Farewelled the "Kopex" town

After an overnight trip to Duke of York Islands, we are back at Kokopo.
This was the last day at East New Britain and we strolled around the town.

When I first visited here in 1995, there was few permanent buildings. No Kokopo Beach Bungalow, No Rapopo plantation; ANZ bank was operating from barrack-type house.
Now it is one of the fastest growing towns of South Pacific - it has many new permanent buildings, big shops, warehouses, as well as historical buildings - one of the oldest Catholic Churches in Papua New Guinea, Modern History Museum .....
Kokopo Market was very busy with people selling and buying the food, cloth, basket etc...
Unlike other big towns in Papua New Guinea, people mind their own business and very safe.
We wish Port Moresby is safe like East New Britain ....
After several days of re-discovering Rabaul & Kokopo, we reluctantly left the "Kopex" town.


Vunapope = "place of the Pope" is one of the oldest catholic missions in Papua New Guinea .
The cathedral has been refurbished recently.

Queen Emma portrait at the Kokopo Museum.

Japanese Fighter "Zero" at Kokopo Museum.

Rabaul - Volcano Town

Rabaul was once called "the most beautiful towns in the South Pacific", until 1994 when the twin volcanic eruption ruined the entire town.


Since then, Government & Business Houses moved to Kokopo and no new building has been built in Rabaul. Most of the existing buddings have been collapsed because of the ash and subsequent effect of acid.

Rabaul township was first developed by the Germans. German Flag was raised at Matupit Island on 3rd Nov 1884, but the capital was in Kokopo. After they found that Kokopo does not have deep port to cater for a big ship, they have developed a new town with the big harbor - Simpsons harbor and named the town "Simpsonshafen".

Simpsonshafen was renamed as Rabaul after Germans have defeated the World War 1, but the town kept developing as main export town of Copra.

The Town was ruined by 1937 eruption which killed more than 500 people at nearby Matupit island and again by the World War 2.

But people who loved the "Frangipani" town came back and rebuilt the Rabaul.

With the mighty power of the mother nature, we are not sure if Rabaul will come back again to its beauty or not. However, with people still love the town and work hard to rebuild the town, I am sure there will be a hope.