Getting to Oecussi, East Timor's land and sea-locked province, by barge may not be the fastest method, but it sure is the most relaxing. And who better to take you there than the crew of Army Landing Craft Medium-8 (LCM No. 1062), from Townsville's 70/71 Water Transport Troop. Army PR Officer Major Greg Smith reports on the eight-hour journey.

Bleary-eyed at 5.45 on a steamy Dili morning. That's the only way the select few passengers arrive at the wharf. In this instance, there were three of us to accompany the crew of five.

Maybe it was a sense of adventure that drew us to the waterfront. Actually, we couldn't get a flight.

So from out of the balmy blackness, two blinking lights signalled the arrival of the Townsville-based LCM-8.

Padre Jim Crosgrove, Corporal Nikky Williams and myself were part of the manifest this day, travelling to Oecussi, some 120km from Dili.

We quickly three our gear and bodies on board, blundering about in the darkness, trying to find a space to settle as the crew scurried around the deck, doing what ever it is a crew does. A bit hard to see at this time of day.

Deck chairs quickly appeared from the hull, so we settled in, waiting for sunrise so we could see what was happening.

The coxswain, Corporal Jamie Mitchell, from Yass, was at the helm, guiding the craft out of Dili Harbour. While not known for its comfort, or speed, the flat-bottomed barge is reliable. This particular craft (well, the hull at least) has been in service since the 1960s and had travelled 299,211 nautical miles.

Cpl Mitchell runs a tight barge, and has all the facts and figures available, kept meticulously since it was first launched almost 40 years ago.

"They're a real workhorse and tremendously stable,' said Cpl Mitchell, who normally serves on a LARC with 42 Troop. "Just the fact that this one has travelled so far is an indication of their reliability." This particular vessel has steamed, well chugged, 3705 hours and has used 110,163 litres of diesel, gobbled by two beefy Detroit diesel engines that hum mercilessly. We were privileged to be passengers 3082, 3083 and 3084. Passenger numbers have increased since the two craft started working in East Timor. In April this craft had carried 1126 passengers . . . none of them fare-paying. Conditions for the five crew are a cross between Spartan and homely. They're Spartan because they sleep either on the deck on rubber mats under canvas mid-ship, or in hammocks either side of the bridge to the rear of the vessel.

Yes, there is a toilet, and with a nice view astern, if you're so inclined while standing.

Watching the vessel's wake while taking a rest break certainly gives new meaning to passing water.

"Conditions really are good now," said Cpl Mitchell.

"Before the vessels were modified, we just had a bucket inside a milk crate for a toilet and there was no shower." At a speed of between seven and 11 knots, depending on weather and cargo, the LCM-8 is hardly a hydrofoil. The journey to Oecussi is eight hours, so we settle into the deck chairs, watching the East Timor coast glide past. With "housekeeping" done, some of the crew eat breakfast, others take a nap. In fact we never got the chance to talk to Private Adrian Armstrong, who, the crew say, likes to nap whenever he can. The kitchen is located to the rear of the bridge. There's only enough space for two in the eating area, and one, maybe two at the helm. The area is air-conditioned, but who needs that with a wafting sea breeze? Everything is tucked away into neat compartments. And more creature comforts, including, microwave and TV.

Most cooking is done outside on either the gas or coal barbeques. The crew take it in turns to do the honours.

"You just can't cook inside," said Cpl Mitchell. "There's no ventilation and we'd get grease over everything." A cup of tea, a tin of tortellini and fruit salad later, I decide seen enough of the now fading coast (we have to be 12 nautical miles off the coast of Indonesian West Timor), and decide to bunk down. Fortunately, I brought ear plugs. I chose the "deluxe" suite, the home of Private Pete Hardiman, who kindly let me use his double bed-sized area. The throb of the diesels would have been annoying and headache-producing without the ear plugs. Strangely, the sound is soothing, and sleep-inducing, and I drift off for two hours.

The other passengers also get the drift . . . and drift off in their deck chairs.

Slowly I awake to the sound of shouting. Thinking someone had caught a fish (well, there were rods hanging from the rafters) I rush to the stern, where weapons training is underway on the 50-calibre gun. The crew is preparing for a live night shoot off the beach at Batagadue in two days.

A quick tour below deck with Craftsman Adam Dryden, an eight-year veteran on submarines and four in the Army, reveals the LCM-8's heartbeat. Each engine pumps out 350 kilowatts.

"They are built for torque and their ability to push heavy loads," says Cfn Dryden. "Speed doesn't enter into the equation." Constant repairs are a necessity, due to the boat's heavy workload. Today it is resupplying the Jordanian Battalion in Oecussi with its weekly quota of 1700 bottles of water. Earlier it had ferried a truck and load of beans. Later it will deliver a truck down the coast and collect ammunition for the night shoot.

"We are constantly on the move," said Cpl Mitchell. "That's good in some ways, because our four-month rotation will pass more quickly.

"But in other respects, it doesn't give us a lot of time to carry out major repairs, or give the crew much downtime." The crew are multi-skilled and all get the experience of navigation and time at the helm.

Private Natalie Forster, from Bunbury, a seven-year "veteran", has been with the troop for four years. She is one of only three females working in Army water transport.

"It's a great job," she says. "I'm pretty much like everyone else here. We all start out at the bottom and have this job as our goal. You just have to be persistent and apply yourself." Time has suddenly slipped by, and the vessel makes her way to the coast at Oecussi, where the Jordanians are waiting to unload with a Merlo forklift.

For myself and the other two passengers, it's been a comfortable passage, helped by friendly seas and an enthusiastic crew.

Perhaps the only drawback to working on an LCM-8 on operations in East Timor, is the lack of time the crew have to themselves, and away from the boat. For the next three and a half months, the craft is their office and home.

"Sometimes you wish you could get away, but this crew is an excellent one, so our time here will be really rewarding," said Cpl Mitchell.

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