Don't bother with Christmas Island Now sailing into Australian ports: An asylum seeker boat has arrived in Geraldton, further south than any asylum seeker boat has travelled in recent years... Geraldton Guardian editor Alex McKinnon told Radio 6PR that there were 72 Sri Lankan people on board. The boat arrivals now are unprecedented. Another boat was met this morning with more than 60 on board. Yesterday was even crazier: HMAS Melville, operating under the coordination of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority's Rescue Coordination Centre, has rendered assistance to a suspected irregular entry vessel that sought assistance east of Christmas Island last night. Initial indications suggest there are 127 people on board. HMAS Childers, operating under the coordination of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority's Rescue Coordination Centre, has separately rendered assistance to a suspected irregular entry vessel that sought assistance north of Ashmore Islands yesterday. Initial indications suggest there are 72 people on board. HMAS Melville, operating under the control of Border Protection Command, intercepted a suspected irregular entry vessel north-west of Christmas Island overnight. Initial indications suggest there are 81 passengers and two crew on board. What did Julia Gillard once say of this kind of thing? From the ABC: Broadcast: 02/07/2003 Asylum boat captured off WA coast Australia's coastal defences are under the spotlight in the wake of a boat with 56 asylum seekers coming within view of the West Australian coast... JONATHAN HARLEY: Reports say the boat was 3km from Port Hedland when it was spotted by the port authority last night... JULIA GILLARD, SHADOW IMMIGRATION MINISTER: What the boat off Port Hedland has shown is a major failure of coastal surveillance. At least the people on this latest boat have a sponsor: Thanks to readers Alan, Dion, Rita and Stephen.