The Scoop Deck

G’day, GW

July 2nd, 2009 | Aviation Carriers The deckplates | Posted by Phil Ewing

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The carrier George Washington, seen here pulling out of Guam in 2008, is paying a visit to Freemantle, Australia, to the delight of local merchants// MC2 Clifford Davis/Navy

The carrier George Washington, seen here pulling out of Guam in 2008, is on port a visit to Freemantle, Australia, with its strike group, to the delight of local merchants// MC2 Clifford Davis/Navy

The aircraft carrier George Washington is paying a visit to Freemantle, Australia, and the local press are cracking us up with their accounts of the big ship and its strike group.

GW, which “has more services than a Wheatbelt town,” according to one news site, is anchored offshore with its “high-tech watchdog,” the cruiser Cowpens:

The USS Cowpens is a guided-missile cruiser, whose main goal is to smite any aggressor brave enough to take on the George Washington strike group. The ship has a crew of 339 sailors and 66 officers.
Tour options laid out for the sailors, flyboys and flygirls include a trip to Caversham Wildlife Park and Nambung National Park, a tour of Swan Valley wineries, mountain biking on the Munda Biddi Trail, and scuba-diving at Rottnest Island.

Great stuff. And the Aussies are enjoying it too, or at least local business are, according to a report in The West Australian, which says the GW strike group sailors could spend $1 million or more on their visit. Oodalolly!

So’ve you been on liberty in Australia? Were you able to stir Vegemite into your Foster’s oil can with a boomerang while enjoying some shrimp on the barbie? Tell us about it — or an even better liberty port — in the comments.

Permalink | July 2nd, 2009

Comments

  1. VFA27 CMC Says:
    July 3rd, 2009 at 8:47 am

    Forget the vegemite; we are having skewered kangaroo meat on the barbie. The Strike Group is having a relaxing Independence Holiday ashore or in other words a G’Day. Interesting observation–there is no Foster’s in sight but plenty of other libations to choose from :)

  2. The Scoop Deck » Filipino rep: U.S. Navy keep out Says:
    August 19th, 2009 at 5:19 pm

    [...] everybody loves visits from the carrier George Washington as much as the Australians. When the ship pulled into Manila Bay last week, a representative in the Philippine Congress called [...]

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