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issue 218 FeBruary 2018

Te KAHA TO CANADA

AOTeAROA BADGe

MANAWANui’s FAReWeLL

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cover image: The 100-sailor royal Guard of Honour march on to the Treaty Grounds on Waitangi Day.

PHoTo: LaC Vanessa Parker

conTenTs NaVy TODay ISSue 218 2018

11

DirecTorY

Published to inform, inspire and entertain serving and former members of the rNZN, their families and friends and the wider Navy community.

Navy Today is the official magazine of the royal New Zealand Navy. Published by Defence Public affairs, Wellington. Navy Today is now in its twenty first year of publication.

Views expressed in Navy Today are not necessarily those of the rNZN or the NZDF.

Contributions are welcomed, including stories, photographs and letters. Please submit stories and letters by email in Microsoft Word or the body of an email. articles up to 500 words welcomed, longer if required by the subject. Please consult the editor about long articles. Digital photos submitted by email also welcomed, at least

500kb preferred.

coPY DeaDLines For nT 5Pm as FoLLoWs:

NT 219 March issue 15 February NT 220 april issue 15 March NT 221 May issue 15 april

Subject to change.

eDiTor:

andrew Bonallack Defence Public affairs HQ NZ Defence Force Private Bag, Wellington, New Zealand e: [email protected]

Design & LaYoUT:

Defence Public affairs

PrinT:

as part of a Government multi-agency initiative the NZDF has changed to a single provider for all of its Print Services. This magazine is now printed by Blue Star. Feedback to [email protected] on the quality of this publication is welcomed.

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04 Te KaHa TO CaNaDa

06 aOTearOa’S BaDGe

13 rOTOITI’S NeW COMMaND

14 MaNaWaNuI’S FINaL Day

19 WaITaNGI Day

26 NO. 6 SQuaDrON BreVeT

30 SeePOrT FeSTIVaL

34 BuyING FIrST HOMe

36 CHeFS IN WaSHINGTON

26 28

3yOurS aye

cHieF oF navYrear admiral John Martin

We are on a journey to generate a world class Navy for a large maritime nation and 2018 is an important year in the development of our ability to

compete and prevail, fight and win. We have started 2018 in a bit of a rush with a succession of large activities that have underscored your ability to conduct operations, support public activities and regenerate the crucial naval edge to advance our Nation’s interests from the sea. The Fleet Shakedown in mid-January did exactly what it was supposed to do – turning our thoughts from holidaying back to the sea and the preparations for upcoming operations.

a new cohort of officers and sailors joined the Navy at the beginning of the year and are well into their training. Theirs is a great gift of service that is willingly given to the Nation and which in turn deserves our strong and committed leadership. They will be aware of the great adventure that awaits them at sea and in the Navy and on behalf of us all I welcome to them, their support family, whanau and friends into our Navy Family.

and adventures abound – some normal and some not so. as usual we have set out on one of our more challenging tasks, the work up of Te MaNa in the east australian exercise areas. The generation of her combat capability is the core task for the whole Naval system. We are all involved in one way or another, whether in the planning, preparation, maintenance, training or logistic support. The readying of Te MaNa to conduct operations so that she is able to be called forward should the Government require is a key competency of the rNZN. We wish her all the best.

Not quite so usual – Te KaHa has sailed, via Pearl Harbour, and now will be in Canada to undergo the Frigate System upgrade. If ever there was an expression of the government’s commitment to our Naval combat force, it is in the decision to upgrade these ships to be able to operate until the end of their design life. Te MaNa will undertake her upgrade commencing mid-2019. Once upgraded these ships will form the backbone of the Navy’s combat capability until their replacements a decade plus from now.

Our fleet is changing too. MaNaWaNuI has just been decommissioned. She has been a stalwart when it comes to conducting diving operations and being a home to countless sailors and officers who have served our Navy well. I am looking forward to her early replacement. Meanwhile aOTearOa is beginning to be fabricated in South Korea in preparation for her launch in 12 months.

a number of operations in support of a variety of government agencies are under way and our job is to help them achieve their mission. agency partners such as GNS, Department of Conservation, MFaT, Customs and MPI are all enabled by our people with their ships, boats and aircraft. I am proud that we were ready to deploy to Tonga and thankful that our well-regarded services of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief were not needed this time.

Over the last few weeks we have also supported events at Waitangi, auckland anniversary weekend and the commemoration of the Napier earthquake allowed us to showcase our Navy to the community. The feedback about our guards, Cultural groups, Band and hospitality has come from all quarters including Her excellency the Governor General, politicians, Iwi, local leaders and the public – and has been extremely positive. Thank you and well done!

Its important that we are engaged, seen to be relevant and considered credible by our community. We operate in a society that expects that our individual and collective behaviour will be beyond reproach. In 2018, like last year we will work to create a Navy that reflects our society. We are recruiting a diverse range of people. We will celebrate your successes, whether it be conducting anti-drug operations, patrolling our eeZ, being recognised for individual excellence. We will takes complaints about poor behaviour seriously and actively address bullying and anti-social behaviour. We will treat everyone fairly and increase female participation in senior leadership roles.

Finally, I want to assure you that as the senior leader in the rNZN, I am championing the need to make an enjoyable and respectful place to work. I am not satisfied with our organisational culture and I am looking at all options to improve it, including reinforcing those parts of our institution that have been weakened. I will prosecute those who fail in the basic precepts of self-leadership and who do not abide by our behavioural expectations. We are willing to change and we are not doing enough. In 2018 I will continue to go after aberrant and unacceptable behaviour. Join me to do the same! I will support those who complain, champion change or find themselves outside our system and I will support those who do likewise. Think about how we can be better and support me and our Navy to do more than talk the talk.

yours aye

a J O MarTINChief of Navy

4 Te KaHa TO CaNaDa

On 9 February HMNZS Te KaHa took a major step forward on her Frigate Systems upgrade journey with Lockheed Martin Canada, departing auckland

for esquimalt, Canada.

She is destined for Phase 3 of the upgrade, the installation of the equipment. Phase 1 encompassed the design, while Phase 2 involved the purchasing and building of the equipment, now ready and waiting at the Seaspan shipyard in esquimalt. This includes new radars, electronic detection equipment, self-defence missile system, missile and torpedo decoys and an upgrade to the hull-mounted sonar. Te KaHa will be ready for tasking from May 2020. Te MaNa will follow, with her completion scheduled for May 2021.

The upgrade replaces combat system equipment that is now 20 years old and is difficult to maintain and keep effective against current and emerging threats. The work is similar to frigate upgrades for Canada and the uK, and to australia’s anzac-class frigates.

LTCDr Thompson, who has since handed over the XO position to Lieutenant Commander rob McCaw, says the ship sails with a reduced crew. “We’re not conducting the same level of operations as we would with a south-east asia or Pacific deployment. Our focus is getting to Canada safely.”

Once at esquimalt, the main focus will be to de-store the ship, as much as possible. “We’ll secure a lot of items, but everything that can be removed, will be removed, even in areas that aren’t being upgraded. There’s going to be cabling through areas, a lot of welding. It’s like handing over the keys to your house to someone else, so everything that’s not required to be there, will be gone.”

The de-storing will take about two months, then the ship is formally handed over to Lockheed Martin and the majority of the crew return to New Zealand. Over the year-long upgrade, the crew will be getting training in the new systems. “The training will be immense,” says LTCDr Thompson. “I’ll be involved in it. and this crew will be the first to do it. There won’t be any old, experienced hands looking over them. These will be the first guys to know it all.”

Ironically, Te KaHa, LTCDr Thompson and her current Commanding Officer, Commander Steve Lenik, have all been to Canada together before, when Te KaHa took part in the 100th anniversary of the royal Canadian Navy in 2010.

Internal Communications

Inertial Navigation

Sonar Upgrade

Gun Control Interface

Floating Missile Decoy

Combat Control System

Missile Decoy Launcher

Torpedo Detection and Decoy System

Surface Surveillance Radar

Ship to Ship Data Link

Aircraft Identification System

Surveillance Radar

Navigation Radar

Naval Laser Warning System

Air Defence Missile

Infra Red Surveillance

It’s like handing over the keys for your house to the builders, says TE KAHA’s Executive Officer, Lieutenant Commander Tuijo Thompson.


Inertial Navigation

Sonar Upgrade









Surveillance Radar

Navigation Radar


Air Defence Missile


By andrew Bonallack

Te KAHA’s uPGRADe iN CANADA

5Te kaha To canada


Inertial Navigation

Sonar Upgrade









Surveillance Radar

Navigation Radar


Air Defence Missile



Inertial Navigation

Sonar Upgrade









Surveillance Radar

Navigation Radar


Air Defence Missile



Inertial Navigation

Sonar Upgrade









Surveillance Radar

Navigation Radar


Air Defence Missile


Te KAHA’s uPGRADe iN CANADA

6 aOTearOa’S BaDGe6

DesiGN WiNNeR LOST FOR WORDSBy andrew Bonallack

When Chief Petty Officer electronic Technician Steven Knight opened his front door on auckland anniversary, the last thing he expected was the

Chief of Navy and the Warrant Officer of the Navy.

He knew straightaway there was only one reason: he was the winner of the HMNZS aOTearOa badge design competition.

CPOeT Knight was one of 10 finalists announced last year among over 250 entries submitted for the aOTearOa Badge competition, offered by the Chief of Navy to all New Zealanders as a chance to see their badge design mounted on the Navy’s future replenishment tanker and affixed to the uniforms of her crew.

He was completely unsuspecting when his wife, Julia, suggested a catch-up with friends and family on auckland

NZDF HeLPs iN HiGH seAs BusT

Two of our Seaman Combat Specialists played a part in a $300 million heroin bust in the Indian Ocean last month.

Working from surveillance information from a royal New Zealand air Force P-3K2 Orion, royal australian Navy frigate HMaS WarraMuNGa intercepted a fishing boat and discovered 915kg of heroin on board.

Two royal New Zealand Navy sailors, posted on exchange in WarraMuNGa, drove the sea boats to transport the boarding party and the cache of illegal narcotics seized. The fishing boat was believed to be bound for africa.

Squadron Leader adam O’rourke, who is leading the NZDF’s 55-member maritime surveillance detachment in the Middle east, said the seizure demonstrates the value of having a coalition of countries like the Combined Maritime Forces work together to promote maritime security. “One of the rewards of being part of this mission is knowing that the work of the team has a direct impact on illegal activity, by taking away terrorists’ income streams. It’s great to know that our contribution makes a difference.”

The CMF is a 32-nation naval partnership that promotes maritime security and seeks to defeat terrorism and prevent piracy and the trafficking of people and drugs across about 8.2 million square kilometres of international waters.

Above: A RNZAF Orion remains on station over a suspect vessel as a RHIB crew from HMAS WARRAMUNGA approaches.

Credit: Royal Australian Navy.

7aOTearOa’S BaDGe 7

anniversary over a barbecue and pizzas. Defence Public affairs had enlisted her help to set up a surprise visit. It was her job to make sure he did not see the Chief of Navy and his entourage arrive down the drive.

“I just rung up some friends, got our parents, and everyone was keen to come,” she says. DPa texted her with alerts just before they arrived, so she could distract her husband.

For CPOeT Knight, catching up with friends was a good suggestion. “She said her parents were coming, and then my parents rang me, asking if they could stay the night. I thought, this is getting pretty full-on, but okay. It was a beautiful day. Then Julia called me to the back room to do the pizza order, and then the door knocked. I said, there’s

plenty of people around to answer that and she said, just go and answer the door. I opened it and there were seven people, including a cameraman and the rear admiral. He said, ‘Steven, do you know why we’re here?’ as soon as I saw him, I knew straightaway.”

He said he was lost for words. “I was shell-shocked. I didn’t know what to say. I was amazed at the effort they went to. I thought it was just going to be an announcement.”

The formal announcement was made on 5 February.

In his competition entry he described how his design, a fishing hook, represents the origin story of Maui fishing up New Zealand. “It represents both strength and dominance over the ocean as well as replenishment and providing for its people.” The ocean, sky and a long white cloud were part of the design, while the fishing line, made of flax, was tied with a naval bowline.

CPOeT Knight, who is the Project Manager for the Inshore Patrol Vessel regeneration and upkeep, says he entered after his colleagues encouraged him. He was known for “amateur-type” designs in the past, including T-shirts when he was on frigate CaNTerBury and crests to mount above messes. “It never really amounted to much. To be honest, I was just stoked to be in the top 10, because there were some awesome designs in there.

“To me, the prize of the whole thing is having the emblem on the ship, to be seen by future generations of sailors. That’s the best thing in the world. I’ve been in the Navy for 19 years, and I thought some professional would have done this sort of thing. I just wanted to do my best. This is definitely a lot bigger than doing a T-shirt. This is a big deal.”

rear admiral John Martin, Chief of Navy, says he was impressed by the number and quality of the entries. “It was wonderful that so many New Zealanders cared so much about our new ship that they wanted to submit a design,” he says. “I asked for designs that were simple yet striking, reflective of the role of the ship and uniquely New Zealand.”

The rNZN Ships, Names and Badges Committee convened to review the designs. They had no details of the designers so their selection was impartial. The panel reduced the submissions to a top 10, which were given to raDM Martin in December to make the final decision.

“While I had no idea who submitted the designs, Steven’s immediately stood out. The fish hook elegantly blended the Maori legend of aotearoa’s origin with the replenishment role that the ship will be responsible for.

“Dividing the sea and sky, I saw the white band representing both a long white cloud and an ice shelf – very appropriate given the importance of the Southern Ocean and antarctica to New Zealand.”

He said he was “surprised and proud” the winner was one of Navy’s own. “I’m thrilled for him.”

Left: CPOET Steven Knight holds his winning HMNZS AOTEAROA badge design beside the Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral John Martin. With him are his son Jake, 1, wife Julia and daughter Gemma, 3.

Below: CPOET Knight’s winning design for AOTEAROA.

8

By andrew Bonallack

The physical construction of the royal New Zealand Navy’s largest ship, HMNZS aOTearOa, is formally under way.

On 29 January at Hyundai Heavy Industries’ shipyard in South Korea, the first official cutting of a steel panel for aOTearOa was ceremonially carried out, with New Zealand’s design team in attendance for the moment.

The milestone step follows the completion of the preliminary design of aOTearOa at the end of 2017, with the team in South Korea moving into detailed design review, confirming the layout and plans for the compartments inside the ship, and the location and layout of equipment.

The design moves from two-dimensional plans to a virtual three-dimensional production model, which is used to verify the design before construction starts. The traditional moment of celebrating “keel laying” is now a symbolic point, as ships of this nature are constructed in “blocks” that are lifted by crane and assembled in a dock.

In the closing stages of design work for aOTearOa, its likeness as a scale model was recently tested in a tank in laboratories in england, alongside other models representing our fleet. running accurate model ships in tanks of water is a means of avoiding the legacies of badly designed ships facing high sea states.

Peter Fitness, the project team leader for the Maritime Sustainment Capability Project at Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea, says the tank testing has two important aspects.

“We don’t want to build a ship that has a bad reputation on high sea states,” he says. “The tank testing looks at the seakeeping capabilities of the future ship. How much she rolls, pitches and heaves in high sea states affects the availability to undertake missions. It is also important to understand how safe the ship is in extreme seas. In a sea state nine, for example, will accelerations throw someone across the bridge?”

another important aspect for aOTearOa is how her hull form will react with other hull forms, considering her duty as a replenishment at Sea vessel. “When a ship moves through the water, there’s a pressure wave, but if you are not careful, the pressure waves of two ships are unbalanced and pull one ship into another. So the considered alignment of the refuelling station on aOTearOa against other rNZN ships is critical to prevent collision.”

HMNZS CaNTerBury, with its relative size, was chosen for testing alongside aOTearOa’s model, to see how they worked together. The issues are further mitigated by aOTearOa’s unique bow, combining the features of a bulbous bow and “axe” bow to minimise resistance and pressure.

aOTearOa, which will be officially named and launched by Governor General Dame Patsy reddy, is due to launch on 15 March 2019. She will become operational in 2020.

FiRsT sTeeL CuT

aOTearOa uPDaTe

Top of page: A model of AOTEAROA (right) alongside a scale model of HMNZS CANTERBURY in a testing tank in England, mimicking a refuelling at sea manoeuvre.

Above: A computer-generated mock-up of the bridge of AOTEAROA.

9

AOTeAROA COMMAND

Above: CAPT Golding is the first RNZN Captain to become a Commanding Officer of a ship since 1984. According to RNZN Bridge Cards, Captain IA Hunter commanded HMNZS SOUTHLAND from December 1983 to December 1984. When our four frigates made up the 11th Frigate Squadron (in tandem with the Royal Navy frigate squadrons) the commander of that squadron was a Captain and referred to as “F11”.

CaPT Golding, who was spoken to in May last year about the potential command opportunity, says he is excited about the opportunity and the challenges

it presents. “Naval command is an honour. I’m humbled and I look forward to the challenge.”

His last ship command was HMNZS MaNaWaNuI in 2002, which involved two deployments to the South Pacific and south-east asia. CaPT Golding has served in WaIKaTO, MONOWaI, SOuTHLaND, WeLLINGTON and eNDeaVOur, particularly as navigating officer. “It’s a privilege to have two commands,” he says, noting he has gone from one of the Navy’s smallest vessels, to its largest.

“I enjoyed my time as CO of MaNaWaNuI, especially being a clearance diver, however I’m looking forward to the broader challenges a larger ship will have, in particular bringing a new ship into service. I look forward to incorporating some of my learnings and experiences from my current job into this appointment.”

at the end of the year CaPT Golding will join the aOTearOa project team running alongside the construction of the ship in South Korea. “The project team have done a fabulous job in getting to where we are. In preparation for Command I am anticipating that I will undertake some professional courses, and hopefully I’ll get experience on a resupply ship going to antarctica early next year. In mid-2019, the crew starts to form, and we collectively will start undertaking the full range of ship-related courses to understand the differing systems and capabilities. after the ship is delivered in February 2020 it will be introduced into service with graduated release of capability during 2020, with full operational release planned for May 2021.”

Chief of Navy rear admiral John Martin says CaPT Golding’s experience in a broad range of Defence operations makes him ideally suited to build up the type of vessel the Defence Force wants in aOTearOa. “One that supports not only the needs of the fleet, but also the needs of the wider operational framework. CaPT Golding is a person who is able to readily appreciate and anticipate Joint requirements in the field, and I am confident he will develop the ship’s approach, culture and organisation to meet these operational objectives. He is an experienced mariner who has the competencies to lead our newest ship in combined coalition operations, supporting the fleets of both New Zealand, australia and our regional partners.”

Captain Garin Golding, currently the Commander of the Deployable Joint Inter-Agency Task Force Headquarters, will be the Commanding Officer of AOTEAROA.

“I enjoyed my time as CO of MANAWANUI. But I’m looking forward to the broader challenges a larger ship will have.”

CO OF aOTearOa

10

SO WheN iS A FiRe NOT A FiRe?By commander raymond mcLaughlin Director of naval safety and Health

By the time this is article is published the Christmas leave period respite will be or seem to be a distant memory and we will all be well

and truly into this year’s programme of activities. In the first week back from leave the Fleet Operational Safety Officer and I had the opportunity to talk to the Commanding Officers at the Fleet Shakedown Week Command Meeting.

The Command Meeting is the opportunity for MCC to provide his guidance and expectations to his commanders for the coming year.

at the Command Meeting one of the questions that I asked about was the title piece of this article of “when is a fire not a fire”? The answer to this occurred last year on one of our ships where the “fire” was actually a smoulder.

What happened was that a bunch of rags had been used to apply a coating of linseed oil to some woodwork and had been left in a gash bin. If you haven’t heard of linseed oil before, it is an excellent preservative made from flax seed - but it has a curious property. Linseed oil dries through oxidation and the chemical reaction gives off significant heat. in the case of oil-soaked rags left in a bucket, the heat accumulation will increase - making the rags hot enough to smoulder at first, then eventually catch fire.

PROACTiVe sAFeTY ADVOCATesa professional and personal interest in promoting

safety has seen HMNZ Ships Te KaHa and MaTaTaua sharing the Safety award in the 2017

Fleet awards in December.

Lieutenant Commander Tuijo Thompson, executive Officer of Te KaHa and Chief Petty Officer Diver Bevan Wilson, Safety Health and environmental Management System (SHeMS) Co-Ordinator of MaTaTaua, were jointly presented with the award.

The rNZN Safety award is awarded in recognition of superior efforts in promoting and pursuing safety excellence. The Navy Safety award can be awarded to an individual, a unit or workplace across a number of areas including occupational health and safety, operational safety and environmental protection.

at the time of the award, LTCDr Thompson was employed in HMNZS Te KaHa as executive Officer with a secondary role as the Safety Manager. The citation noted that since joining the ship in December 2015, it was apparent that LTCDr Thompson had both a strong professional and personal interest in promoting the health and safety of personnel.

as the SHeMS Manager he proactively enforced a robust safety policy and was a role model for other members of the Ship’s Company in his dedication to ensuring safety culture conducive to achieving the Ship’s directed tasks safely.

LTCDr Thompson revamped two key area of the Ship’s Safety organisation: the first being cultural so all personnel

felt empowered and duty-bound to report safety issues in an environment that rewards contribution to safety. The second was to improve the level of risk surrounding specific activities such as working at height as well as more widespread matters; namely fatigue management on board a unit of the Naval Combat Force.

CPODr Wilson has also demonstrated both a strong professional and personal interest in promoting the safety, health and environmental aspects within the diving trade and MaTaTaua. as the SHeMS Co-ordinator he has been dedicated in ensuring co-ordination and upgrading of existing diving facilities. It has been noted that CPODr Wilson’s passion for creating a safer operating environment comes from a desire to see his shipmates deliver their outputs in a safe, and effective way, and not for personal gain or recognition.

The citation said the pair were the two most proactive SHeMS Officers within the Fleet. Their efforts significantly contributed to their Ship’s Companies developing a new cultural norm of open and transparent health and safety reporting. as a result, Te KaHa and MaTaTaua are safer workplaces with a strong health and safety culture.

Above: RADM John Martin, Chief of Navy, presents CPODR Bevan Wilson (left) and LTCDR Tuijo Thompson with the 2017 Royal New Zealand Navy Safety Award.

SaFeTy aWarD

11

This has resulted in fires occurring on our ships over the years, including a fire from this exact same cause in HMNZS Te KaHa during the PSu Phase II.

although in this latest occurrence the rags were dealt with effectively when the smoulder was noticed, neither the chain of command were informed or a Near Miss report was raised in NShair (our deployable reporting tool) for a considerable period of time.

Ok, so what - you may well ask. after all, the ship in question was “lucky” not to have had a fire, right?

The point is that without informing Command and completing a Near Miss report, we are prevented as an organisation from the opportunity to take positive action and raise or remind our collective awareness of, in this case, a hazardous material that requires specific yet simple handling techniques*.

Being able to take action is a fundamental principle at the heart of whether we have an effective safety culture or not.

So when something happens in your workplace, either at sea, alongside or ashore and regardless of that something being a Near Miss or an injury accident, don’t hesitate - inform Command and raise the NShair report.

The “smoulder” that you don’t see any significance in reporting might just be the reminder to prevent a future “fire” on one of our other ships.

My challenge to you is to prove that you are proud to be part of an effective Navy safety culture.

* Stated on the container and also within NZBr 149 - rNZN Ship Husbandry and Surface Coatings Manual

Fleet Shakedown week is now firmly entrenched into the Navy’s January calendar, after the practice was revived in 2017.

about 700 sailors, seven ships and two helicopters took part in the week-long drills to invigorate the fleet and its sailors after the summer holiday break.

Ships Te KaHa, Te MaNa, CaNTerBury, OTaGO,

WeLLINGTON, HaWea and MaNaWaNuI operated off auckland, Whangaparaoa Peninsula, Great Barrier Island and the Firth of Thames. They engaged in live-weapon firing and general seamanship, communications and aviation exercises. Numerous surface vessels and a commercial jet role-played as “targets” in the drills.

IT’S A BUSY YEAR AHEADWAKe uP,

FLeeT SHaKeDOWN

Top of page: LTCDR Damian Gibbs, CO of HMNZS WELLINGTON, is silhouetted in front of the ship’s windows , with the Command Aim displayed.

12

An Auckland skipper has expressed his gratitude for the Navy’s quick response after he sent out a Mayday distress call near Whangaparaoa Peninsula on 29 January.

Quentin Garton, with his father and a workfriend, were fishing on board his 5m fishing boat when the engine developed a fault. Their anchor

wouldn’t take, and an easterly breeze and one metre swell was steadily taking them towards the rocky Tiritiri Matangi Island.

“If the boat had got to the rocks, we would have had to abandon it,” he said. “It was just going to get smashed to pieces.” He put out an emergency call, and was gratified to hear, “Warship Te MaNa” respond. as it happened, Te MaNa was in the middle of their second week of Work up and were in the vicinity. They told the boaties they were on their way. “It was a very welcome relief. I think we would have been far more frantic if we hadn’t already seen her at a distance, and then we saw her coming towards us – that was a really stirring sight. What kept us calm, was knowing she was there.”

The auckland Coastguard also responded, and arrived alongside with a boat moments before Te MaNa’s rHIB. “Te MaNa was giving us updates, and that constant communication was reassuring. We were getting close to the rocks , and we were getting quite nervous towards the end, but we could see Te MaNa’s boat on the way. The crew’s smiles were welcome sights and we cannot thank them enough.” The Coastguard towed their boat to safety, with the rHIB crew remaining on scene briefly to ensure the tow was successful.

Te MaNa’s executive Officer, Lieutenant Commander Layamon Bakewell, said it was a pleasure to be able to be in a position to provide assistance, and great to hear that the boat made it back to port safely.

HMNZS MaTaTaua, the Navy’s littoral warfare specialists, carried out safety-of-navigation surveys in the Hauraki Gulf to help ensure the ships and landing craft had freedom of manoeuvre.

The drills are vital with a busy year ahead for the Navy, says Commodore Jim Gilmour, Maritime Component Commander.

“Fleet Shakedown Week is a period during which we collectively refresh our core mariner skills and ensure that the fleet can hit the waters ready for operations.”

ahead of the Navy for 2018 are scientific operations exploring submarine volcanoes and supporting the work on the Kermadec Islands and sub-antarctic Islands; a five-month deployment and military exercises in south-east asia; the world’s largest maritime exercise, rim of the Pacific in Hawaii; and fisheries patrols in the south-west Pacific, Fiji, and the Southern Ocean. The NZDF’s maritime fleet spent 1000 days at sea last year, compared to 960 days in 2016.

The year also sees the revival of all four Inshore Patrol Vessels, with HMNZS PuKaKI scheduled to reactivate in May.

Te MANA ResCues BOAT CReW

Top of page: From left, CANTERBURY, TE KAHA, TE MANA, OTAGO, WELLINGTON and MANAWANUI in formation.

Below: A sailor works through a toxic gas exercise.

13

Lieutenant regan Harris, the new Commanding Officer of HMNZS rOTOITI, is keen to get to sea and carry out resource and border protection in

New Zealand waters.

“I like doing that type of work - contributing something of value - and working closely with other agencies such as customs, fisheries and police,” he says.

LT Harris was involved with the regeneration of HMNZS rOTOITI before his official assumption of Command ceremony on 12 December. “I’m looking forward to being part of a new crew and the Navy family and getting out and doing this,” he says. “There will be a lot of new crew starting from scratch and I’ll be one of the more experienced people on board.”

LT Harris grew up in east auckland and attended Macleans College in Bucklands Beach where he was keen on his sport and studies, finishing with a bursary to university.

“My family were always involved in the beach and sea where we lived at Farm Cove, and my father was keen on coastal yacht racing, so I’ve had an attachment to the sea all my life,” he says.

at Massey university in Palmerston North, LT Harris studied military tactics and strategy, logistics and military law, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Defence and Strategic Studies. “I’ve long been interested in security policy and was considering a career with foreign affairs when I left school,” he says.

Instead, he took part in a Navy recruitment experience that inspired him to join the Navy. He did his Junior Officer Common Training in 2011 and his Officer of the Watch (OOW) training at sea on board HMNZ Ships TauPO, rOTOITI, HaWea and CaNTerBury, Te MaNa and OTaGO before gaining his advanced OOW Certificate on Te KaHa in 2014.

He served as executive Officer in HMNZS rOTOITI before a post to the australian Navy in Sydney to complete a Joint Warfare application Course in June 2016, and to HMaS DarWIN for warfare consolidation and training.

Last year he joined Fleet Personnel and Training as the Deputy executive Training Officer overseeing Seaman Combat Specialist and Dive training, before returning to the

Maritime Warfare Training Centre for the Minor War Vessel Command Course in December.

“I enjoy the people I work with in the Navy and the challenging operational environment,” he says. “I also like the challenge of complex evolutions, and the planning and expertise that go into them.”

“The high standards we maintain, and the level of operational readiness required of us, is a challenge and separates us from other mariners,” he says. “We have to be able to operate ships at speed in close quarters with each other and practising that complexity gives us confidence at sea.”

Over the next few months, LT Harris’ focus will be on bringing together a new crew for HMNZS rOTOITI before taking her to sea in March for safety and readiness checks, followed by an official workup for deployment.

One of his first roles, along with executive Officer Lieutenant richard easton and other senior crew, will be helping train a small group of new Officer of the Watch trainees on board. “We provide the platform, instruction and assist with training,” he says.

HMNZS PuKaKI will also be regenerated this year, bringing all four Inshore Patrol Vessels into operational readiness.

ReVAMPeD iPV ReADY FOR DUTY

rOTOITI’S NeW COMMaND

Top of page: LT Harris receives his command directive from Captain Fleet Operational Readiness Captain Dave McEwan on 12 December.

Below: LT Regan Harris opposite HMNZS ROTOITI, holding his symbol of command, a pou whenua with Ngati Kahungunu and Rongowhakaata symbology.

By suzi Phillips

14 MaNaWaNuI’S FINaL DayS

DiVe sHiP’s seRViCe APPReCiATeD AT FiNAL HARBOuR eNTRYThe Navy’s dive ship, HMNZS MaNaWaNuI, entered

Waitemata harbour for her final ceremonial entry before being officially decommissioned this month.

It was an emotional time for all her Ship’s Company, said her commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Muzz Kennett.

HMNZS MaNaWaNuI ended nearly 30 years’ service with a farewell tour of New Zealand ports, including nearly a week of events at her home port of Whitianga, starting 31 January.

Her long association with Whitianga was acknowledged with a rousing haka from local iwi Ngati Hei, a sunset ceremony, a Naval and supporting services parade through town to the war memorial, a reception at the local rSa hosted by the Mayor and a sports challenge with the local fire brigade.

“We got to say goodbye to everyone,” says LTCDr Kennett. “We wanted to pay our last respects to the area, and thank

them for their support. I had a mental image of how the five days would go, and it turned out to be perfect.” around 1200 people visited the ship during its Open Day, to see her for the last time. “It was a great closure to the visit.”

Thames-Coromandel mayor Sandra Goudie says the parade day was brilliant. “It was fantastic to see the crew in action. Seeing these young men and women gives us a real sense of pride, and we feel incredibly privileged to have MaNaWaNuI being part of the Mercury Bay family.” She says the harbour channel was especially dredged to allow MaNaWaNuI to reach and dock at Whitianga wharf, a docking manoeuvre that impressed her. “This is about relationships with communities, which is really important and can make a big difference to the crew. I hope we continue to have a relationship, hopefully with the next ship, but with the Navy as a whole.”

Above: Ship’s Company for the final entry to Auckland.

15MaNaWaNuI’S FINaL DayS

HMNZS MaNaWaNuI made her final ceremonial entry into Waitemata Harbour on 9 February after passing close to HMNZS Te KaHa, on her way to Canada for her Frigate Systems upgrade.

HMNZS MaNaWaNuI sailed past North Head with her 12-metre decommissioning pennant flying and received a six-gun salute from Devonport Naval Base. On arrival at her berth, she was greeted by the Maritime Component Commander, Commodore James Gilmour, crew family members and friends, and past crew members.

The divers from the Clearance Dive Group acknowledged HMNZS MaNaWaNuI’s final arrival with a rousing haka that was returned with a haka from the ship.

“To be honest, the tear-in-the-eye moment was coming into auckland, and the Clearance Dive team performing the haka, with the Ship’s Company responding back,” said LTCDr Kennett. “That was a heart-wrenching moment, the point where it really stuck into me, that this is the last point. It meant a lot to me.”

HMNZS MaNaWaNuI has steamed 34,250 hrs and travelled more than 286,800 nautical miles which equates to seven times around the world.

She was built in the united Kingdom in 1979 as a diving support vessel for North Sea oil rig operations. Originally named STar PerSeuS (a name she reverted to in one of her final roles

during exercise Southern Katipo 17), she was commissioned into the rNZN as HMNZS MaNaWaNuI on 5 april 1988. She is the third ship to bear the name, which means “Big Heart”.

Over the last 30 years she has spent thousands of hours supporting dive training; recovery and salvage operations; survey and littoral warfare operations; and diplomatic operations throughout New Zealand, asia and the Pacific.

Some of these operations included reef blasting in Niue, demolition of unexploded WWII ordnance in the Solomon Islands, salvage work for the recovery of sunken boats and aircraft , peace talks in Bougainville 1997/98 and Solomon Islands 2001/02, and remotely underwater Operated Vehicle operations on the wreck of the PrINCeSS aSHIKa, Tonga 2009.

at this stage, no decision has been made on what will become of HMNZS MaNaWaNuI, following her decommissioning on 23 February, but a decision is likely by the end of this month.

Clockwise: No. 6 Squadron deliver the Maritime Component Commander to MANAWANUI’s farewell tour in Whitianga.

Thames-Coromandel mayor Sandra Goudie greets MANAWANUI sailors.

LTCDR Muzz Kennett, CO of HMNZS MANAWANUI, greets Whitianga Sea Scout Annabelle, 6.

16 MaNaWaNuI’S FINaL DayS

By suzi Phillips

Two persons with a special connection to HMNZS MaNaWaNuI enjoyed a memorable 24 hours on board in the Hauraki Gulf, before her final entry into

Waitemata Harbour.

NZ Cadet Forces Lieutenant David Gibson, 32, was the first child to be christened using the ship’s bell when HMNZS MaNaWaNuI arrived at Devonport Naval Base in 1988.

David is now the unit Commander of the Sea Cadet unit TS DIOMeDe, based in Whangarei.

His father is former Chief Petty Officer Diver Ben Gilbert, whose Commanding Officer and the Navy Chaplain were

Above The MANAWANUI sailors power on the pull during the tug-of-war challenge.

Credit: Sharon Wright.

The annual Fire Brigade Challenge between the Ship’s Company of HMNZS MaNaWaNuI and the Whitianga

Fire Brigade came down to the speed of a hoisted jandal.

The five-round challenge, consisting of a tug of war (Fire), fire hose target challenge (Navy), swim and crane climb (Navy), beach bucket ball (Fire) and flag challenge (Navy) had been tied two-all by the time the flag challenge came along. Going best to 10, the flag spelling challenge was locked 9-all and it came down to who managed to hoist a piece of footwear faster in response to the clue. according to the Mercury Bay Informer, the Navy won the challenge – and the overall competition – by about a foot.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer roly Chaney said they beat the Navy on the beaches but the Navy triumphed on their ship. He also maintains they got distracted by a fire callout in the final challenge. “We’ve only ever won the Manawanui Challenge Shield once before,” he says. “They presented us with the Shield to keep for them – as long as their name is on it - since there’s going to be no more ship.”

both very supportive of his request. The family, now from Whangarei, were living on the North Shore at the time.

“It’s an honour to be on board for her final entry – a very special experience,” says LT Gibson. “I joined the Sea Cadets and never left, so I’ve always enjoyed that connection with the Navy and my Dad’s ship.”

His name is among those inscribed on the ship’s bell of HMNZS MaNaWaNuI, along with a more recent christening – that of alyssa Meyer, 10, from Papamoa in the Bay of Plenty.

“It’s cool to be on here and to see my name on the bell because my Dad spent a lot of time here as a diver,” she says. “We slept on board last night and Dad showed me where he used to sleep when he was with the crew. We also jumped off and had a swim yesterday.”

Her Dad, Graeme Meyer, had a couple of stints on the ship as a Leading Diver and later as Chief Petty Officer Diver. “It was great to experience this with my children,” he says, having brought alyssa’s little brother aboard for the trip into Devonport.

In the past ship’s bells were used for signalling, time keeping time keeping, sounding alarms and sounding alarms, and signalling ship’s routines and readiness.

Their functional and ceremonial uses have made them a symbol of considerable significance and they are still used in ceremonies, such as for christenings of babies born to sailors of the Ship’s Company.

The upside-down bell of HMNZS BeLLONa stands in St Christopher’s Chapel in Devonport Naval Base, ready for christenings and blessings.

naiL-BiTing cHaLLenge

sHiP’s BeLL iLLUsTraTes sPeciaL connecTion

Left: Alyssa Meyer, LT Dave Gibson NZCF and LTCDR Muzz Kennett with MANAWANUI’s bell.

16

17

By suzi Phillips

antarctica was a very beautiful, very extreme environment once we got to the ice, says the Commanding Officer of HMNZS OTaGO, Lieutenant

Commander Lorna Gray.

OTaGO returned from her Southern Ocean Operation CaSTLe deployment in December, having found and boarded six fishing vessels to check they were complying with the requirements of the Commission for the Conservation of antarctic Marine Living resources (CCaMLr) during the annual toothfish season. New Zealand is a CCaMLr member and the Navy’s annual Operation CaSTLe mission supports the government’s obligation.

“We did encounter some rough sea conditions on our passage south and had to avoid two weather systems on our passage back to auckland, so the weather was not ideal, but once at the ice, the view was incredible,” she says.

“The icebergs were beautiful - they come in so many different shapes due to that environment and that creates some interesting sculptures in the ice,” says LTCDr Gray.

“When we got to about 62.5 degrees south, we started to encounter our first icebergs drifting north. The ice melt was earlier than normal so there were a lot more large and small icebergs and “growlers” (averaging about the size of a car above sea level), to avoid.”

The crew had to be particularly aware of the conditions and were careful to put on their extreme cold weather gear for protection.

“It wasn’t always as cold as we expected,” she says. “Sometimes it was only two degrees, while at other times it was down to minus 15 and minus 30 with wind chill. We were not able to enter the ross Sea due to the levels of ice that we encountered.”

She says the larger ice floe meant the command team had to reconsider what routes they took to find fishing vessels. Time was spent on looking at satellite pictures to determine the best route (not necessarily the most direct route) to reach the fishing vessels.

“The pressure of a multi-billion dollar industry with a finite season pushes the fishing vessels close to the ice,” says

LTCDr Gray. “each vessel needs to get as much of their quota as they can before the season closes, and that means they are more likely to take risks.”

The six vessel boardings, with representatives from the Ministry for Primary Industries, went well.

“We found the crews were co-operative and were keen to safeguard the industry. They are there to help us when we were on board and show they were adhering to the regulations,” she says.

“We found some minor breaches in the regulations and one other that was being investigated further as it involved potential fishing outside of the allowed window.”

“The six fishing vessels we boarded were russian, Korean and australian vessels and several were quite far into the ice,” she says.

Highlights of the operation included the teamwork generated by operating in that area with everyone coming together to achieve the aims in sometimes difficult conditions.

“It was also a great opportunity to be in the antarctic Ocean in the first place – an area that very few people get to and I feel fortunate to have experienced that,” says LTCDr Gray.

She says the biggest challenge for the Ship’s Company was the fatigue due to the environment – both the cold and the high level of almost 24-hour daylight that disrupted people’s circadian rhythms, especially for people coming off a late watch and trying to sleep.

“Boardings were conducted as opportunity allowed, at any time of day, because light was available during the night as well, and the positioning of the different fishing vessels meant that we did not adhere to a normal daily schedule,” she says.

OPeraTION CaSTLe

Top left: OTAGO’s RHIB and boarding party have a tricky route to navigate to reach a fishing vessel.

Top right: The boarding party carry out a briefing on the bridge.

iCe MeLT eARLieR THAN usuAL iN ANTARCTiC WATeRs

18

suRViViNG THe FROZeN sOuTH

By ensign richard Horne

OTaGO deployed to the sub-antarctic Ocean in late 2017 to provide support to the Commission for the Conservation of antarctic Marine Living

resources (CCaMLr), and assist the NZ government in the management of the Southern Ocean fishery.

Sending a warship down to antarctica only happens once a year, so for the few lucky enough to be part of Operation CaSTLe 2017, the trip was more than worth all the time and effort that had gone into planning it.

“Basically, this is what it’s all led up to,” said Sub Lieutenant eddy Hall. “all the weeks of training, hundreds of hours of preparation, and huge efforts from every member of the Ship’s Company. It’s finally time to prove we have what it takes to conquer antarctica.”

For most people, antarctica and the surrounding ocean might seem like an almost alien and inhospitable place where only the bravest of souls dare venture, but then again most people are unaware of the copious resources within and around antarctica. This isn’t only the minerals and oil that lie on the Southern Ocean’s sea floor, but also something Kiwis take for granted in our environment – fish.

The antarctic Toothfish, also known as the Chilean Sea Bass, was the reason OTaGO ventured down into the sub-zero temperatures of the Southern Ocean in December. This highly-controlled and fiercely-protected fishery resource is an valuable asset for New Zealand, so maintaining its sustainability is important for future generations of Kiwis.

For most of the Ship’s Company, this was the first time they had travelled so far south, and for almost all of them it was the first opportunity to work in such a beautiful but hostile environment.

as impressive as the icebergs were, OTaGO had a very specific aim for their deployment that needed to be achieved before they could return home. utilising the almost 24-hour daylight, the Ship’s Company worked tirelessly to board and inspect the fleet of fishing vessels that had braved the ice for the chance to catch their share of toothfish. With the new routine and new environment came more challenges, but this was exactly what was taught in the pre-deployment training, and so nothing was insurmountable. The concept seemed simple at first; intercept a vessel, board it, find another one. Things got a whole lot more complicated once you added ice floes into the mix, and turned a 30-minute transit to the next vessel into a six-hour journey finding routes around the ice.

Soon enough it was time for OTaGO to head north, which was definitely a bitter-sweet feeling, but the crew were happy to get back to some comforts of home. a Christmas dinner and secret Santa, combined with a quick stop in Stewart Island and Dunedin, helped brighten spirits and get everyone into the festive mood, ready for the approaching festive season back in New Zealand.

“The oceans surrounding Antarctica are unlike any I’ve been in before. It’s a strangely eerie feeling looking out of the bridge in

OTAGO at an iceberg hundreds of times the size of our ship, towering out of the water like some sort of monolith. Its turquoise blue walls eroded and pitted from the gale force winds and huge waves, with chunks of ice the size of trucks crashing down into the deep blue water below. I think the first time we saw one, everyone on board

was simply in awe...” – ENS Richard Horne

OPeraTION CaSTLe

19

a Navy reservist’s quick commandeering of a yacht club motorboat helped save a teenager from drowning at Waitangi.

On the Sunday before Waitangi Day, Chief Petty Officer Master at arms John Burridge, also a senior constable with the Police Maritime unit, was acting as a Police Liaison Officer for the Waitangi commemorations. He received a call that three teenagers, who had been jumping from Waitangi bridge, were being swept out in a rip.

“We had one rHIB tasked to transport the Governor General, but it was around the point, two miles away. I retasked them, then ran down to the foreshore to get an eyeball on the situation. I saw two of the teenagers had made it back to shore, but the third was 200m offshore,

The Navy is always welcome at Waitangi, thanks to long-standing goodwill and the most important charter the Navy has ever received.

On 6 February 1990, at the 150th centennial for the Treaty of Waitangi, the royal New Zealand Navy was given the freedom to march through the lands

of Te Tai Tokerau. The action firmly cemented the Navy’s relationship with iwi at Waitangi, and this February, that partnership was on show, with HMNZS CaNTerBury anchoring off Waitangi from 2 February. HMNZS OTaGO was alongside Opua Wharf for a Ship Open To View day for the public and an on-board cocktail function with Governor-General Dame Patsy reddy.

Her excellency reviewed the 100-sailor royal Guard of Honour during the Beat retreat and Sunset Ceremony on 5 February, followed by the ceremonial lowering of the

White ensign at the end of the day. Prime Minister Jacinda ardern was among guests standing with the Chief of Navy and Deputy Chief of Navy, as the Navy closed the day.

at midday 6 February, CaNTerBury fired a 21-gun salute, marking the 178th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.

The Maori Culture Group, as part of the ceremonial team, provided support for the Chief of Navy during the powhiri and performed during the Beat the retreat ceremonies.

The rNZN Band, essential for the formalities, put on two concerts for the public in Pahia.

Kerikeri School had a treat on 5 February when CaNTerBury’s Seasprite SH-2G(I) helicopter and crew touched down for a meet-and-greet with excited teachers and pupils.

reservisT saves Teenagerand definitely in a deep part.” He spied a nearby inflatable motorboat at the yacht club. “Who’s got the keys for this?” he asked. He and a yacht club member headed out, reaching the girl at about the same time as an off-duty police officer in a kayak.

The girl, 17, was exhausted. “Her head just above water. We got her back safely to shore, and her friends came down to collect her.”

CPOMaa Burridge, based with HMNZS NGaPONa, has been in the police force for 22 years, as well as the Diplomatic Protection Squad, and was regular Navy for seven years prior. This was the first year the Navy provided a Police Liaison Officer for the Waitangi commemorations.

NAVY CeLeBRATes WAiTANGi DAY

WaITaNGI Day

Above: The White Ensign is lowered at the Sunset Ceremony on 5 February.

20

01 02

03

0504

Our PeOPLe

1. AHSO Omarama Sutcliffe and ASCS Luther Paniora-Prescott on piping duties during ENDEAVOUR’s decommissioning. 2. ACH Rianna Palmer prepares lunch for the Ship’s Company aboard HMNZS OTAGO during Operation CASTLE. 3. Four Lieutenant Commanders are promoted during a Naval Leadership Board meeting at HMNZS Olphert. Pictured with the Chief of Navy are, from left, CDR Andrew Dowling, CDR Matthew Lee, CDR Rob Welford and CDR John McQueen. 4. CPOSCS Steve Lane, of the Seamanship Training Aids Facility, beside the newly-arrived Waterside Training Facility. 5. AEWS James Butler in the Middle East on leave from Operation TAKAPU.

21

06

07

09

08

10

Our PeOPLe

6. ADR William Hullena-Lemon helps set up a towing exercise on HMNZS OTAGO. 7. LTCDR Lorna Gray, CO of HMNZS OTAGO, chats during OTAGO’s Cocktail Function during the Waitangi celebrations in the Bay of Islands. 8. Royal New Zealand Navy Band director LTCDR Michael Dowrick gives an impromptu instruction in conducting as the band puts on a concert at Pahia during Waitangi celebrations. 9. AHSO Ryan Slattery and AEWS Bella Adamson from team “Te Kaha” operate the Bridge Simulator during the Annual Seamanship Competition 2017. 10. AMT(P) Robert Jackson with two willing volunteers aboard TE KAHA during the Seeport Festival in Auckland.

22

eNDeAVOuR DeCOM Mi ssiONsHMNZS eNDeaVOur’s 29-year journey

formally ended on 15 December when she was decommissioned at Devonport Naval Base, after

over 800,000 nautical miles sailed. Her final entry to Devonport was 1 December (Navy Today December 2017).

Guests for the decommissioning at Calliope Wharf included former commanding officers and sailors, while the Ship’s Company formed in platoons in front of the vessel.

Commander Martin Doolan, eNDeaVOur’s last Commanding Officer, heard the Decommissioning Order read out by the Chief of Navy, and, upon receiving the order, was piped back onto the ship to order: “Ship’s

Company, HMNZS eNDeaVOur will decommission”.

The White ensign and New Zealand flag (Jack) were lowered and folded, with the Jack presented to the Maritime Component Commander, the White ensign to the yeoman (the senior ship’s communicator) and eNDeaVOur’s Commissioning Pennant to CDr Doolan, who in turn passed his Symbol of Command, a Command Pole, to the Chief of Navy.

The sailors gave three cheers for HMNZS eNDeaVOur and, with an about turn, the ceremony was concluded.

CDr Doolan’s address described eNDeaVOur as “the workhorse of the fleet. For all of us who have served

eNDeaVOur’s Symbol of Command, a command pole, is relatively recent in comparison to the age of the ship.

The command pole was formally handed to Chief of Navy rear admiral John Martin at the decommissioning. It will be kept at Te Taua Moana Marae for safekeeping until another HMNZS eNDeaVOur is commissioned.

In 2015 the then Commanding Officer, Commander Sandra Walker, commissioned the command pole from Taranaki artist and sculptor Darcy Nicholas. CDr Walker, who had taken command of eNDeaVOur in 2012, was in the closing stages of her tenure in eNDeaVOur. at the time, the symbol of command was a Niuean spear, and it was decided to create a new symbol that had a connect to Maori. The tradition of symbols of command, and the ceremonial passing of the symbol during changes of command, had come into rNZN practice following the commissioning of anzac frigates HMNZS Te KaHa and Te MaNa.

CDr Walker organised the creation of the command pole, discussing the symbololgy with Mr Nicholas, who in turn conducted research with his Taranaki iwi, Ngati Te Whiti. The command pole, made of treated pine and painted

white to resemble whalebone, took 18 months to create. In correspondence to Mr Nicholas, CDr Walker described the pole as “beautiful, powerful and amazing”, saying it was the start of the Navy’s journey with Ngati Te Whiti.

CDr Walker says every ship over time has obtained their symbols and she wanted to reflect the connection the ship had with Taranaki. “Working closely with Darcy we set about creating the pole and embellishing it with unique symbols that represent the ship’s fine heritage, and her homeport’s history.”

Former eNDeaVOur Commanding Officer Chris Hoey said the Premier of Niue presented the spear to him as a gift during eNDeaVOur’s visit to Niue in 2002 or 2003. He said it is a replica of a small weapon that was used to challenge Captain James Cook during his historic voyages to the Pacific. eNDeaVOur has a strong connection to Captain Cook, being named after Cook’s barque. Her ship’s badge references Cook, and the ship’s motto, Ni Intentatum (Nothing unattempted) is a shortened version of the saying on Cook’s coat of arms. “We didn’t have a command symbol and I decided to keep it as mine. I handed it over to my relief.”

By andrew Bonallack

sYmBoL oF commanD

eNDeaVOur DeCOMMISSIONS & COMMaND POLe

By andrew Bonallack

23

eNDeAVOuR DeCOM Mi ssiONson eNDeaVOur, we have all played an important, but nevertheless, bit part - a supporting role to the main event, with eNDeaVOur”.

Her first Commanding Officer, Mike Lloyd, said a decommissioning was a good moment for the Navy. “It’s the precursor to a new ship. I’m not sentimental about a piece of steel. every memory I have, it’s about the people. Those memories don’t fade.”

It was the third eNDeaVOur decommissioning for former Navy electrician Bob Pinker, along with former

stoker Mervyn Tyree.

The pair, who are believed to be among the last three crewmen who served aboard both previous eNDeaVOurs, were special guests at HMNZS eNDeaVOur’s decommissioning in December.

Mr Pinker, from Paeroa, had served on eNDeaVOur I in 1957 when the ship transported Sir edmund Hillary and his team for the Commonwealth Trans antarctic expedition. He then served on eNDeaVOur II for four years from 1962. Chief of Navy rear admiral John Martin invited the pair to sign HMNZS eNDeaVOur (III)’s visitors’ book, recognising they had been aboard all three eNDeaVOurs, before presenting them with decommissioning coins.

It was a “brilliant” morning, said Mr Pinker. “They treated us very, very well.” In 1957, as the youngest ship’s member, he had the privilege of ringing eNDeaVOur’s bell 16 times at New year’s eve (ring out the old, ring in the new). In 2008 that bell tolled the beginning of Sir edmund Hillary’s funeral.

Mr Tyree travels New Zealand in a 13-tonne custom-built motorhome called “endeavour”, with licence plate number aOG53 (uSS NaMaKaGON, which later became eNDeaVOur II).

THree FareWeLLs

THree FareWeLLS

Above: Bob Pinker (left) and Mervyn Tyree, of the ENDEAVOUR legacy.

Above: CDR Martin Doolan, ENDEAVOUR’s last Commanding Officer, passes his Symbol of Command to Chief of Navy RADM John Martin.

Top left: Three cheers for HMNZS ENDEAVOUR.

Top right: The Ship’s Company of HMNZS ENDEAVOUR bid farewell.

24

Full mission, full motion, and true-to-life visuals. When it comes to filling out your logbook, spending time in this simulator counts as the real thing.

No. 6 Squadron marked a significant milestone at the end of 2017 with the release of the SH-2G(I) Seasprite Helicopter simulator, following a recent upgrade. The Full Mission Flight Simulator was part of the package when the eight SH-2G(I) helicopters were purchased in 2015.

This is more than merely a front seat simulator. as a full mission system, it ensures that simulator sorties involve the same crew configuration as in the aircraft. This means a Pilot, an Observer and a Loadmaster complete simulations as a full crew and with the standard dynamics and flight roles that they perform in the aircraft. The simulator also incorporates the full weapons and sensor suites of the SH-2G(I).

With all flights treated as real, aircrew brief, prepare, dress and act in every way as they would in a real flight, and take every sortie from engine start-up and departure through to sortie conclusion, landing on at the scheduled flight landing time, or “charlie time”. as a full hydraulic motion simulator, the cockpit and projection dome are mounted on six hydraulic legs which offer six planes of motion. This is then housed within the purpose-built facility that has been part of the 6 SQN headquarters building for the past two years, along with associated classrooms, support facilities and briefing rooms.

Installed in 2015, the simulator was initially employed by 6 SQN with its original software and hardware. as part of Cae(NZ)’s through-life maintenance support package it was handed back to Cae(NZ) in late 2016 to undergo a much-needed upgrade, in which software and hardware were updated to 2017 versions. as a result the newly-released simulator now offers markedly-improved visuals and scenario staging and the simulator is so representative of the aircraft that simulator hours are equivalent to true flying hours for personnel flying records and currencies. With the incorporation of a night-vision capability, night sorties can now be conducted using the aircrew’s night vision goggles. Practically true to life, the upgraded visuals are particularly striking – appropriate New Zealand airfields are modelled to the highest of real-life detail, and embarked procedures are equally realistic. The recent upgrade sees the incorporation of highly detailed and accurate models of the current rNZN fleet units, meaning more complex embarked maritime sorties and evolutions can be carried out with significant realism. This might include anything from high sea state deck

landings, low-light night operations or utility work over the flight deck, to complex multi-asset warfare scenarios and missile firings.

Controlled from the external instructor-operator station, real-time monitoring of all cockpit instrumentation, radios, audio and visuals allows 6 SQN aircrew instructors to drive scenarios to achieve specific training aims through the external manipulation of the cockpit systems and the simulated environment. Weather systems can be tailored with complete detail by controlling everything from the sea state, precipitation, visibility and wind, to air pressure and any approaching weather systems. Terrain modelling is true to the New Zealand topography and aircraft handling responses are true to the real aircraft. up to 40 other simulated assets and units can be added and manipulated, meaning scenarios can feature anything from the appropriately-attired personnel marshalling on the flight deck of the ship, to other aviation-operating maritime units, to enemy aircraft, land units and submarines.

as such, the simulator proves a significant training asset to 6 SQN, one that is set to become a crucial tool in the conversion and continuation training of SH-2G(I) aircrew. It allows both trainee and fully-qualified aircrew to be exposed to complex and challenging tactical and environmental scenarios, a training provision that leads to increased familiarity and better performance when such scenarios and environments are encountered for real. Furthermore, the re-balancing of training and continuation flights between the simulator and the aircraft will release further SH-2G(I) availability for operations, taskings and emergency roles.

The upgraded facility now means aircrew emergency management training can be done on-site, rather than in the united Kingdom annually. The true-to-type cockpit, with external scenario manipulation and accurately modelled aircraft handling responses, ensures that an entire crew can be exposed to an unknown emergency scenario, follow it through to a natural conclusion, and develop the critical “muscle memory” required for time-critical emergency responses, without the “exercise-itis” that acting out critical malfunctions in real aircraft can instil.

Mr Dave Carroll, the 6 SQN Synthetic Training Systems Manager, says aircrew and instructors have been “biting at the bit” to get back into the simulator, having had a taste of its upgraded capability during the thorough acceptance testing process. “The updated system is a real step up in visual quality and overall performance and will provide cost-effective aircrew flight and mission training while reducing the reliance on real-time aircraft and ship assets.”

By LT sarah mcWilliam, observer, 6 sQn

THe ReAL THiNG

SeaSPrITe SIMuLaTOr

25

WHAT’s uNDeR THe WAVes?

Leading Hydrographic Survey Technician Dillon Shields, New Plymouth, always leaned towards water-based activities and the Navy was a good choice. It

was his boating activities, and using charts and working a coastline, that attracted him to the hydrographer trade.

a careers expo in New Plymouth, and talking to recruiters, helped with the decision. He joined the Navy at 17 in 2010.

Today, he works for the Maritime Hydrographic Group in HMNZS MaTaTaua, the land-based establishment at Devonport Naval Base housing hydrographers and divers. His team handles MaTaTaua’s autonomous underwater Vehicles (auVs), unmanned torpedo-like devices that can scan a sea floor in a pattern and send sonar images back to auV operators like himself. It is his job to study the images and the shape of the “shadow” created from the scan, measuring the length, width and height of the object, and assessing what it could be. If it looks promising, a dive team can take a closer look. The team is trained for mine countermeasures, but all manner of sunken objects could be searched for.

LHST Shields could operating from a tent on a beach, or on board a ship, and in fact his first posting was to

HMNZS reSOLuTION. He might be a technician, but he says hydrographers get regular postings at sea during their career, including the traditional navigator’s yeoman (assistant) position. They are trained to drive boats, and LHST Shields is studying for his skipper’s licence.

“It’s rewarding work, when you’re surveying areas that haven’t been done. Sometimes our skills are used to search for missing people, and that can feel like you’re doing something good.”

The harder aspects of being a hydrographer are learning about the complex pieces of kit. If you like computers, that’s pretty handy, he says. “you get taught at a basic level, and you train up.”

Job attractions include being a small trade in the Navy, the variety of work, and being with a tight-knit team. “It’s a long-term career, and you are constantly being upskilled. There’s a lot of qualifications to get.” Travel comes with the trade, as divers and hydrographers from different countries often train together to learn skills. “I’ve been to Hawaii, and I’ve just come back from australia. you’re deployable, on little flyaway exercises like that.”

NAVY CAREERS

Hydrographic Survey Technicians are tight-knit, deployable people going

one-on-one with data below the surface.

as a Force for New Zealand we stand up for what is right. Force4nz.miL.nz

To apply, or to find out more information on a Technical life, trades and intake information, visit the Defence Careers website. DeFencecareers.miL.nz

Call to speak to an advisor: 0800 1 Force

FIND OuT MOre

XXXXXXXXXX

Above: LHST Dillon Shields studies images sent back from an AUV during Exercise FULCRUM in Northland last year.

26

On 17 January at 6 Squadron, rNZaF Base auckland, Captain Fleet Operational readiness Captain Dave Mcewan had the privilege of formally

presenting the new golden-winged badge to Loadmasters acting Warrant Officer Nathan Tamihana, Chief Petty Officer Maxwell Cawley, Chief Petty Officer Dougie Greig, Petty Officers Tiffany yule and Zach Taylor, and Leading Helicopter Loadmasters rick Gurnell, Joshua Boon and James Drain. LHLM Gurnell was promoted to Petty Officer following the presentation.

The design is a hybrid of the air Force HLM brevet with the Navy Pilot and Observer brevets. The design features the Naval Pilot and Observer centrepiece, combined with the swift wing, in gold, from the air Force HLM brevet. The design, while giving a Naval identity, recognises the significant historical training pipeline provided by the rNZaF. The metal wings are worn in a natural position on the left breast on dress uniform, but the cloth badge is

worn on the right as a branch badge on General Working Dress, to align with other Navy trades.

POHLM Taylor took charge of the design and process, something he kicked off in June 2017 to replace the No. 3 Squadron-styled brevet the Loadmasters had informally adopted. “I picked it up from previous loadmasters, who had either had a go and been knocked back, or had been too busy to do it. I felt it needed to be done, things were a bit of a square peg, round hole. We wanted something we had chosen, whereas the branch badge was something that had been chosen for us.”

POHLM Taylor, with his Commanding Officer, went to Trentham to make his case to the Navy Clothing Board, and the new design was approved.

GOLDeN-WiNGeD CReWBy andrew Bonallack

The Navy Helicopter Loadmasters of No. 6 Squadron in Whenuapai have achieved a formal milestone with one of their own designing and achieving approval to wear their own brevet (wing).

NO. 6 SQuaDrON BreVeT

Top of page: The 6 SQN loadmasters with their gold wings. From left, PO Zach Taylor, L Rick Gurnell, CPO Dougie Greig, L Joshua Boon, CPO Maxwell Cawley, L James Drain, A/WO Nathan Tamihana and PO Tiffany Yule.

27

LoaDmasTer DirecT enTrYFor the first time in Naval loadmaster history, a BCT recruit will enter the 18/01 intake with “Loadmaster” against his or her name.

The Helicopter Loadmaster trade is now a direct-entry trade via the Navy’s Basic Common Training course, rather

a miXeD JoUrneYThe journey of the loadmasters’ brevet reflects the complicated and slightly haphazard journey of the loadmaster trade – and its symbology - in the Navy. Formally known as Helicopter Crewmen, it was a part-time trade with flying duties alongside other core duties. It was disbanded in 1998 when the Westland Wasp was retired from service. However, a crewman was reintroduced for SH-2F Seasprite because of the radar located in the rear cabin. The SH-2G(I), designed for a crew of two, brought the radar screen into the cockpit and should have eliminated the third person requirement. However, it was discovered that the gap between the front seats, widened to allow the airborne Tactical Officer to climb out of a seat to access the rear cabin, was a dangerous movement. It was also realised that the vast majority of Seasprite operations needed a third crewmember, necessitating the full-time capability from 2000.

However, the trade was still considered “out of branch” and unofficial, despite being full-time, and this resulted in a lack of career progression. On 31 October 2005, the same day the Naval Support Flight became No. 6 Squadron, the HCM trade was established within the Operations Branch.

Not surprisingly for those aligned with aviation trades, the Helicopter Crewmen (which later became Helicopter Loadmasters) favoured the idea of a brevet, despite the fact the trade did already have a branch badge in the same manner as other Navy trades. The Navy loadmasters adopted the air Force “HC” Loadmaster brevet, a natural move considering Navy HLMs do the same 34-week training course as rNZaF aircrew, which concludes with the awarding of a brevet.

The new design, officially signed off by the Navy Clothing Board, codifies the Navy Loadmaster Brevet as part of the correct Navy uniform.

than drawing from those in the Navy who want to change their trade.

“That’s awesome,” says POHLM Zach Taylor. “It can be very difficult to recruit from other trades. Sometimes they can be reluctant to put pen to paper, or they don’t make the cut with fitness and quite high medical requirements. They can see it as a bit daunting.” The Basic Common Training fitness regime, and the relative fitness and youth of recruits, will work in their favour. “The thing we find is eyesight, and any sort of underlying medical conditions. We’ve got to be as low risk as possible.” He remarks that the HLM trade would start getting “long in the tooth” without fresh entries. “everyone loves the job, but we can’t supply the demand, and there’s limited opportunities for other postings because we’ve got to meet the squadron’s outputs.”

In april 6 SQN will be demonstrating the excitement of their work when they visit South Island schools on the way to Warbirds over Wanaka.

“We tell students, it’s a really cool job. You want to be doing this when you leave high school.”see www.defencecareers.mil.nz

NO. 6 SQuaDrON BreVeT

Clockwise: The old 3 SQN-style Helicopter Crewman name badge, alongside the new design.

Advancement in the ranks, as LHLM Rick Gurnell, displaying the new brevet design, is promoted to Petty Officer.

CFOR Captain Dave McEwan shakes the hand of POHLM Tiffany Yule as she receives her brevet.

28

an initial reconnaissance by the dive team confirmed it was a depth charge used for anti-submarine warfare, possibly dating back to the 1950s, said

Team Leader Lieutenant Wesley Moir.

Because of the age of the munition, they couldn’t tell if it was live or not, and so decided to treat it as live.

It meant a dive team, trained in maritime ordnance disposal, had to “neutralise the threat to the public,” said LT Moir.

after the area was cordoned off by police and the harbourmaster, the team, diving down to eight metres, placed a small explosive charge on the depth charge.

If the shell had been live, there would have been a fountain of water and a reasonable bang, said LT Moir. However, the shell was a dud, resulting in a small disturbance on the surface.

That was a success as far as LT Moir was concerned. “In this instance it was a drill round, which is our ideal outcome. We’ve now minimised the impact to the environment and marine life in this area.” He said the discovery of unexploded ordnance like this is quite common during the summer months. “Drill rounds still contain explosive. So if you come across an unexploded ordnance like this, it really is important to leave it where it is, mark the position if

you can, and bring it to the attention of the emergency services by dialling 111 and leaving it to the professionals to handle.”

NAVY DiVeRs CLeAR DePTh ChARGe

A team of divers from HMNZS MATATAUA joined forces with NZDF explosive experts to dispose of a metre-long depth charge discovered off Whangaparaoa Peninsula in December.

Top of page: What was left of the depth charge, with the central portion destroyed.

Below: HMNZS MATATAUA’s clearance divers and NZ Police are briefed on the operation.

29

WATeRsiDe TRAiNiNG FACiLiTY DOCKs AT DeVONPORTBy andrew Bonallack

Our Navy’s newest grey-hull, as wide as an Inshore Patrol Vessel but half the weight and length, has had its maiden (and only) voyage from Whangarei

to Devonport.

The newly fabricated Waterside Training Facility barge, weighing 145 tonnes, was towed from ruakaka overnight on 20 January, leaving at 1730 and arriving behind a tug in auckland at 0800.

The barge is Phase 2 of the Seamanship Training aids facilities being constructed at Devonport Naval Base, following the creation of the Bill Morley Seamanship Training building two years ago. The barge offers over-the-water training where sailors can launch and recover sea boats, ladders, learn about embarking and disembarking, launch life rafts and provide swimmer of the watch training.

Lieutenant Commander ange Barker, reclaiming Seamanship excellence Programme Manager, said she watched the barge getting launched at ruakaka but they had to wait a few days for a weather break to bring it down. “It was brilliant,” she said. “It felt like a year’s worth of work coming down in that one moment. It’s great having it here. People can start seeing it, talking about it.”

Connecting it to its purpose-placed piles near the Bill Morley building will be tricky, she said. The barge, which is 24 metres long, will be 30 metres offshore, which means the gangway to the barge, 35 metres long, three metres wide and four metres high, will resemble a bridge. That too is being manufactured by South Pacific Industrial, the same makers as the barge. The barge will need substantial ballast to counter-balance the effect of the hefty connection.

“It looks really tidy, and the fabricators have done an excellent job,” she said. “The quality of workmanship is really high. We wanted it to look and feel like a ship. It really is a realistic working environment, that has the actual pieces of kit that you would use.”

She hopes to have the barge in its location and connected by the end of March or early april. The move involves the deconstruction of the condemned seventies-era synchrolift docking facility near the Stanley Bay Ferry Terminal, to make way for the barge.

NaVy BarGe DOCKS aT DeVONPOrT

Clockwise: An Auckland tug helps arrange the newly-arrived Waterside Training barge into the Calliope wharves.

The barge is gently lowered into the water at Northport.

The barge is trucked into Northport at Marsden Point.

30

By andrew Bonallack

Navy ships and expertise wowed thousands who visited the Ports of auckland Seeport Festival over auckland anniversary weekend last month.

HMNZS Te KaHa and WeLLINGTON, fresh from their Navy Shakedown Week, berthed at Ports of auckland for Ship Open To View days across Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Over 6000 people had visited Te KaHa on the Saturday. WeLLINGTON recorded over 3300 visitors in the space of 3.5 hours on Sunday, and 3660 visitors in 2.5 hours on Monday. Chief Petty Officer Chef Tug Wilson, WeLLINGTON’s Duty Senior rate and on the “clicker”, said there were 1200 in half an hour at one point. He greeted people with “Welcome to my home, my big grey house” and got a lot of smiles. “The public were very, very engaged with us,” he said. “There were a lot of questions. about 50 per cent wanted to see the bridge. We had a damage control meet-and-greet, and fire hoses going, and kids were on that a lot.” He said everyone was on station and ready to meet the public. “We’re proud to show off our ship.” There were a lot of questions about helicopters, although WeLLINGTON didn’t have one embarked, he said. as a helicopter transfer officer, he was able to explain how they folded one into a hanger.

Helicopters were a major theme at the Festival, with No. 6 Squadron’s Seasprite conducting an airshow to complement dispays from the NZ Police eagle helicopter

NAVY WOWs AT seePORTand auckland rescue Helicopter. an No. 3 Squadron NH-90 provided a static display for those wanting to get up close.

ethan Carlyle, 6, auckland, said he enjoyed exploring the ships, being shown how to hold and aim the ship’s gun, and spraying water from the big hose. Off-ship the carnival rides and slides were his favourites, he said.

SeePOrT FeSTIVaL

Top of page: TE KAHA engineer AMT(P) Jemma Smith explains the breathing apparatus equipment to visitors.

Above: TE KAHA basks in sunshine at the Ports of Auckland.

31

One of New Zealand’s oldest maritime structures has been preserved for the future with an innovative earthquake strengthening technique that slashed original construction estimates.

The Calliope Dry Dock Master Pump House, which along with the Calliope Dry Dock will be 130 years old this month, was assessed as potentially

earthquake-prone in 2013 and needed to be strengthened or demolished. It was rated as one of NZDF’s highest risk assets, but it was also a Category a NZDF Heritage classification and an archaeological site under the Heritage NZ Pouhere Taonga act 2014.

Its function is to pump water from the dock after a ship has entered and the caisson closed, as well as fill the dock to allow the ship to float and exit.

The building was vacated, but with the dock still being used, there remained a risk for pump house staff when entering the building.

Traditional skeletal bracing systems, to support the walls and roofs were considered, but at a visual cost to the look of the building. a less intrusive approach was to strengthen the walls using epoxy-embedded carbon-fibre rods, and concealed plywood diaphragms to improve the building’s performance during an earthquake.

The work allowed continuous and uninterrupted operation of the dry dock, and was completed with nil Health and Safety issues.

The result, now signed off by auckland Council, is the retention of a useful Navy Base building well beyond its life expectancy, as well as a safer workplace for operations staff.

Costs were originally assessed at $930,000 based on a traditional strengthening regime, but the innovative approach saved $220,000.

Defence estate and Infrastructure project manager Bahjet al-Khudairi said core holes were drilled from the top edge of the walls, then had carbon fibre rods epoxied into them. “We also had plywood diaphragms fixed within the roof and below the flooring. It is similar to the use of steel in reinforced concrete except that carbon fibre is much

NAVY HeRiTAGe sAVeD

HisTorYIn 1881 Devonport was chosen as the site of the Navy’s dry dock after a two-year debate, with Kauri Point or Birkenhead as the alternates. Work on the 162m dry dock started in 1885, with 118,000 cubic metres of spoil used to reclaim land on either side of the dock. It was opened on 16 February 1888, the largest dock in the Southern Hemisphere at the time, with a public holiday in auckland declared. The royal Navy’s australian Squadron’s HMS NeLSON, CaLLIOPe, DIaMOND, OPaL and SWINGer were present, with CaLLIOPe breaking a ribbon stretched across the dock. unfortunately, the six casks of beer provided for refreshment of ships’ crews and guard led to a brawl, ending proceedings.

stronger and non-corrosive so it’s more effective and won’t degrade as steel would.” all enhancements to the building adopt highly durable materials and have been applied to create a safer building and increase its longevity without negatively impacting the visual heritage of the structure, he said.

PuMP HOuSe

Top left: The Calliope Pump House.

Top right: Despite the Pump House undergoing strengthening (left), life goes on at Devonport, with HMNZS TE MANA easing into Calliope Dock in September.

Below: The opening of Calliope Dock in 1888.

32

By andrew Bonallack

Four-year-old ellie Fox has watched her Navy mother and air Force father conduct the Last Post Ceremony at Pukeahu National War Memorial

on several occasions. But one day she realised no-one had come to speak the Te reo version of the Ode of remembrance. “I’ll do it,” she said to her parents.

The 5pm Last Post Ceremony at Pukeahu, in front of the Tomb of the unknown Warrior, has been undertaken daily since anzac Day 2015, to commemorate 100 years since World War I and the Gallipoli invasion, and will continue to 11 November 2018. The public are invited to speak the Ode, but not every day is filled, and this is especially the case with the Te reo version. In that event, the Pukeahu curator fills the gap.

ellie’s mother, Lieutenant Commander Nikki Fox, enlisted the help of ellie’s day care, Stepping Stones Childcare Centre in upper Hutt. “We told her, you can learn it at day care. So she took it on. She learnt it line by line, little by little. We were worried at first, then she knew it off by heart. Stepping Stones was fantastic.”

Teacher Jennie adams said they could support ellie in the learning. “We took her through it, two lines at a time. She took to it, and practised everywhere.” She said her learning was astounding. “It was mind-blowing, really. Other

classmates joined in, but they didn’t have the passion, the drive. It was her goal.”

On the evening of 8 December ellie was joined by her best friend and classmate Cassie Flack, 4, ready to do the english version of the Ode. Showing no nerves at all, ellie happily engaged with Newshub cameraman Matthew Smith, filming for The Project. She giggled cheerfully as her mother and the cameraman tried to figure out where to clip her mike and sound devices on her sailor suit, made especially for the occasion by her grandmother. She wore her mother’s replica medals, while Cassie wore her great-grandfather’s Korean War medals.

Standing with her father, Squadron Leader Leon Fox, she saluted towards Wellington, and when he squeezed her hand, she spoke clearly to the world, as the northerly breeze whipped her blonde hair.

“I’m just so proud of her, so, so proud,” says LTCDr Fox afterwards. “She is a special little girl. It was perfect, absolutely perfect, from both of them.” She hopes ellie will keep up an interest in the Maori language as she goes to school.

Pukeahu curator Paul riley says he believes both ellie and Cassie are the youngest to have recited the Ode.

YOuNGesT ReADeR OF The ODe

yOuNGeST reaDer OF THe ODe

Above: From left, LTCDR Nikki Fox, Cassie Flack, SQNLDR Leon Fox and Ellie Fox salute in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior.

33

Mr Perry had just launched the partially restored former Harbour Defence Motor Launch KuParu in Helensville, an 18-month-long project taken on

to rebuild himself as much as rebuilding the badly rotted motor launch.

In Navy Today March 2017 Mr Perry described how he had discovered the 50-tonne KuPuru in a poor state on cradles in a used house yard in Helensville. He had lost his wife Michelle to cancer in 2016 and was looking for a challenge to keep him distracted from grief. The former Navy stoker, helped by his father and his two teenage daughters, Madi and Nikita, spent long days painfully and carefully bringing KuParu back to an original look, in between contracts to keep money coming in. a Givealittle page and other donations have helped, but the move to the Helensville wharf during the night, less than a kilometre, was still a $30,000 operation. It’s a tough ask for a man who left work to care for his wife, then threw himself into boat restoration. “a very emotional day,’ was Mr Perry’s description of the launch, when Navy Today met up with Mr Perry and KuParu on Helensville river last month.

It was a project beating the odds against time and the mixed fortunes of the 15 other HDMLs. Naval historian and former HDML commanding officer Gerry Wright, who wrote a book on motor launches called Salty Dits, recounts how KuParu was lifted out of the water by Harbour Board

crane Hikinui on 21 November 1989 at Devonport Naval Base and retained under cover. KuParu was moved to the North yard in 1999 and sold into private hands in January 2002. Mr Wright, who photographed KuParu in Helensville in 2010, said it was doubtful if she would ever go to sea again.

But she has. The 75-year-old boat cruises at 10 knots and can make 12 knots, provided the engine doesn’t overheat, or the thermostats jam, or an engine gasket blows – all part and parcel of a shakedown cruise. Mr Perry combined a three-day holiday on Kaipara Harbour with a shakedown sea trial, and hit a number of glitches. “Thermostat, heat exchanger, alternators stopping – but we managed to keep the old girl running.” He tried her in swells at the harbour entrance, saying she handled well.

He prides himself on doing a close to authentic restoration, saying it made things less complicated sticking with what was already there, but he knows now why people converted other HDMLs so drastically. They are working Navy boats, not designed for pleasure cruising, he says. Nonetheless, he wants to proceed with a museum-level fitout, and is slowly, through contacts and TradeMe, finding original items. He half-jokingly says he would like to see the armament back on KuParu one day, for the authentic look.

Incredibly, he has recently acquired another former HDML, HaKu, which was fitted out as a ketch and renamed BLaCK WaTCH. It comes in handy for spares.

“It floats”, posted Scott Perry on Facebook on 19 December, one of the longer days in his life.

By andrew Bonallack

KuPARu ON THe WATeR

KuParu ON THe WaTer

Clockwise: Scott Perry on Helensville River with his daughters Madi (left) and Nikita.

Nikita poses in the wheelhouse of KUPARU.

KUPARU under way on Kaipara harbour.

34

Life without lattes and avocado on toast is the rueful analogy Leading Marine Technician Chris Lord , Sailor of the Year, uses to describe how he imagined a strapped existence after buying your first home. But it turned out there’s room for treats when you have a mortgage.

In September LMT(L) Lord, with his partner Chelsea, became first-time homeowners of an $800,000 three-bedroom house in Birkdale, auckland. Since then the

pair have not been idle. LMT(L) Lord has been watching DIy videos, built a fence, and has put his electrical trade to use in installing an extractor fan in the bathroom. a kitchen refurbishment is in the budget, with walls to knock out. a puppy is planned for the near future.

“Originally we thought, like probably everyone else, that we couldn’t buy a house in auckland,” said Chris. “I was in a Navy house for two years and friends of ours said, see where you are with Home Loans New Zealand. I thought, we could get $400,000 and buy a house in my home town, New Plymouth. But they worked out we could afford $800,000. When we were told that, I thought, wow.”

Chelsea and Chris decided, if they could get something in auckland, they should go for it. “We went hard out, house hunting, 10 houses every weekend, researching during the week.” Compromise was key. “We had to figure out the things we wanted, against the things we needed. We had to have priorities. For us, it was a three-bedroom minimum, separate bathroom and toilet, and a backyard.”

FiRsT HOMe MADe POssiBLeThe pair were able to capitalise on the market in the buyers’ favour. “I thought, this boom auckland market, it isn’t happening. So we changed our tactics, went for houses over $800,000, and offered lower on houses that had been passed up on auction.” In the case of their new home, initially set at near $900,000, the seller was keen to sell.

Chris and Chelsea have a 16-year mortgage with New Zealand Home Loans. “With the Navy, with Home Loans, they coach you on the mortgage. you get frequent meetings, they help set up the best interest rates, and they budget us all the way. Holidays, presents, doctors visits, home maintenance, food, fuel, fun. I get to have my lattes and avocado on toast, which everyone thinks you can’t do when you buy a house.” The other two rooms are rented out “which makes our life easier”.

Chris has advice for junior rates thinking of getting on the property ladder. “you need to be able to buy with someone else. It’s easy enough to get a deposit, but you’ve got to service a mortgage.” He said Kiwisaver was a big help. “For five years, I bought expensive things, wasted my money, but in the last three years, I started saving. I only had $20,000 saved. But I had $70,000 in Kiwisaver. We both cashed in our Kiwisaver and between us we had a $120,000 deposit.”

He said it’s important to maintain the rate of payback. “and if you get a payrise, third it. a third on tax, a third to the mortgage, and a third for fun. you want to enjoy your payrise. We’re on track for 16 years, including the kitchen, the puppy, and our holiday last year. The point is, we have got all these things planned, we can pay off our mortgage, and I can still have avocado on toast.”

• Inthe20monthstoDecember2017,327memberswithdrew their funds from the NZDF KiwiSaver Scheme and/or the Defence Force Superannuation Scheme to purchase a house – an average of 16 per month

• Eachmonthwenowseefourtofivepurchasesintheauckland region

• Mortgageinterestratesarelikelytoremainatcurrentlevels for at least the next 12 months

• NZDFmembersandfamiliesareabletoaccessafree mortgage broker service provided by Milestone Direct Ltd. Milestone uses its financial advisers to negotiate the best mortgage deals on behalf of members; they also help with the Homestart Grant application form. Milestone is also able to help members and families with financial plans

• ContactdetailsforMilestoneare0508645378

BuyING FIrST HOMe

35

By LTcDr andrew Jameson

The rNZN’s inaugural Seamanship Competition was held over two stunning days, 4 and 5 December. It encouraged seamanship excellence

across all ranks and trades with a vision to improve and hone our core seamanship skills in a fun and competitive environment. From Te MaNa we entered a diverse team of seven with three persons joining from Te KaHa, making a team of 10 dubbed Te Mixture. The team’s positive attitude and keenness to contribute meant that everyone gelled together, had fun and worked to combine past experiences learnt from their individual trades. We were ready to tackle any task with Te Mixture precision and panache. Competition was fierce with less than 15 points between the leading team and the rest of the contenders after the first day. Te Mixture was up amongst the stars dazzling the judges and taking out top scores in the working at height, and the bridge simulator pax transfer.

The sun rose engulfing the sky and heating up the competition for day two. Once again Te Mixture had brought their “a” game plus appropriate sun protection, ready to tackle the fierce competition and weather. Te Mixture achieved a perfect score in the HaDr through fast team work, and scored well in the rHIB test with coxswain aSCS Hira Kopua gaining a CFOr coin for his skilled driving. The heaving line challenge really proved why seamanship was Te Mixture’s bread and butter as our score of 18 shocked the judges, earning us the Monkeys fist trophy. We knew the standings were close after dropping a few points in the last event. It came down to time bonuses in the HaDr and boats transfer as we rubbed shoulders with Canterbury 1, but unfortunately lost out by half a point!

Well done to Canterbury 1 with their well-deserved win. It was a well-run event and all the competitors I talked to enjoyed catching up with their peers and competing. We are looking forward to next year when Te Mixture can compete again for that trophy.

seAMANsHiP COMPeTiTiON

The Commander W.J.L Smith Cup

CFOr (Captain David Mcewan)

The Fleet Seamanship Award

HMNZS OTaGO

The Monowai Trophy

HMNZS CaNTerBury

The Chatham Rose Bowl and Efficiency Pennant

HMNZS eNDeaVOur

The Naval Support Command Efficiency Trophy

HMNZS PHILOMeL

The RNZN Safety Award

LTCDr Tuijo Thompson (Te KaHa) and CPO Bevan Wilson (MaTaTaua)

Murano Trophy The Naval Reserve Division of the Year

HMNZS NGaPONa (Tauranga Division)

The Royal New Zealand Navy Scholarship (Gisborne)

Mr ramairoa Tawera

HMNZS CANTERBURY Scholarship

Mr Dominic Bain

Chief of Navy Scholarship Sea Cadets

CFPO austen rangi

Civilian of the Year

Ms elizabeth Grieve

Sailor of the Year

LMT(L) Christopher Lord

FLeeT aWarDs 2017

SeaMaNSHIP COMPeTITION & FLeeT aWarDS

Top left: Team MANAWANUI return after rowing out between a set of buoys, led by ADR Zane Douglas.

Top right: LTCDR Lorna Gray, CO of HMNZS OTAGO, with OTAGO’s Seamanship Award. OTAGO was away on operations when the Fleet Awards were presented in December.

36

as a bus driver and cargo handler with the Operation antarctica Harewood Terminal Team, the processing and handling of personnel,

passengers and airplane crew is an important aspect of working day, says HMNZS TOrOa’s able Seaman Combat Specialist Bernie robertson. Nearly every flight involves passengers and all have flight crews of at least five members, sometimes a dozen or more. Passengers are usually checked in and screened for departure, and loaded to the plane. returning flights require the disembarking of the same, usually to the International arrivals complex of Christchurch airport.

“all other freight on any flight must be prepared,” he says. “We build pallets of freight cargo 2.5 metres high weighing up to four tonnes each and use fairly heavy equipment to lift, move and load them to and from the aircraft. Breaking down the incoming loads is also an important aspect of our day.”

He says their team is trained-up before the start of the season and runs with the slogan Mission First; Safety always. “Thankfully our work is almost problem-free. There were better than two dozen of us at the start of the season but as always the mid-season, over Christmas, has fewer demands and our team is reduced by a half dozen. But the work goes on.

“Often the crews include personnel from previous seasons and a lot of familiar faces appear. This is also true of the passenger lists; some are veterans of twenty seasons on the ice! Our team of cargo handlers has ‘re-offenders’, as am I and most of the permanent staff at the air Movements unit here in Christchurch.”

Chief Petty Officer Peter Gee, Divisional Coxswain at TOrOa, says aSCS robertson is one of the core crew of TOrOa. “every year he volunteers to work as part of the Harewood Terminal Team. This is part of his annual routine and part of his contribution to NZDF outputs. This is season twelve up at Harewood for Bernie.”

cPocH Wayne mitchell

On a Friday early in august I was observing a Lead Teams course at Ngataringa when I had a visit from the Support Branch Personnel and the

Leadership Training Officers. They pulled me aside to tell me that Commander Kempster, the assistant Naval attaché in Washington DC, had called and said the current civilian Head Chef at the NZ embassy in Washington was quitting. Could the Navy provide a chef to fill the gap while the embassy staff found a replacement?

Long story short, they told me that I had been selected to go to Washington to fill the position, job-size it and create a job description so the Navy could develop a plan to continue the support as long as we could.

Originally I was told I would go within two weeks, but due to me being cleared to travel and having had the correct visa already, I found myself in Washington DC on the following Wednesday, being welcomed into the ambassador’s residence – and my new home.

The chef’s job at the NZ embassy is a live-in position. your sole job is to provide high-level catering to events that are hosted by either the ambassador himself at the residence, or for the various agencies that work from the embassy. The events at the residence range anything from breakfast for a couple of people through to five-course formal dinners for 35 diners. The larger receptions are held in the embassy itself which is conveniently located next door.

RNZN CHeFs ANsWeR CALL FROM WAsHiNGTON D.C.

ReseRVes suPPORT ANTARCTiC PROGRAMMe

reSerVeS SuPPOrT aNTarCTIC PrOGraMMe

Top right: Chocolate Moulded Pinecones made at the Swedish Embassy by POCH Barton.

Below: Pan Fried NZ Snapper with a Roasted Lobster Tail, Asparagus and Lemon Beurre Blanc Sauce by POCH Barton.

37

at the conclusion of the 2017 Malaysian armed Forces Command and Staff Course in December, Lieutenant Commander rob McCaw was awarded Best International Student, as well as earning his diplomas with distinction. LTCDr McCaw was also awarded the Commandant’s award for best academic Paper for an overseas participant and best overseas participant in Military Studies. There were 45 international students and 118 Malaysian students at the course in Kuala Lumpur.

as the position is sole charge we got to work our own routines, which included doing all of our own shopping at various locations, including the local supermarket, high-end gourmet markets and larger restaurant wholesalers, which is where we were able to source our NZ lamb racks easily. Guests that come to the embassy expect to see kiwi food, so lamb racks and pavlova were regular features on the menu. We were also able to fly in NZ seafood including snapper, salmon and Coromandel oysters.

In my own time I made sure to see the sights of Washington as well as a little further afield. I spent a weekend with my uSN Senior enlisted academy classmate in annapolis, the home of the uS Naval academy or Officer’s Training School. It is such an impressive, historic site, and I will remember that visit for a long time. One of the highlights of my trip was being able to make an official call on the Master Chief Petty Officer of the uS Navy (WoN equivalent) in his office at the Pentagon. It was such an enlightening and eye-opening experience. The Pentagon was not at all like I imagined.

So after almost two months my time came to an end, my relief POCH Michael Barton turned up and I handed him the keys to the embassy with a “you have the ship”.

STUDY WITH DiSTiNCTiON

PocH michael Barton

as I flew from auckland on 14 September, I had no idea what to expect, travelling to become the Head Chef for the NZ ambassador in Washington. after spending 20 hours cramped in my seat I touched down to meet CDr Kempster at ronald reagan airport and got a scenic tour of the city before arriving at my new home for the next 10 weeks. CPOCH Mitchell was hard at work and had just completed his last function, I was still out of it from the flights and unaware it was already midnight the same day I left NZ. The next week I spent handing over from the Chief, getting to know the city and my new family at the embassy and residence.

My first function was for 12 VIP guests. On the menu was a three-course meal consisting of; roasted Cauliflower Soup with Truffle, Pan Fried NZ Snapper with a roasted Lobster Tail, asparagus and Lemon Beurre Blanc Sauce and Individual Pavlovas with NZ fruit. It might be hard to believe but that was the first time I made pavlova! after completing several more functions, the biggest event I organised and prepared was the NZ Defence reception for 300 guests. as well as the canapes, guests mostly enjoyed the NZ lamb rack cutlets. as you can imagine, I continued to cook my fair share of pavlova and lamb while posted there.

When I didn’t have any formal requirements I managed to explore the city and admire its history. Walking alongside the reflecting pool to the Lincoln Memorial was magnificent and standing beneath the Washington Monument and looking up at the Capitol Building amazed me. I had only ever seen these places on television before. another significant opportunity and achievement was when I was asked to assist the Swedish embassy chef with preparing dinner for the Nobel Laureate Prize award.

During my time there I produced over 1000 dishes for the ambassador, his guests and embassy staff, which was a feat in itself considering I haven’t actually cooked full time for over three years.

On behalf of CPOCH Mitchell and myself I would like to thank all involved - the embassy and residence staff, CDr Kempster, the entire Defence team and of course to our families for allowing us to experience and get the most out of this opportunity.

CHeFS IN WaSHINGTON

38

One of New Zealand’s top 10 boxers, Tasmyn Benny, plans to fit her international boxing contests around her new career with the Navy.

In December Ordinary Medical assistant Benny won an international bout at SkyCity in auckland, against her australian opponent in the women’s 48kg class. That puts OMa Benny in strong contention for a place in the New Zealand boxing team to the Commonwealth Games in april.

There are probably six places for our top boxers in the Commonwealth Games team and OMa Benny is hopeful she will gain selection.

She graduated on 2 December from her 18 week-long Basic Common Training course for new Navy recruits at Devonport Naval Base.

“The Navy is my new home,” she says. “I’m looking forward to training as a medic in Christchurch soon, and then back to Devonport.”

OMa Benny is 19 years old and from Thames on the Hauraki Plains. She went to Turua Primary and Hauraki Plains College, and decided to join the Navy for the travel and challenge.

“The best part of BCT was the outside schools, learning how to sail and how to handle a weapon and training at Tamaki in Whangaparaoa.” She has also enjoyed the new friendships she has made along the way.

OMa Benny says she puts in about an hour’s training each day when she is busy, but now she will have more time until medic training begins.

“When I was in BCT, I tried to keep training at the end of the day, or otherwise I shadow spar in my room, sparring against a pretend opponent,” she says. “My mates laugh at me, but the Navy is very supportive of my boxing.”

NAVY BOXeR iN TOP 10

When pressed, she says her strengths are moving and turning away from her opponent – and a strong left hand.

“My Dad was training with one of his mates in the garage one day and I wanted to get fit for netball, and I found out boxing was good fun,” she says. “I gave up netball.”

She says any women interested in boxing should go for it. “Push yourself, just go for it, and push on in training and keep going,” says OMa Benny. “It’s great to get into boxing, it’s lots of fun.”

Her goals for the year include selection for the Commonwealth Games and also the World Games. She wants to get as many fights as she can, both nationally and internationally.

“I was in a boxing training camp for New Zealand boxers in China at the end of 2016 and I had one of my best bouts,” she says. “Probably because I was more aggressive and really let my punches go.”

Jack Donnelly and Graeme Pearce, both Navy sportsmen from the 1950-1980 era, have written a book titled: Sailors against the Odds; Memoirs of

New Zealand Navy Sport 1941-1980. The book involves 18 months of research at archives NZ and the Navy Museum, plus other sources.

The book covers the sports history of all the ships and the memoirs of the sporting players who played in this era, plus the records of all the results of games played

and results for every ships’ deployment from 1941-1980.

The pair wish to thank the royal New Zealand Navy for their support in accessing ships’ files relating to sports, and to the members of the rNZN Sports Club Facebook page who supplied a vast amount of information and photos of their time in the Navy playing sport.

The book will be launched on 14 april at the ngataringa sports club from 1700. There is a limited number of tickets available to non-members of the rNZN Sports Club. The book price is $49.95 and can be ordered or purchased from the Navy Museum in Devonport ($29.95 for Sports Club members and families). enquries to [email protected].

BooK LauNCHSAILORS AGAINST THE ODDS

MEMOIRS OF NEW ZEALAND NAVY SPORT

1941-1980

MENS SANA IN CORPORE SANO

A healthy mind in a health body

NOTICeS

Top of page: OMA Tasmyn Benny is hoping her recent international boxing successes have earned her a slot in the Commonwealth Games.

By suzi Phillips

39

Naval recognition of a Sea Scout group is a mark of excellence for only the top 15 groups in the country.

During the 28th National Scout regatta over December and January it was the privilege of the Warrant Officer of the Navy to present Naval recognition pennants to the top Sea Scout groups.

WOCWS Wayne Dyke, a former Sea Scout, was a guest during the regatta, involving 80 boats, 500 youth and nine days of sailing, rowing, kayaking and seamanship events at Onepoto in Porirua harbour.

The Navy have been presenting the Naval recognition pennants and badges every three years at the National regatta for over 30 years. Sea Scout groups can apply for the Sea Scout Group excellence award, and the top 15 of those awardees earn the right to wear the Naval Pennant in place of the excellence Pennant.

WON Dyke said he could recall his old unit, Paraparaumu Beach, being among the first units to be presented with the award. During the regatta he met his former troop leader, John roger, who recognised him despite not seeing him for 30 years.

We acknowledge the passing of LTCDr Kevin Carr, HMNZS PeGaSuS, who lost his battle with

pancreatic cancer in January. LTCDr Carr was awarded the New Zealand Bravery Medal for his part in the attempts to rescue survivors of the Christchurch CTV building after the February 2011 earthquake. He assumed

rOyaL NeW ZeaLaND NaVy COOKS aND STeWarDS reuNIONa reunion for all ex rNZN Cooks and Stewards and serving rNZN Chefs and Stewards will be held on the weekend of 5-7 October 2018. The reunion will be held in auckland with Quality Hotel Parnell and Birkenhead rSa being the venues..

For any further information please contact Jon Walker on 021 103 5856, George Coffin on 021 081 26783 or Margaret Mitchell on 027 6044 571 or join us in the Cooks and Stewards reunion Group on Facebook. an in-depth programme will be published in due course.

SAILORS AGAINST THE ODDS

MEMOIRS OF NEW ZEALAND NAVY SPORT1941-1980

MENS SANA IN CORPORE SANOA healthy mind in a health body

command of a small PeGaSuS team and instructed them to search the immediate area, then led a team of five into the city to support relief efforts, assisting trapped survivors in various buildings. LTCDr Carr was injured during his efforts but continued to provide leadership.

seA sCOuT SUCCeSS

LieuTeNANT COMMANDeR KeViN “CHALKY” CARR

SAILORS AGAINST THE ODDS

MEMOIRS OF NEW ZEALAND NAVY SPORT

1941-1980

MENS SANA IN CORPORE SANO

A healthy mind in a health body

Iron Duke Sea Scouts from Nelson won the Jellicoe Trident, the top award at the regatta since 1924. It was 50 years since the Nelson group had last held the trident.

NOTICeS

Top of page: The Naval Pennant, awarded to Sea Scout groups

Above: Venturer Robbie Anderson from Iron Duke Sea Scouts, Nelson, holds the Jellicoe Trident, the top award at the National Scout Regatta.

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