yasur Volcano Safari Tours. The walk turned into a run as we took a wrong turn in the bush (and ruined Roger's un-socked feet), but we made it in time to claim the New Zealand sign. We were welcomed to the Nakamal under a big banyan, sitting behind our country signs (Europe and England were separate..), then there were two custom dances and we presented some kava roots to the chief who asked the God (the volcano) to keep us all safe. Roger almost immediately removed his '"itchy" protection lai (plant hung around the neck), so I had double. 

The base of the crater climb

10 minutes in the back of a double cab truck and we were at the base of the crater, in groups of 10 following guides whose safety talk comprised "don't run away, look up" and "follow my instructions". On the short walk up to the rim we noticed a solo rock appear, tossed up above the rim, then falling back down inside. 

There were probably about 50 people up there in total and we all walked round the rim to the best viewing point, where we stayed until after dark. No safety ropes, platforms, fences or signs. Just you peering over the edge of the volcano. The clear evening, fortuitous wind direction (away from us) and recent increased activity of Yasur made for quite an experience. Constant rumbling and lava bubbling and spitting was punctuated every few minutes by booms and a dome of rising lava would blow its top, spraying globules of orange, red and white-hot lava into the air. The biggest of these threw lava as high as the rim we were standing on, and we felt the shock wave. 

Watch right til the end!

We were reluctant, if a little relieved, to leave the mesmerising two craters behind and stumble like Frodo and Sam back down the slope. Unlike Frodo and Sam we took a 4WD back to the base, with two French families. The tour ended with fresh fruit, coconut water and sugar cane. Then fish dinner back at Yasur View, where the hornets had thankfully headed to temporary residences for the night or (hopefully) died. 

Yasur View Bungalows restaurant

We joined the Finnish couple for the drive back over to the airport side of the island, where they were diving (they had a week on Tanna) at White Grass Resort. Welcoming White Grass let us dry all our clothes on their sun loungers and swim off their beach to a different sort of 'blue hole'. In return we bought their tuna melt sandwiches and alerted everyone in the restaurant to the dolphins we spotted. The blue hole was this time a natural bit of deep water in the middle of the reef, which we almost grazed our tummies getting to. We sadly saw a crown-of-thorns starfish (which naughtily eats coral), but also lots of life; Roger swam under an underwater archway; and we were surprised by a billowing black-plastic-bag fish, which we took to shore.

Back in Vila after a ride on a Twin Otter (little 18-person propeller plane where you can see into the cockpit), we had dinner (final Vanuatu beef!) at Cafe de Village on the waterfront. Fortunately chocolate fondue for two exactly used up our currency. Eventually we had to go back to the Airlines Business Hotel room: close to the airport but suspiciously laminated with no external windows and a packet of Chinese condoms on the sideboard. The beds were also like bare planks of wood.

Twin Otter

The next day, spines straightened, we dragged our feet to Bauerfield International for a 7am flight back to Auckland. What a trip. Tank yu tumas Vanuatu. Lukim yu!