Rabaul

Rabaul sits inside a flooded caldera on New Britain and was the finest harbour in the South Pacific until 1994, when Tavurvur and Vulcan erupted together and buried the town in ash. Much of it was never rebuilt, and roofs still show above grey drifts. Tavurvur continues to steam and can be climbed from the black beach at its foot. The Japanese occupied Rabaul through the Second World War and dug hundreds of kilometres of tunnels into the hills, some holding barges to this day. Kokopo took over as the provincial capital. Most visitors now stay in Kokopo and drive across for the day.