Parramatta’s short stopover in Salalah

14 April 2010

HMAS Parramatta has conducted her first port visit since commencing operations when the Oman port of Salalah welcomed the Ship for a three night stopover.

The visit came at the end of a busy first week in the area of operations that included a handover at sea in the Gulf of Oman with the outgoing OP SLIPPER ship HMAS Stuart. The day following the handover saw Parramatta conduct a RAS with USNS Supply in company with the American aircraft carrier the USS Eisenhower. The spectacular sight of the carrier was a great highlight for the crew on their first day of operations with CTF 150.

The Salalah visit was the first time to Oman for many onboard and the different sights and sounds on offer were eagerly anticipated. Tours were made available to Parramatta and many of the crew took advantage of the opportunity. Destinations on offer included locations such as the Castle of Wali, the Lost city of Ubar and the ancient Fort Sumharam which dates back to 400BC.

The crew were welcomed at the nearby Oasis Club which sported refreshing beverages, good food and a comfortable atmosphere for everyone to relax and catch up with the world. Many took advantage of the local souqs for some shopping and all in all the crew made the most of the few days respite.