Bound for Australia

Tanna Part 2: We could have written up the time we spent on Tanna in one long blog, but there were too many different things and photo opportunities to cram in as one. So we set off in the back of our Ute for the hour’s drive upto the volcano – not that it was very far, but there are not really any roads. We noticed that some vehicles were left and some right hand drive – it doesn’t matter our driver told us since apart from a short strip of tarmac in the main town, all there is on the island is single lane rutted dirt tracks. In the middle of nowhere at a track junction, we passed the ‘shop’, and all along the road we passed families walking back to Port Resolution from the football championship – sadly we lost, but since this was already the final, no-one felt too bad. We passed the football field on the way with crowds still gathered round the pitch and the food stalls and other matches still going on. Tanna is one of the most densely populated of the Vanuatu islands, although from the trips we made it seemed pretty sparse. There are 40 odd villages, and yes each one has a soccer team in the Tanna league. About 16:30 we entered the volcano national perk. The Ranger told us that today’s activity level was 2. They close the park at level 5 or above. We drove all the way upto the crater, and then had only a short 5 min walk to stand right on the rim of the crater, staring down at three ‘holes in the earth’ just about 250m away. The volcano obliged with a spectacular show spitting out smoke ash and lava almost constantly. As each new eruption came it started with a loud blast which pushed you back and made your ears pop with its force, before the ash and lava spewed out. If it caught you off balance it would have knocked you down. A large lump of lava hurtled towards Margaret, but thankfully fell well short. This was certainly one of the most spectacular things on our whole trip, and I do not think Health and Safety would let you stand this close to an active volcano in many or any other places. The only instruction we had was from Stanley, who took us to the upwind side, and said that if there was a big eruption do not turn and run – your better chance is to keep facing the lava and just side step if it is going to land on you. As the sun set the lightshow became even more amazing with the lava glowing in the dusk. We all felt a little nervous standing on the edge, and so with joy but relief walked back down to our truck just before the last light faded. Then an hour on the road back to Port Resolution, picking up and dropping off an assortment of villagers walking along the road as we went. They say there is no gain for no pain, and the next morning the wind had changed direction in the night, and Sirius was covered in black volcanic ash, which seemed to have found its way into everything. There was also no point spending hours cleaning up until we knew the wind had changed direction and the ash rain had stopped falling. Sophia renamed the boat Sirius Black.