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Tanna Adventures gives you insight into Tanna Culture

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A tropical travel experience of untouched scenic beauty & cultural insight.
Traditional dancers with Tanna Adventures Painted girl in Kastom Colours with Tanna adventures
GREAT 'TANNA ISLAND' TOURS . INSPIRING 'TANNA' WALKS.

Tour 1 - The Classic Mount Yasur Trip.

Tour 2 - Port Resolution / Shark Bay Trip.

Tour 3 - Mt Yasur Volcano - "THE BIG DAY OUT"

Tour 4 - Blue Cave Trip.

Tour 5 - BlackManTown / Giant Banyan Trip.

Walk 1 - Second (Lenuingao) Waterfall & Beach Walk

Walk 2 - 'Kastom' Trails Walk to Esso's.

Walk 3 - 'Kastom' Trails Walk to Black Magic.

Walk 4 - First (Lenuanatuaiu) Waterfall Walk.

 

Home Page >> Tanna-Adventures - Great Island Tours & Inspiring Walks >> Travel Tour 2 - Tanna Adventures- Port Resolution and Shark Bay Trip.

 

 

Tanna Adventures-Coffee logo .... Captain Cook's 2nd Voyage.

Picture of Capatian cook via wikipedia

Overview of Captain Cook's 2nd Voyage. Captain Cook departed Britain in 1772 on his second ( of three great voyages), in search of the Southern continent, with Cook in command of the 'Resolution' and Captain Furneaux the 'Adventure'. Rounding the bottom of South Africa, crossing the antarctic circle in 1773, and arriving in New Zealand, Captain Cook spent considerable time exploring the Pacific (Furneaux having returned home after NZ). Arriving midyear 1774 in Vanuatu, Cook named the islands the New Hebrides, and explored them for several months. Captain Cook returned to Britian a year later.

Captain cooks ship HMS Resolution care of Wikipedia

 

Captain Cook's Experience on Tanna Is. On july 30, 1774 Cook sights Tanna and heads dowm the coast of Erromango, where he was fired upon by arrows causing his departure. Coming into Tanna he sighted Mt Yasur and finding Port resolution anchors there on 5th-20th August 1774 to reprovision and supply the 'Resolution'.

While being initially threatened Captain Cook makes friends with Paowang and visited his house over the ensuing days. while being resupplied. Mount Yasur erupts on 7th August , and being interested in the landscape Cook traverses by foot to the other side of the island on the 16th.

Cooks map of Tanna Island showing Port Resolution

From the 'Captain Cook Society' : -

"They sailed south to another large island "being guided by a great fire we saw upon it." On 5th Cook realised it "was a Volcano which threw up vast quantities of fire and smoak and made a rumbling noise which was heard at a good distance." It was the island of Tanna and the volcano was Mount Yasur. Cook "sent two Arm'd Boats under the command of Lieutt Cooper and the Master to examine and Sound" a potential anchorage which was deemed suitable. The "Launch was hoisted out, laid out warps and warped father in". The ship was moored by four anchors. "Placing our Artillery in such a manner as to command the whole harbour, we embarked the Marines and a party of Seamen in three boats and rowed in for the Shore... two divisions of the Natives were drawn up on each side the landing place... not one was without arms: In short every thing conspired to make us believe they intended to attack us... I thought it was best to frighten them away... and accordingly order[ed] a Musquet to be fired over the heads of the party... this was the Signal for the Ship to fire a few four pound Shott over them which presently dispersed them and then we landed".

In regard to The harbour itself Cook writes :-

"... I named the Harbour, Port Resolution after the Ship as she was the first who ever entered it."




image of Captain Cook landing in Port Resolution, Tanna Island
 
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Travel Tour 2 - Port Resolution / Shark Bay Trip.

[Updated May 2019]

Port Resolution - Mt Mareum View from the Port Resolution Yacht Club

Port Resolution - One of the most idyllic places to visit. You just have to stop and take it all in ........

Travel Tour Overview from Middlebush:

• Leaving by about 8.30am, travel via 4WD over unsealed roads through the central Tanna highlands, various stops are made to view spectacular outlooks of both Yasur Volcano and the the east Tanna coastline. Passing the Ash plains the opportunity is taken atvarious vantage points along the Ash Plain itself to view Mount Yasuer and its surrounding panorama.

• Travellers continue along an extremely rugged road to the Main bay of the inner Port Resolution Harbour. Here, you will be met by the local village elder and will be provided a guide to view the volcanic fumaroles along the northern arm of the Port resolution Harbour ( village fee included). You will be shown various natural springs along the inner beach and after a short trek will be taken to the more rugged outer coast on this arm. If rough seas have not swept away the main ladder down to the waters edge you will climb down to experience and view the unpredicatable seafront fumaroles which can spout very vigourously.

• On your return, you will be taken through the main village located at Port Resolution, and along to the fantastic oceanside white beach for lunch. Here you will enjoy a seaside lunch of either :-

    • A packed picnic ordered from Esso for the trip, and enjoyed on the grass beside the beach.
    • Enjoy a great lunch at the local beach restaurant, which serves chicken or beef dishes, but if you order ahead and it is the season, enjoy a great crayfish lunch at very reasonable rates. Ask Esso to book if you wish to each at the restaurant as a minmimum of one days notice must be given.

• After lunch enjoy an hour on the beach, relax or take in a swim. Or just take time to walk down its extensive length.

• Back in the 4WD carry on down tracks until you come to Shark Bay, where you view a boisterous and wild bay from an elevated vantage point, best no later than early to mid afternoon to ensure that the water is not shielded from the sun. View Sharks, which come in large numbers into the bay especially during the cooler months of the year, for the warmth caused by underwater hot water spouts located in the bay. While you may need to watch for a while, visitors are rarely disappointed.

• Walk along an outcropping to view Captain Cook Rock which is situated in an adjacent bay.

• Return for a fairly long return trip back to Tanna Adventures accommodation.

Added Overview Travelling from Whitegrass Coast :

• If the tour is taken from any of the accommodation along the whitegrass coast, then approximately 1 hour can be added to the tour time (half an hour each way).

Port Resolution / Shark Bay - Travel Timeframe:

• Approximate timeframe is 6.5 -8.0 hours from leaving Esso's accommodation until return. This depends on road conditions, weather and the activity of Mt Yasur itself.

• Approximate travel time by 4WD from Esso's Nima to Port Resolution is 2.0-2.5 hours ( each way).

• Approximate time at Port Resolution thermal Area is 1.0 hour.

• Lunch will take between 0.5 -0.75 hour depending on wether you opt for the picnic or Restaurant lunch.

• Time spent at the oceanside beach is approx 1.0 hour.

 Tanna Adventures - Tam Tams located on the beaches of the inner harbour of Port Resolution
Tanna Adventures- beautiful white sand beach on the outer arm at Port Resolution
Tanna Adventures Accommodation - waves on wild black sand beach
Beach Hut along the ocean beach at Port resolution

Tanna adventures-Coffee logo Port Resolution / Shark Bay Tour.


The Port Resolution and Shark Bay Tour is now an integral part of the Mt Yasur Big Day Out Tour and is no longer offered as a separate tour. Because of its proximity to Mt Yasur it is logical to combine it in one fantastic day.

Check Out "Yasur Big-Day Out"


view of Captain Cook Rock just outside Port Resolution and near Shark Bay