Rabaul - General Info
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Description:
Rabaul lies on the northern tip of New Britain at the foot of Mount Tavurvur volcano. The latest volcanic eruption occurred on 29 August 2014. It’s the largest town on the island of New Britain.
The harbour that made the area so attractive as a port when it was first settled by German colonists, was actually formed when the sea partially flooded the caldera after a cataclysmic eruption about 1,400 years ago.
Sadly, the town of Rabaul has been paying for the mistake ever since. In 1937, an explosive eruption from Mount Tavurvur obliterated much of the town, killing 500 people in the process. In 1994 Mount Tavurvur and another nearby volcano Mount Vulcan, burst to life simultaneously. A quick evacuation plan meant that just five people lost their lives, but so much ash piled up on buildings that about two-thirds of the town was destroyed.
Once called “The Pearl of the Pacific” the volcanic eruptions in 1994 and 2014 have turned it into something more like Pompeii. Very little of the original town remains and there is plenty of thick volcanic ash, however, the locals are said to be extremely friendly and the yacht club very welcoming.
Security: Local advice remains that anchorage at Rabaul cannot be recommended unless using the yacht club moorings. Night time anchoring in Kokopo off the resorts should also be treated with caution as boardings and thefts continue to be reported from here. The Duke of York Islands, close to Kokopo, have several good anchorages, with local villagers keen to ensure the safety of their island group for traveling yachts.
Position:
04° 15.15’S, 152° 10.57’E (bay entrance)
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Related to following destinations: New Britain Island, Papua New Guinea, Rabaul
Port Navigation
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Customs in Kokopo have changed location
The customs in Kokopo have changed their location. They are now a bit off the Rabaul-Kokopo-Road. As soon as you found the WestPac-Building, you will also see a Brian Bell hardware store on the other side.
Enter the road to the right of it (while facing it) and walk about 50 meters. On your left, you will find a small plaza with the customs offices as well as a Catholic book store.
Happy sailing,
Fritze (S.Y. Alytes)
Posted on behalf of SV Segue:
The Internet in Rabaul is AWESOME! Digicel just upgraded their towers to 4G and — with either a smartphone (iOS or Android) and subscribing to a data plan, you’ll enjoy FAST 4g service!
Sims are available in most of the supermarkets for k$5.00 and data is — as usual in this part of the world — a little “spendy”, but very high quality. Skype works perfectly!
Whoever sells you the sim can help you with selecting a data package that works for you –and help you configure your device to access the ‘net.