November 19, 2003

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Yasur spewing Courtesy of P. Media

The next day broke clear and sunny, and after a breakfast of diced bananas, sweet bread and plenty of water, we prepared for our day's outing. First we were biking out to Port Resolution, the home of the late, friendly dugong, then at dusk we were going to head up to Yasur volcano.

The ride to both Port Resolution and Yasur was a lot easier than the previous day's ride as the road followed the coast and therefore saved us from any major climbs. We left the Friendly Bungalows, and to get to Port Resolution had to skirt the base of Yasur. The sight from here is incredible - you feel like you have landed on another planet; probably Mars! One minute you're biking through dense, lush bush and the next there is not a tree to be seen as a desert-like landscape appears.

The contrast between Yasur and Port Resolution was barely credible. As Port Resolution lies upwind from Yasur Volcano, the beaches are still golden, untouched by the eruptions that have discoloured the beaches downwind of Yasur to a dull grey. Up until recently, Port Resolution had been home to a 'friendly' dugong that would allow people to swim and pat him. A month before we arrived, the dugong passed away, and with it the throngs of tourists who used to visit the remote spot.

We lunched down at the now remote beach and talked about the impact this death had had on the locals. My husband had visited Port Resolution many years previously (not by mountain bike I might add) and had experienced first hand the local dugong. By slapping on the water the dugong would come and bunt you over in the shallows. Its huge frame and curiosity made it a really unique attraction. The locals had kept its skeleton and were going to put it on show. Unfortunately, this does not have the same pulling power as a live dugong. But there is a Vanuatu legend that says when one thing dies another will take its place. We'll have to wait and see.

We still had a few hours to kill before we were to meet our local guide to take us up Yasur volcano, so we acted like tourists and swam and sunbathed at the local beach. Unfortunately, you now have to pay a tariff for access to Whitesands, one of the more picturesque spots on the island. However, this is the locals' only form of income and you do have to get used to passing over a few hundred Vatu every time you want to see anything.

We left Port Resolution and biked back to the base of Yasur where we met John, our guide for the evening. After paying our customary fee to get onto the road that leads up the mountain, we threw our bikes and ourselves on the back of a 4WD pick up and settled down for a ride up the easy way. We had debated whether or not to bike up ourselves, but as hard to believe as it may be, the road up was worse than anything previously experienced. Just driving on the roads in Tanna provides an intense adrenaline rush, and going up the Yasur road was no exception. We held on for dear life, hoping the 4WD didn't tip over while wondering whether is would have been safer to push our bikes up the hill after all! The road not only looks impassable but there are fissures belching gas and fumes. John reminded us not to step into any big holes. We didn't need to be reminded twice!

However, we arrived in one piece, unloaded our gear and the plan was to push our bikes up to the rim of the volcano, watch the "fireworks" display of molten lava and ash and then take the quick route back down the far side of the volcano! Sound like fun? Whilst having breakfast that morning, we had been reading the sign in the 'restaurant' that talked about visiting the volcano. Statements such as "go at your own risk" and "tourists beware" did little to improve our confidence. The advice given about what to do if large boulders of volcanic lava spewed your way made us wonder what on earth we were doing. The advice read something like, "If a large explosion occurs and rocks begin to fly your direction, do not turn and run. Hold your ground, watch where they are flying and attempt to avoid where they land."

The other small factor niggling away at my nervous system was the fact that the year before a Japanese tourist had been killed by a flying rock the size of a bus! Yes, we were a bit nervous as we pushed the bikes up to the rim. The rim feels like it is only a foot across, with one side falling into the crater below and the other falling steeply over 1000 feet to the bottom. Looking back at the photos, I can now see that the rim was a lot wider, but at the time I would have sworn differently.

So, butterflies and all we precariously followed the rim round to the far side to get a close look at the flying lava! Unfortunately, there was a rather steady breeze blowing in our direction, and the combination of sulphur fumes and blowing ash made for a rather uncomfortable experience, so we set off down the side of the volcano back to the Friendly Bungalows.

The ride back was pretty awesome as the adrenaline was still pumping fiercely. It was now pitch black with only the headlights from our bikes to light the road. We arrived back to the Friendly Bungalows covered from head to toe (and all those little places in-between) with a fine black dusting of ash. No hot water meant a dip in the ocean was the only way to get clean.

We had a week on Tanna and barley touched he surface of what was to be seen. If you are looking for five-star accommodation, fluffy towels and air conditioning then Tanna is not for you. However, if you are looking for a unique place, unspoilt and pretty much as it has been for the last thousand years then Tanna needs to be on your list of must do's.