Geoff Mackley

Expedition Leader

Auckland, NZ

I got my first taste of volcanic action in 1995 with the eruption of Mt Ruapehu in New Zealand. I came away from that feeling somewhat like this was visual heroin, the biggest rush you can get that’s legal, I was hooked immediately and went straight on from there to start travelling to and climbing erupting volcanoes all over the world.

But there is one place that tops all in terms of volcanic splendour: Ambrym Island in Vanuatu, and in particular, the lava lakes of Marum and Benbow, both lava lakes are at the bottom of pits up to 400 metres deep.

For 15 years, ever since peering down at Marum’s incredible lava lake for the first time, I came back to Ambrym volcano again and again with just one goal, to get as close to the lava as possible. With Bradley Ambrose I was finally able to fulfill that dream in 2012.