Ulagi Wharf Finally
p. 23 · Read in the full issue
Gives Up The Ghost
|UR Honiara (BSIP) corres r pondent reports that the war time wharf at Tulagi collapsed 'April 9—apparently a Bank Line pra ship, the Eskbank, leaned too avily upon it. The wharf had en partially repaired but has en unsound for some time.
Construction of a temporary hter wharf has been completed Point Cruz, Honiara. This, it is ped, will enable cargo from over as ships to be lightered at hilar a.
The bulk of the cargo brought to BSIP comes in the Burns Philp )tor-vessels Malaita and Mulidma. lese vessels have made a practice dropping mail and freezer cargo ; Honiara then going off to Tulagi about two hours away—and un iding the rest of their cargo onto e war-time wharf. From there it s been laboriously lightered back ain to Honiara. This lightering sts about £2 per ton—the cost of ;ight from Sydney to Tulagi al ady having cost about £l2 per n.
The decision to unload general rgo at Tulagi was evidently that the shipowners because from miara’s point of view, this is full disadvantages in higher landed st of goods and delay—several jeks usually elapse between dis arge of the cargo from Malaita id its arrival by lighter in miara.
Point Cruz, of course, affords no otection for overseas ships which
List anchor in the open roadstead. »r most of the time, the sea there outs is calm but occasionally it subjected to a blow that makes irking onto lighters impossible, ithout the safe harbour of Tulagi, esumably Honiara will have to do thout its cargo if overseas ships rive there during periods of >rm; or be prepared to pay a ;her freight rate as an insurance the shipping companies against ig delays during bad weather. *
The Maui Pomare brought no citrus fruit to Auckland on her first trip of the season following lay-up, and the Waikawa brought only 8.000 cases. Due to dry weather early in the year the crop has been slow in developing.
r Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Pearson—he is secretary of the Associated Goldmining Companies at Vata koula, Fiji—returned recently to the Colony with their three child ren after two months leave in Australia.