West Coast service by L.A.S.H.

Press, 9 June 1980, Page 25

West Coast service by L.A.S.H.

Farrell Lines, which serves ports throughout the world, also maintains a unique service Between the West Coast of North America and Australia and New Zealand.

Using the L.A.S.H. (Lighter Aboard Ship) barge carriers Austral Rainbow, Austral Lightning, and Austral Moon, all in the 26.400-ton range, the line provides a direct service from Tacoma, Vancouver, Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles to Papeete, Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle and Brisbane and then on to Auckland on a monthly basis.

The L.A.S.H. vessels are no strangers to Lyttelton

because they are employed regularly to bring United States Antarctic Support Forces’ heavy equipment to the port for transfer to Harewood or for loading aboard United States Navy support vessels sailing direct to Antarctica.

Such visits to Lyttelton were made in February and again i April by the Austral Lightning and the Austral Moon.

It has been regular practice for the barges to load again with heavy equipment after each season on the ice, With the heavy machinery going back to the United States for upgrading and repairs until the next summer season in Antarctica.