Rabaul, Papua New Guinea
Imagine living in a tropical paradise with lush resorts, golf courses galore, a yacht club and even an international airport. This is the way the islanders of New Britain in the township of Papua lived until September 19, 1994. Then two volcanoes erupted simultaneously and destroyed the town and surroundings. People were evacuated by boat and trucks but returned several months later to burned homes and ash six or eight or ten or more feet deep. Everything and I mean everything had been destroyed but this had been their home and they began to rebuild on top of the ash. Fifteen years later they still live in, on and above black shifting ash. In wind the ashes blow like a sandstorm and the roads (none paved) shift and disappear based on use and weather. They literally have men with shovels every half mile or so for stuck vehicles or eroding ash and we heard the cry “spade, spade” several times on our tour as the workers rushed to dig us out or fill in the road. Here’s the hard part – one of the volcanoes (Turvurvur) is still erupting today spreading ash and smoke throughout the area. We got close to Turvurvur and saw the billowing smoke and ash but we could also hear a nasty rumble and growl coming from the volcano. Of course this was a bit alarming and scary. Nothing grows here but still the people stay. It’s their land and what they were used to but as Sandy pointed out no one under 15 has ever seen a blade of grass in their village. These are very poor people. The children laughed and smiled and the adults seemed worn down and the men’s choir was wonderful to hear but the long term consequences can’t be good. The government and ours, Great Britain, Australia and others have sent aid and there has been talk or relocation for the residents but still nothing has happened. The capital and government center was in Rabaul but since the eruption was moved to Kokopo about 12 miles away.
Over the years the island was the headquarters of the Germans in World War I then part of the British Commonwealth as part of Australia and then captured by the Japanese in World War II and finally liberated and became its own nation.
This port will stay with me a long, long time.