Justin Noonan

Growing up, I was fascinated by severe weather, earthquakes, fires, floods and volcanoes. A number of volcanoes attracted my interest; one of those was the Yasur volcano on Tanna Island, Vanuatu. I did a school project on this volcano back in primary school, and it was always my goal to "chase it". After many years of chasing storms in the USA, my volcano chases had been on the back burner since Kilauea in 2008 and Mt Agung in Bali in 2000. 
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I decided to have a sneaky weekend trip away in September 2018 to visit this magnificent place! It didn't disappoint. Currently, in level 2 eruptions, lava bombs reach as high as the crater, and there are constant eruptions from multiple vents. When the more significant eruptions occur, shock waves can be seen rippling through the volcanic gases. The smells, the sounds, the feeling as the mountain moves under your feet while you stare into the earth's centre. At this exact moment, you realise how small and insignificant we are. I stayed with Thomas Noel at Yasur View Lodge; you can see and hear the eruptions from the dinner table.
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Onwards and upwards to the next volcano. Check out my Yasur volcano video above on Channel 7, Brisbane.