Tavurvur Volcano

Tavurvur is the most active of the several volcanoes that ring Rabaul's caldera. It sits on the southeast rim of the harbour, still steaming and periodically ejecting ash and rock, a constant reminder of the geological forces that shaped the town. Local guides take visitors across the harbour by boat and then on foot to the crater rim — a surreal walk over black volcanic rock with sulphurous gas venting from fissures and the ruins of Rabaul visible across the water.

The trek to the summit takes about 2-3 hours round trip from the boat landing and is accessible to reasonably fit travellers. The views from the rim over Simpson Harbour and the surrounding caldera are extraordinary. A local guide is essential — conditions change quickly and some parts of the approach route are unstable. The guides are usually available through guesthouses in Rabaul or Kokopo. Early morning departures give the best light and cooler conditions.

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A story
When Tavurvur and the nearby Vulcan volcano erupted simultaneously on 19 September 1994, the eruption buried Rabaul under a metre of volcanic ash within hours. The town's population had been evacuated the previous day after small earthquakes gave warning. Almost no one died in the eruption itself — an extraordinary outcome given the scale of destruction. Tavurvur has erupted several more times since 1994, including a significant eruption in 2014 that briefly closed airspace across northern Papua New Guinea.