Returning to Rabaul in East New Britain is another case of deja vu. I've probably been here six or seven times in 20 years and it's always a little bit different.
This time we came back to a town frantically cleaning up after a visit by Cyclone Maila just the day before. Enormous piles of mud, along with stacks of broken trees and branches littered the streets, and a small fleet of giant Caterpillar heavy machinery was hard at work clearing the debris.
Our itinerary was understandably abbreviated, with the road to the Japanese barge caves and Kokopo blocked by landslides, so we were impressed that they managed to put together a tour at all.
Admiral Yamamoto's bunker was knee-deep in water and the hot springs road was detoured in places where giant puddles the size of small ponds blocked the road. We did manage the drive up to the volcano observatory even if the downward route was more like a slippery slide. Our driver did pretty well in a packed minibus that wanted to play Hot Wheels down to the wharf.
Rabaul has many stories to tell. Originally established as the capital of German New Guinea at the end of the 19th century, it fell to Australian control in 1914 and then to the Japanese in 1942. Back to Australian control in 1945 and then to newly independent Papua New Guinea in 1975. All the while enduring massive eruptions from Mt Tavurvur and its sibling, Vulcan on the opposing shore of Simpson Harbour. In 1994 Mother Nature had the last word with a giant eruption that destroyed the old town and left most of the Eastern shore of the bay buried under thousands of tonnes of heavy ash sludge. That event was the last straw and municipal buildings and the airport were moved to Kokopo and Tokua.
On one of my visits in 2008, Mt Tavurvur was puffing contentedly, drizzling fine, gritty ash over everything and keeping the ship's crew busy sweeping and hosing the abrasive powder off the decks. It was weeks before I cleared my luggage of the stuff.
We loitered at the busy markets before reboarding Minerva at the wharf and making the historic exit out into the Bismarck Sea.
Main pic: Rabaul and Simpson Harbour with SH Minerva docked (Roderick Eime)
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