Sgt John Ronan, 1 Fd Regt, supervises the unloading of the MV Island Express.

THE PMG's logisticians have just completed an intensive two-week period of resupplies following the recent arrival and unloading of the MV Island Express.

The ship, which delivers stores to the PMG on a monthly basis, was quickly unloaded after arriving at the Loloho Wharf and spent a week delivering other stores to several of the PMG's isolated team sites.

OPSO LST Capt Erin Kirk said the Island Express usually took about a week to arrive at Loloho after departing Townsville.

"When it arrives we put everyone to work unloading and sorting the stores so that we can then redistribute them," Capt Kirk said.

"It's definitely all hands on deck for LST when it comes in."

Specialist freight handling personnel join with transport drivers and supply staff, to quickly and safely unload the ship.

The Loloho facility includes a deep-water wharf and a roll-on/roll-off ramp for offloading the myriad of stores that arrive on the ship.

Capt Kirk said the recent ship contained everything from eight Landcruiser Troop Carriers through to packets of breakfast cereal.

High priority items such as fresh fruit and mail are delivered by a weekly RAAF Hercules flight from Townsville.

The Loloho harbour was also home to the MV Petro Discoverer, a bulk fuel transport ship operated by Mobil from Lae, for a day as it transferred more than 124,000 litres of aviation fuel and diesel to the PMG's bulk fuel installation.

The ship pumps the fuel to large bladders through a series of pipes laid by PMG members.

Capt Kirk said once the ships are unloaded, PMG staff ensure it is quickly transported to the team sites around the island.

"Stores and fuel to Buin, Buka, Tonu and Sirakatau are delivered by ship at PMG beach landing sites and then moved by vehicle to the team site.

"We usually deliver Wakunai's stores by road from LST."

By CAPT Jason Logue