We climb the Matupit Volcano

Ken asks us if we would like to climb the volcano we flew over before landing in Rabaul. We agree and on Saturday, the three of us drive to the foot of the Matupit volcano. We have to drive on very narrow roads until we come to what looks like a bush track virtually overgrown. We have difficulties driving the car and have to get out of the car frequently to remove branches so we can pass.

Matupit vulcano in Rabaul

When it becomes impossible to drive any further, we abandon the hire car and walk the rest of the track until we’re at the foot of the mountain. There is no foliage on the mountain and we start to climb up. It is fairly steep and littered with brimstone from old eruptions of the volcano.

It takes at least an hour before we reach the top and are able to look down into the crater. There is smoke coming up through the far end of the crater about 30 metres away from where we are. Ken suggests we climb down into the crater but I’m not so sure. What if the volcano erupts while we’re in the crater. Ken assures us the volcano is quite save.

Ken on the rim of Mutupit vulcano

We climb down into the crater. There are lots of rocks everywhere, and as we look around the crater, a Qantas Fokker Friendship comes overhead, so low, you could almost touch it. We actually see the passengers looking at us through the windows as the plane banks overhead to get into position to land in Rabaul. I’ve never been so close to an airplane in flight without actually being in it. It’s strange. But I remember having looked into the crater a previous time when I landed at Rabaul.

What a great place to welcome people to Rabaul. So we gather enough rocks to write welcoming messages on the floor of the crater in big letters about 3 meters tall. No one will miss those messages. Afterwards we settle down for a few smokes and a break.

We settle down for a break and a few smokes.

We walk over to the smoking hole in the crater floor but the sulfur smell is overpowering and the heat coming out of the hole drives us back. We’ve seen enough and it’s getting late, we still have to descend the mountain and find the hire car. As we are near the foot of the mountain, we see native lakatoi boats being paddled on the lagoon, a very pretty sight.