A Year in Lae: Being tourists in Rabaul 3rd May 2026

We haven't had much opportunity to be tourists in our 9 months in PNG. But today in Rabaul we had that chance. We did a tour with a local company, Rabaul Scenic Tours, of the war history and vulcanology of this corner of New Britain.

We started at the Bitapaka War Cemetery near Kokopo. It is close to where Australian soldiers were killed in WW1 when they were capturing a German wireless station. Streets in Kokopo are named after these 6 soldiers.

Many Australian servicemen were killed or died of various diseases in East New Britain in WWII. Many Burmese and Indians also died here. They were prisoners of war brought here by the Japanese and made to work in inhumane conditions. The Indians who died are buried in the Rabaul war cemetery at Bitapaka near Kokopo. There are long lists of Australian men who died but their remains were not recovered. And many graves of Australian men buried as "Known to God". Like the war cemetery in Lae it is beautifully and respectfully kept by locals for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Lists of the missing

Memorial to the first six killed in WWI - there's a Moffat, maybe Steve's relative?

Hundreds of these

The Burmese are remembered because of the road they built for the Japanese. It is renowned locally for its many twists and turns, dips and rises and well made it was, no doubt due to Japanese engineering. The Burmese are also remembered here for the children they left behind – they ‘integrated’ well into the local community.

We went to the Kokopo War Museum. Prior to the volcanic eruption of 1994, when it was fairly clear what could happen and its ramifications, most of the "stuff" from the war museum in Rabaul was moved to this new location in Kokopo. Most of the relics were Japanese - Zero planes, tanks, motor bikes and artillery pieces. The road roller was an interesting piece of equipment. The motor bikes are based on Harley Davidson designs – there was a Harley Davidson factory in Tokyo before the war.

Aeroplane engine

Japanese tank

Road making equipment - maybe used on Burma Road

Japanese artillery

Rabaul town had warning that a volcanic eruption was imminent and was prepared to evacuate so no lives were lost other than from asthmatic attacks due to dust and ash in the air. The town itself was almost completely destroyed by the shower of ash and the earthquakes. Now what had been a thriving CBD is covered in lush vegetation. The roads have washed clean back to the original bitumen and drive ways, steps and some foundations are still visible, but almost every building succumbed to the deluge of ash. Surviving were the Rabaul Hotel, parts of the New Guinea Club and the port called Simpson Harbour.

Steps of the cinema. Containers are a later addition.

This is what the old town looks like now.

The volcano called Mt Tarvurvur looks like it could erupt again at any minute – it has a very 'raw' look. The hot springs near the base are boiling but no smell of sulphur dioxide which is unusual. Locals were boiling eggs in the water.

Proof we were there

Boiling water shouldn't be wasted!

We went to see what was left of the New Guinea Club – a colonial era place where expats would have relaxed, played snooker and drank beer. The main club room is all that remains. It had been the home of the War Museum befor the move to Kokopo and some relics still remain. It is also the site of Yamamoto bunker where Japanese war commander Admiral Yamamoto did some of the planning for his New Guinea campaign. There is a map of the sea and islands around ENB drawn on the ceiling but the windows where he would have been looking out are now covered to protect it from weather and vandals.

The bunker ceiling

The bunker is under here

The New Guinea Club

Rabaul, and the rest of PNG for that matter has a strong interest in vulcanology. We’ve never before lived in such an earthquake prone place! PNG’s vulcanological observatory in on a hill overlooking Simpson Harbour. The views from the top of the hill were spectacular. Unfortunately the observatory is closed for renovations so we couldn’t see it.

The view down to Simpson Harbour and Mt Tavurvur beyond

Our final destination on the tour was the Karavia Barge Tunnel. The Japanese had built, with slave labour, a rail track from the beach to a cave that they further tunnelled to extract minerals, possibly limestone. The tunnel goes several hundred metres into the mountain and contains the remains of five barges parked nose to tail on the track. The barges could be filled with rocks in the tunnel then pushed down the track directly into the sea where they could be towed to wherever the rock was needed. Quite ingenious.

Barges remain in the tunnel

Five in here, parked nose to tail

The tour finished with lunch at the Gazelle International Hotel. It was a wonderful experience - we learned so much! We had a great day and highly recommend Rabaul Scenic Tours. Our guide was knowledgeable and interesting and greatly added to our understanding of the history of Rabaul.

I’m adding a few pictures taken from our hotel, the Rapopo Plantation Resort - also highly recommended – and Kokopo provincial market.