Leaving Anawamet bay just after sunrise I was headed for the island of Tana. Calm at first the wind and waves soon picked up and we had 2 mad half hour periods when the wind went from about 15 to over 25 knots and more  very quickly raising quite a sea. Fortunately later  it eased a little later but the sea state remained rough all day. Rounding point Yewao, the wind was up to 25 knots again but we could head into Port Resolution where although the wind remained strong the seas flattened out and I could anchor in about 6 m. There were about 6 other boats anchored here, the main attraction here being  Mt Yasur, an active volcano.  Port Resolution was  named by that man Captain Cook again, seems like I have been following in his wake for a couple of years now. 

Port Resolution

I visited the village ashore and was given a welcoming gift couple of bunches of bananas and a big pawpaw by Johnson.

Port Resolution village

I arranged a trip to visit the volcano through him. In the afternoon we were driven in a 4wheel drive pickup to the reception centre at the the foot of the mountain.

Presentation of flowers

Volcano dance

 After a ceremonial  presentation and a “volcano” dance by the villagers  we drove up the 4wheel drive track to  a grey ashy plain. A walk up to the crater rim in the late afternoon and we could peer down into what looked like the pit of hell.

To the crater rim

The crater

Further around the rim the bubbling lava was plain to see and every now and then and explosion would send molten fragments high to splash on the crater walls. As darkness fell the sight was even more spectacular. It  was an awe inspiring experience to be so close.

Another day I walked around the bay and up steep forest tracks to Enpitoka jungle farm. Philimon the chief wasn’t there but his wife showed me around the gardens and showed me some of the crops they grew which included: yams, taro, manioc, tobacco, onions, cabbage (but not the stuff we know, this was leaves of a small tree), kava, lemons, bananas and coconuts. She also gave me some slices of pawpaw to eat.

Enpitoka forest farm

On the way back I stopped for a chat with a young man in one of the small settlements in the forest and he explained how the villagers acted collectively.

Much as I enjoyed staying in Port Resolution the anchorage was a little rolly and there were so many more islands to explore so I decided to move onto Eromanga the next island in the chain.