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Consumers will be pleased to learn that both m.v. Australia and m.v. New York arrived safely in Melbourne - We gather emergency Channel Deepening was not required, and we heard no grumbles from VECCI et al that either m.v. New York or m.v. Australia with its cargo of 4,583 containers of goodies encountered any problems in entering the port fully loaded. 

Chances are you found everything you needed and more because along with other mega sized vessels the brand new OOCL Australia arrived in Melbourne just before Christmas, and according to recent media reports (such as : Dear Santa....please could you send us a massive ship full of Christmas presents all the way from China? The Age November 11th 2006) such vessels were crammed with goodies from Asia for us to buy.

On November 11th The Age reported China Shippng Line's 295 metre 4,200 TEU m.v. New York would dock in Melbourne on 12th November carrying "thousands of digital cameras, surfboards, outdoor furniture and decorations....it should be called SS Chadstone". Since the SS Chadstone arrived there has been no shortage of vessels arriving laden with imported trinkets, as well as the brand new vessel Australia coming on line from the Shanghai shipyards.    

Photo: "SS Chadstone" The Age 11th November 2006 (Robert Pearce)

On December 18th, Chinese Shipping line OOCL was excited about the arrival in Australia of the endearingly named m.v. Australia, which will service the Australia China Express route. Photos below show Australia and proud OOCL employees and Sponsor Dr Alan Thomas, Australian Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, at Australia's naming and launching ceremony on 30th November at Wharf Five, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, in Shanghai.  

Mr. CC Tung, Chairman and CEO of Orient Overseas (International) Ltd., said “OOCL has been linking Australia with the world for over three decades. Some 33 years ago, the OOCL Ambassador, an 800-TEU ship began our services to and from Australia. I am proud to see today that the OOCL Australia, a 4,583 TEU new building continues that long tradition.”

Consumers will be pleased to learn that Australia arrived safely in Melbourne - We gather emergency Channel Deepening was not required for Australia to enter the Port of Melbourne, and we heard no grumbles from VECCI et al that Australia encountered any problems in entering the port fully loaded with its cargo of 4,583 containers of goodies. 

Happy shopping!

Post script:

For those with an interest in recent Maritime history, the last time a vessel carried the name OOCL Australia was in 2002, when OOCL alliance partner ANL planned to bypass its scheduled port of call, ditch its Australian seafarering crew in Taiwan, hire foreign crew and secretly re-flag Australia in the Bahamas. The then Australian Industrial Relations Commission ruled against ANL, finding it had avoided any negotiations with unions or proper proceedings.  Apparently we have "moved on".