Navy ship arrives in city
AFTER 18 days at sea and almost 24 months of riding out the pandemic in NSW, the crew of the HMAS Supply II is itching to get their feet on to Far North Queensland soil when the ship docks in Cairns on Saturday morning.
Anchored off Fitzroy Island overnight, the 174m-long Australian Navy combat support ship will sail into Cairns at 9am for leave and to resupply, providing the sailors with what will be for many their first trip outside NSW since the
Covid-19 pandemic began.
They were understandably excited, Captain Ben Hissink said.
The ship sailed out of Sydney 18 days ago and made its way up to the Coral Sea to conduct first-of-class-flight trials for the two helicopters on board.
“The trials are there to basically work out what our phase operations are to be able to launch and recover those helicopters at sea,” Captain Hissink said.
“We’ve been doing that basically for 16 days straight, together with boat training and fire exercises … all those exercises that keep us safe at sea.”
The helicopters are an MH 60 Romeo anti-submarine aircraft and an MRH 90 surveillance and transport and troop carrier aircraft.
“So now we’re coming into Cairns for basically a port visit for recreation but also to restore food and some spare parts,” Captain Hissink said.
“We have three days in Cairns … and we will depart Tuesday at 11am.”
Captain Hissink said the port visit would be extra special for the 40-odd people on board who had only joined the Navy in the last one or two years and never done one before, as well as the 12 Cairns locals who were looking forward to seeing their families.
The sights and sounds of Far North Queensland are on the agenda, with crew members planning trips up to the Daintree, out to the reef, or up the Skyrail, among other activities, Captain Hissink said.
Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch said the arrival of the HMAS Supply II was a fantastic example of Cairns’ maritime capacity.
“The thing I’ve been working on with the marine precinct is maintenance and sustainment,” he said. “We are going to be the maintenance and sustainment centre for Northern Australia.”
Mr Entsch said the ship and its crew would be a boon to the local economy.
“They’re going to fill up, and all of their provisions have to come from us here in Cairns,” he said.
“That’s another element of the precinct that’s going to grow like you wouldn’t believe.
“I’d encourage all of our residents to open their arms and hearts and welcome these sailors.”