Exploring TANNA ISLAND, VANUATU
September 15th, 2024
We sailed from Fiji to Vanuatu and entered Vanuatu at Port Resolution, Tanna Island. Port Resolution provides a somewhat sheltered anchorage and is the closest anchorage to Mt Yasur. Port Resolution was named by Captain Cook after his ship, Resolution, had moored there for 10 days. It's a beautiful anchorage, open to the SE swell, but leaves you feeling you have stepped back in time. You can often see Mt Yasur's plumes of smoke, particularly when sailing into Port Resolution and steam escaping through the forest on the hills surrounding the anchorage.
Smoke in the background from Mt Yasur as we approached Port Resolution, Tanna Island
We understand that in the past, sailors were required to sail to Lenakel, a town on the western side of Tanna Island to clear into the country. It was considered unfavourable, because to sail back to Port Resolution was upwind, against the SE trade winds. However, this is no longer required, and for an additional 'displacement fee', customs, immigration, and biosecurity will drive across the island to meet you and check you in. It's a two hour drive over what used to be a very bumpy and uncomfortable dirt road, but now most of it is sealed roading.
Standing on the shore of Port Resolution among the local fishermen boats
In order to check into Port Resolution, you are required to send a formal request to customs nominating to clear into Port Resolution, which requires particular information, and should be sent at least a week in advance. If customs approves your request, they'll send you a formal certificate granting you permission to clear into an unauthorised port. We received our approval within 24 hours. During our passage, we kept customs up-to-date with our arrival time via email (using Iridum Go) and we arrived at 1645 hrs into Port Resolution. This was too late for customs to clear us in but they had informed us that they would arrive by lunch time the next day to clear us in. We met them ashore at Port Resolution Yacht Club and we paid 8,000 vatu to both customs and immigration and 5,000 vatu to biosecurity.
The tables were customs, immigration, and biosecurity met us to clear us into Vanuatu at the Port Resolution Yacht Club
Local fisherman are out daily, fishing from their home-made dugout canoes, catching mackerel to sell to the other people in the village. We had a local fisherman ask to trade with us during our time there. He wanted no money but rather goods and food (and a clipper haircut) which he traded us for fresh fruit and vegetables. It was a real experience and privilege to be able to trade with him.
A local fisherman fishing from his home-made dugout canoe
Port Resolution Yacht Club is overseen by two local men in Port Resolution village. There is a sign on the yacht club with their names and we were told to walk down the road to the village (about a 5 minute walk) and they'd find us. Which they did. You can organise trips to Lenakel and any tourist attractions you want to do with them. A trip to Lenakel cost us 5,000 vatu each. Initially the road was a dirt road and was very bumpy and uncomfortable (we sat in the back of a ute and were advised to bring cushions for the trip!) but soon turned into sealed roads which were in good condition. It took approximately 2 hours to get to Lenakel from Port Resolution. The drive along the coast is absolutely stunning. Most of the coastline is volcanic rock with very little beach but it has a real raw beauty about it.
Enjoying a bumpy ride in the back of the ute on our way to Lenakel
Lenakel was not what we were expecting. To be honest, we were not sure what to expect but we thought it may be similar to Savusavu in Fiji. It wasn't like this and is a good example not to have expectations. It was a very small town, with only local shops. There were no supermarkets but we could withdraw money and buy a local cellphone sim card. The shops we would liken to small dairies in New Zealand and line the sides of the different streets. Often they don't have the lighting on inside but they do hold the basics in terms of food so you will be able to reprovision with some things. It's always humbling to see how other people live and we loved the fact that the shops were small and kept local, which is what we were told they preferred to.
An example of the type of shops in Lenakel, Vanuatu
One of the main reasons we sailed to Tanna Island from Fiji is because we wanted to see Mt Yasur. We organised our trip with the Port Resolution Yacht Club. We were advised to meet at the yacht club the next day at 1500 hrs because it was best to the volcano at night. The cost to visit the volcano was 11,500 vatu each of which 3,500 vatu is the entrance fee to Mt Yasur. We were told that the entrance fee is shared among the local community. Leaving Port Resolution, we had a very full ute (approximately 15 of us wanted to see Mt Yasur) and it was a very bumpy and uncomfortable ride which was on dirt road. Once at the visitor information center, we were separated into two vehicles so that we could make it up very steep dirt roads. The trip itself to Mt Yasur was an experience on its own.
Vicki grinning through a very bumpy and uncomfortable ride up to Mt Yasur
Once at the 'carpark' for Mt Yasur, it is a very steep walk up to the crater. Known as the world's most accessible active volcano, Mt Yasur is approximately 365 m above sea level and has an approximately 400 m wide crater. It is the most accessible active volcano in the world and is said to have been active long before Captain Cook observed its ash eruptions in 1774. After leaving the island Eromango, Captain Cook continued to sail south to Tanna Island and said that he saw a great fire upon Tanna Island which he was being guided by, later realising it was an active volcano. Standing at the crater of Mt Yasur was an incredible, but very unnerving experience. Every few minutes, Mt Yasur would make a rumbling noise (like waves crashing on the shore during a storm) and this would be followed by rocks and lava being thrown up what felt like in very slow motion. Cook described the rumbling and said that he could hear it afar. We never felt the ground shake or heard the rumbling of Mt Yasur while we were anchored in Port Resolution but we have heard from others who have experienced this. When we visited, Mt Yasur was currently in Level 2 and we were told it last erupted in 2009. Interestingly, it was very windy by the crater (fortunately blowing Mt Yasur's plume of smoke away from us) and the wind was very cold. So, it pays to dress warmly and bring a good pair of walking shoes if visiting Mt Yasur.
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Staring into the crater of Mt Yasur as it throws up hot lava and smoke. Best seen in the evening
Information about Captain Cook's journey and Mt Yasur taken from:
https://www.captaincooksociety.com/cooks-voyages/second-pacific-voyage/july-september-1774
https://www.vmgd.gov.vu/vmgd/index.php/geohazards/volcano/our-active-volcanos/tanna/yasur