What are the Major Islands of Oceania?
The economy of the Oceania region is not uniformly developed. Oceania has 25 dependencies and 14 countries, and most of the islands depend on Australia, New Zealand, and the Hawaii for food, health aid, and other needs. Sea transportation is widely used and every island and country has at least one major port that serves its transportation needs for goods and resources. Tourism is an important revenue generating industry that is also dependent on the major sea port islands.
The Australian Ports
<strong>Port Hedland Port</strong> in Western Australia is the largest tonnage individual port in the country. It mainly deals in iron ore transportation from Western Australia to other parts of the world, including Oceania. The port was given its current name in 1863, and it was not before 1896 that it started to function properly. Today, this port is at Maritime Security Level 1 and it has an outward vessel length of twenty nautical miles. Thirteen synchronized beacons maintained by the safety authority mark the port to channel limits 10 nautical miles offshore. In 2004-05, Hedland Port became the first port in Australia that recorded a trade of 110.6 million tons in a single year. The port has installed advanced cyclone tracking, forecasting and monitoring equipment for the safety of infrastructure and ships.
Port of Brisbane is the largest cargo port in Queensland and it is one of the most important container ports in the country. Operational activities of the Brisbane Multimodal Terminal are governed by the controlling authorities of the port. This port acts as an interface between sea, rail, and road transport. Brisbane Port is at Maritime Security Level 1. The safety policies of the port are certified by IS09001:2000 and ISO4001, making it a safe place to work and do business. The Environmental Management System of the port keeps a check on activities that can harm the environment and ecological balance of the surroundings.
Port of Melbourne is at Maritime Security Level 1 and it is largest container and cargo port of the country. It constitutes 37% of the overall container trade of Australia. 100 nautical miles of shipping channels, 34 commercial berths, and more than forty shipping lines and fairways between the Yarra RIver and Port Phillip are the major features of Port of Melbourne. Cruise shipping is another added advantage of doing business at the Melbourne Port because it serves as home for numerous cruise ship carriers.
Ports of New Zealand
The Port of Greymouth is also known as the “Port of First Arrival” as it serves as the western gateway to the southern island of New Zealand. It served as a coal shipping port for quite some time during the late 19th Century. After that it became a popular fishing and timber export hub, but after the discovery of natural gas in the region, businesses changed drastically and Greymouth became one of the fastest developing ports of the country. Border control services, pilotage, cargo handling, and a separate fishing port are the main features of Greymouth Port. The History House Museum located nearby showcases collections of the Grey District.
The Kaipara Harbor spreads over 366 square miles of area, making it one of the largest harbors in the world. A channel to the Tasman Sea marks the entrance of the harbor, and high tides and nasty waves make it a difficult port. Sandbanks often result in shipwrecks and a certain region surrounding the port has been named the Graveyard.
Other Major Ports in Oceania
Port of Suva is located in Suva City on Fiji Island. It serves as the commercial center of the country. Suva serves the needs of the industries of the region, city and the country. Various shipyards and container yards have been built around the port to keep the business going at a steady speed. It has five berth locations and a terminal storage of 10,000 TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units, aka shipping containers).
The Port of Saipan is located in the Northern Mariana Islands. The main features of this port are an underground sewage disposal system, maximum permissible anchorage of 6.1 meters, linear berthing space of 2600 meters, 22 acres of container yard, and frequent sunset cruises to attract tourists.
Port of Apia serves as the gateway to the Samoa Islands. Samoa Ports Authority takes care of the port and its operations. The port handles approximately 97% of the cargo arriving in the country. Major features of the port are 185 meter long berth and floating fleet development.
Port of Madang is located in Papua New Guinea and it acts as a connecting point between Australia and Asia. It has a barge ramp of 70 meters and permissible loading of up to 2.44 tonnes per square meter.
Port of Dili is the main port and commercial center of East Timor Island. It connects the island to other islands of Oceania and serves as an interface between the air and sea transportation mediums of the island.
References
Port of Brisbane, https://www.portbris.com.au/
Port of Melbourne, https://www.portofmelbourne.com/
Port of Greymouth, https://www.greymouthport.co.nz/
Madang, https://www.pngports.com.pg/PDF_files/Madang.pdf
Images
Port Hedland, www.phpa.com.au
Greymouth Port, https://www.greymouthport.co.nz/images/cargo2.jpg