The biggest eruption I've ever seen

During the last three days of the holiday, I headed south and flew to the island of Tanna.

I came to see the worlds biggest Banyan tree, via horseback. Three hours on a horse, trekking thru the jungles and passing villages in small clearings.

Me & "Fred"


A small hut, sleeps 6

The Tree - Cant really get an idea, but its the size of 4 football fields

But here, in Tanna, the main attraction is the live volcano. Its been exploding on and off for a few hundred years, but hasnt killed anyone since 1998. We arrived at the volcano just before sunset, so that you can climb your way up to the edge of the crater in daylight.

Halfway up

The steam and smoke almost blocks out the Sun anyway, but up I clambered. About half way up a rumble could be heard and I look up to see hot rocks flying just above the craters edge.

Smoke and steam

I wasn't at all scared, so after changing my underpants, I continued my climb.

I make it sound like it was a two day trek, but it was only about 10 minutes as the Jeep had driven most of the way up. I arrived at the top and promptly posted my postcards in the worlds only Volcano Post and headed off to the craters edge.

All was quiet.

I lay down right on the edge so I could steady my Kodak Brownie and after a few minutes I could feel the whole mountain shake through my body and then a huge KRACK as molten lava exploded in a fiery mass of sparks and fireworks. Lumps of molten rock were spewed hundreds of feet in the air and came down in a majestic arches.

KRACK!

The feeling of being so close and sometimes too close was incredible. the power was totally mind blowing and yet these were only little explosions on a category 1. If it gets to category 3 no-one is allowed up there. The people who died back in 1998 were a Japanese tourist and a local who she persuaded to take her up there (after the official guides had turned her down) during a category 4 time when the explosions were pretty bad.

They were never seen again.

Tanna is much less westernised than Efate and the people on this island still live in bamboo huts with palm thatching. The villages have no electricity or plumbed water. The people of Vanuatu in general live in poverty. Or what we Westerners refer to as poverty. The ni-vanuatu of the outer islands have never seen money.

And yet, they have no concept of homeless people, no-one ever goes hungry and they always smile and say hello to complete strangers. They are truly the friendliest race of people I have ever met and when you live in paradise, you can't help but be happy.



Vanuatu - Visit if you can.