The next stage of work began in February 1952, in the wake of the December decision to proceed with the test. A detachment of No. 5 Airfield Construction Squadron was flown to Onslow from RAAF Bankstown in two RAAF Dakota aircraft, and were then taken to the islands by the "Bathurst"-class corvette . "Karangai" fetched of Marston Mat from Darwin that was used for road works and hardstands. The SS "Dorrigo" brought in another three weeks later. A water supply was also developed. To bring water from the Fortescue River, a quantity of Victaulic-coupling pipe was brought from the Department of Works in Sydney and the Woomera Rocket Range in South Australia. Because the pipe was laid around obstacles, this proved to be insufficient. No more pipe was in storage, so a firm in Melbourne was asked to make some. An order was placed on a Friday evening, and the pipe was shipped the following Thursday morning, making its way to the Fortescue River by road and rail. The system delivered up to per hour to a jetty on the Fortescue estuary, from which it was taken to the islands by the 120ft Motor Lighter "MWL 251".