In May of this year Australians opposed to US militarism will be crossing their continent from Sydney and Melbourne and converging on the US Navy North West Cape Naval Communication Station, in Western Australia.

North West Cape (NWC) is a gigantic $80 million very-low frequency transmitter which is responsible for sending radio messages to submerged missile submarines throughout the Indian Ocean and South Pacific Ocean. If NWC can be put out of action, this part of the world will be effectively denied to US submarines, since they would have no way of receiving their firing orders.

New Zealanders should be just as concerned as Australians about the existence of this base. CAFMANZ. the Committee Against Foreign Military Activities in New Zealand, is arranging for a group of New Zealanders to participate in the "Long March" on North West Cape.

Buses have been chartered for transport, and these will be accompanied by private transport, including landrovers and motorbikes in case detours have to be made round police road blocks. All transport arrangements for New Zealanders will be handled by CAFMANZ.

Demonstrators will travel in two groups, known as the Long March and the Quick March. Both groups will travel the same route but the Quick March will get there and back in less time by travelling much longer distances each day.

Participants in the Long March will be booked on flights from New Zealand to Sydney on May 2 or 3. Buses will depart Sydney on Saturday. May 4 and will cover the 3000 miles to NWC by May 19, with a two day stop-over in Perth. Participants in the Quick March will be flown to Sydney on May 8 or 9, and their probably much larger group will leave Sydney on May 11 and catch up with the Long March group at Perth. After an overnight demonstration at NWC both groups will return to Sydney by May 26. New Zealanders can book in advance to return to New Zealand on any date they wish after May 26.

The trip will require a good deal of give and take from participants, as the conditions may be fairly spartan and we will have to live in a cooperative rather than individualistic way.