Bishop aware of missing Australian reports

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop is trying to verify reports a South Australian woman is missing in cyclone-ravaged Vanuatu.

Ms Bishop said she was aware of the unconfirmed reports and the government was desperately trying to work out whether they were true.

"The challenge for us is that communications have been down," she told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday, adding a better assessment was likely with more Australian personnel now on the ground.