A CREW of six female Indian naval officers arrived in Fremantle yesterday for an official welcome after a history-making journey to circumnavigate the globe in a sailing ship.
Greeted by Tourism Minister Paul Papalia and Women’s Interests Minister Simone McGurk on board the Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Tarin, the port city is the only Australian stop on the journey, which began on September 10 and is expected to take eight months.
The crew have enjoyed some of the best Perth and Fremantle have to offer, including Kings Park and Rottnest Island and according to Mr Papalia the visit will hopefully build tourism to the state from India.
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READ NOW“I sincerely welcome Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi and her crew to WA and commend them on undertaking this historic journey,” he said.
“This journey is being watched by millions of people, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who met the crew before they set off and has tweeted about it to his 35.7 million followers.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to show India, an emerging tourism market, the wonders of our state through the eyes of such a courageous and groundbreaking group of women.
“As a former naval man, I respect the endeavours of the crew of INSV Tarini enormously and wish them well on their journey.”
Ms McGurk also wished the women well on their journey, praising their journey.
“I cannot imagine how much bravery, let alone strength and tenacity, it would take to sail around the globe,” she said.
“These women are heroes.”
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