By Private Peter Lloyd

I was deployed to Timor on the 4^th of February as a Terminal Operator and Transport Driver. After several weeks I started working in the Transport Section full time. I was then lucky enough to be one of several people chosen to support the Terminal Operators (Termites) who were working off the beach in Suai. It took about 20 minutes by helicopter to get to the airstrip in Suai. When we got there we found that the Fijians were based at the airfield as well as what looked like a Squadron of Kiwis.

Most of the Kiwis, who were part of a Mechanized Infantry Battalion, were based about five kilometres from the beach where we did most of our work. The main task for the Australians in Suai was to provide logistic support to the infantry around Suai. We did this by unloading the ships that landed on the beach. The termites would drive their forklifts onto the landing craft and pick up containers or palletised equipment. They could then load them on to Mack trucks with 8 or 20 tonne trailers attached. Once this was done, we would transport the various supplies to either the Kiwis, Fijians, Nepalese or Pakistanis who were based in numerous positions around the township of Suai. Once we got to our destinations, PTE Vale would be there, waiting in either a 4WD forklift or a Tadano Crane to offload us. It would usually end up taking 16 - 17 hours to complete all of the deliveries for the day.

It was very fatiguing at times but we were always well rewarded the next day with a long sleep in or some R&R on the beach. We did a lot of body surfing or just got to know the locals in our time off. We quickly moved away from swimming in the water when one day the local people pointed out a very large and aggressive looking salt-water crocodile.

The locals in Suai, as most country folk tend to be, are a lot nicer than the people in Dili. At times, our jobs were a little harder than they could have been due to the language barrier. But, as always, we overcame these minor obstacles. I think every nationality would have been having a quiet chuckle at some of the little problems that would occur.

Suai was a beautiful place and I most certainly did not want to go back to the hustle and bustle of Dili. But, like they say, all good things must come to an end, and this story must also.

The people of Timor and especially Suai will always have a fond place in my heart.

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