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issue 150 December 09 r O Y A L N e W Z e A L A N D N A V Y
t h r e e s e r v i c e s a s o n e f o r c e , b e i n g t h e b e s t i n e v e r y t h i n g w e d o
navytodayv i s i t o U r w e b s i t e : w w w . n a v y . M i L . n Z
issue 150 December 09 r O Y A L N e W Z e A L A N D N A V Y
t h r e e s e r v i c e s a s o n e f o r c e , b e i n g t h e b e s t i n e v e r y t h i n g w e d o
navytodayv i s i t o U r w e b s i t e : w w w . n a v y . M i L . n Z
Published to entertain, inform and inspire serving members of the RNZN.
Navy Today is the official newsletter for personnel and friends of the Royal New Zealand Navy, produced by the Defence Communications Group, Wellington, Navy Today is now in its fourteenth year of publication.
Views expressed in Navy Today are not necessarily those of the RNZN or the NZDF.
Contributions are welcomed. Submit copy or letters for publication in Microsoft Word, on CD or emailed. Articles about 300 words, digital photos at least 200dpi.
To request reprints, please contact the Editor.
COPY DEADLINES FOR NT 5PM AS FOLLOWS: NT 150 Dec issue 30 Oct
NT 151 Feb issue 20 Jan 2010
NAVY TODAY EDITORIAL ADVISERS: RA T Parr, CN
CDR Maxine Lawes
Andrew Cutler
EDITOR: Richard Jackson
Defence Communications Group
HQ NZ Defence Force
Private Bag, Wellington, New Zealand
P: (04) 496 0293 F: (04) 496 0290
DESIGN & LAYOUT: Duncan Allan
Defence Communications Group
PRINT: APN PRINT NZ LTD
P: (04) 472 3659
ENQUIRIES TO: Defence Communications Group
P: (04) 496 0270 F: (04) 496 0290
LT Sarah Campbell (Auckland)
P: (09) 445 5002 F: (09) 445 5014
Director Defence Communications Group
P: (04) 496 0299 F: (04) 496 0290
Recruiting Officer Auckland:
P: (09) 445 5783
CHANGING ADDRESS?
To join or leave our mailing list,
please contact:
Marianna Robati
DCG Sr Business Support Officer
HQNZDF 2-12 Aitken St
Wellington
P: (04) 496 0270
iNsiDe THis issue:04 The best small-
nation Navy
06 Our Nx journey
08 Command Priority Fight!
12 Travellers’ Tales
16 RNZN Sailor of the Year
17 CANTERBURY’s tsunami relief
20 TAUPO’s Homecoming
22 Kia Kaha Programme
24 Our People
26 KAHU decommissions
29 Mercury Bay Survey
30 HMNZS MANAWANUI
32 Mine Clearance: Lagoon Ex
34 IPV Operations
36 HMNZS TE KAHA
37 OTAGO Prepares
38 Around the Fleet
39 Defence Transformation Programme
40 Our Naval Heritage
41 Cultural Festival
42 Sport
47 Main Notice Board
ISSN 1173-8332
RA Tony Parr accepts the NZBEF Gold Award from the Governor-General, His Excellency the Hon Sir Anand Satyanand at the NZBEF Business Excellence luncheon on 20 November. Accompanying CN was the Navy’s Director of Naval Excellence, CDR Karl Woodhead (seen at right above).Photo: Grant Southan, for NZBEF
| issue 150 | December 2009
12 CommAND PRioRiTy FiGHT! 23 CANTERBURy’S TSUNAmi REliEF
34 oUR NAvAl HERiTAGE
y o U R S A y E
RA ToNy PARR mvo [ C h i e f o f N a v y ]
The New Zealand summer holiday
is a great tradition that combines
the best of the old world—the
Christmas celebration—with the
best of the new world, a summer
holiday at the beach, time spent
with family and friends and the
opportunity for a well-deserved
rest.
As well as relaxing, the end of
the year is also a time to reflect on
the year past. Often this happens
around the barbecue when friends
and whanau ask what you did last
year. We all have our personal
stories of the year past in terms
of what we as individuals have
achieved. When the inevitable
question is asked of me about the
Navy it will be hard to know where
to begin, for 2009 has been a year
of significant achievement and
success across the whole Navy.
To begin with, one event this year has demonstrated that the
Navy has a corporate organisation, to support our ships and
people, that is world class — we won a Gold award from the
New Zealand Business Excellence Foundation.
This is both national and international endorsement of the Navy
as an organisation that understands its business, understands
how its resources are allocated and an organisation that is
disciplined about its strategic direction. Winning the Award has
been a journey of 10 years duration—a testament to the shared
vision of successive Chiefs of Navy over that time, and indicative of
an organisation that is responsive to change and achieving value
for money for the Government and people of New Zealand.
We’ve demonstrated operational efficiency and effectiveness
in successful frigate deployments in the Pacific, Australia and
South East Asia, accompanied by ENDEAVOUR. We’ve shown
preparedness and responsiveness in our contribution to Operation
Tsunami Relief in the South West Pacific.
Two tragic events in the Pacific demonstrated the skills, and
the values of Navy people. I’m thinking of the Ships’ Companies
in MANAWANUI and CANTERBURY, and the Operational Diving
Team in the aftermath of both the ferry tragedy in Tonga and the
tsunami in Samoa. Not only did the crews do their jobs—often in
difficult circumstances—but they did it in a way that was deeply
appreciated in the Islands, and well-recognised by the public in
New Zealand. I know that every man and woman in the Navy
would have taken the same approach to this work had they
been deployed.
A positive highlight of the year has been the acceptance into the
fleet of four new ships. The four Inshore Patrol Vessels are superb
ships that are already demonstrating their value to the Navy and
New Zealand. Delivery of our first OPV, OTAGO, is not far off.
It’s not only the officers and crews of the ships who should be
thanked, but the teams of shore-based staff in MOET and Fleet
Support. And let’s not forget the Fleet Support Organisation’s
achievement of ISO 9001:2008 in August of this year—again
international recognition of best business practices.
So we have much success to reflect on and much to look
forward to in 2010. The navigation track next year is set but we
need to be always alert, responsive to the presence of rocks and
shoals which may mean minor course alterations. Nevertheless
the Navy is in a great position, to create the navigation plan
for 2010.
So here’s wishing you all in Te Iwi Heremana, and your families,
the compliments of the Christmas and New Year season. Enjoy
your break!
oNE EvENT THiS yEAR HAS DEmoNSTRATED THAT THE
NAvy HAS A CoRPoRATE oRGANiSATioN, To SUPPoRT
oUR SHiPS AND PEoPlE, THAT iS WoRlD ClASS.
CHRiSTmAS GREETiNGS
This is the 150th issue of Navy Today, since it began in June 1996. Mr Jo
Bunce was the original Editor and I have been the Editor since February
2001, Issue 52. Back then only the special Christmas issues were over
40 pages. Now, most issues of NT are over 40 pages, reflecting the larger
number of ships in our fleet, their wide range of activities and the many
achievements in our shore bases by the people who support the fleet.
NT is a proven communications link across the Navy and to the
wider Navy family. The magazine is specifically mentioned in the Navy’s
Business Excellence applications, as an integral part of the Navy’s
approach to celebrating success.
NT has ‘fathered’ Sea Cadet News (a quarterly insert) and the Navy
Museum’s periodic companion journal, The White Ensign, as well as
gathering up Ahead & Astern, the Navy’s annual report. And one article
for NT, about WWII MTB operations, led directly to the recent book Fire
Sugar, Fire Pudding, by Pat CLark-Hall.
Our thanks to all the contributors, letter writers, emailers, photographers,
illustrators and designers. Special thanks to Sarah Gibson (nee Courtney)
who from issue 80 designed NT and gave the magazine its current look.
And particular thanks to the Chiefs of Navy who have overseen NT and
supported the editors. RichaRd Jackson
sesquicentennial issue!FRom the editoR:
N T 1 5 0 D E C E M B E R 0 9 W W W . N A V Y . M I L . N Z 3W W W . N A V Y . M I L . N Z2 N T 1 5 0 D E C E M B E R 0 9
In late 1998 the then Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral
Wilson, decided to adopt an international
business standard—the Baldrige Criteria—as
a tool to drive productivity and organisational
improvement in the Navy. RA Wilson recognised
that to achieve operational excellence during
tight financial times the Navy needed to
become world-class in the way its support
organisation operated.
RA Wilson’s decision has been continued by
successive Chiefs of Navy. According to RA
Tony Parr, who accepted the Gold Award from
His Excellency the Governor-General the Hon
Sir Anand Satyanand, the Navy’s determination
to achieve excellence is testament to the shared
vision of successive Chiefs of Navy, and Navy
leadership.
“It took courage to start this process in the
first place and to open the organisation up
to external evaluation. It took commitment
from successive CNs to confront the changes
needed and to maintain the momentum over
ten years, and it took comradeship among Navy
leadership and personnel to make it happen.”
“Operational excellence in the delivery of
maritime military capability is our ultimate goal
but we know that we can only achieve this if we
have excellent business processes to keep our
ships at sea and our people trained, competent
and motivated. The award, and the rigorous
evaluation process it involves, demonstrates that
the Navy understands its business, understands
how its resources are allocated and is disciplined
about its strategic direction.”
In 1999, the RNZN joined the New Zealand
Quality Foundation [now called the NZ Business
Excellence Foundation]. The Foundation is
dedicated to improving the overall performance
of NZ organisations and promotes an evaluation
process under the internationally recognised
Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence.
The NZBEF includes many large businesses, as
well as local government and other government
departments. The Navy, therefore, was not only
measuring itself against them but also learning
from them.
To drive the business excellence process the
B U S i N E S S E X C E l l E N C E B U S i N E S S E X C E l l E N C E
By Commander Karl Woodhead mnZm, rnZn;
d ireCtor naval exCellenCe
As DNx I’m often asked how we will know when the Navy has reached its vision to be the best? My
answer is that our external evaluation results will tell us, and when we reach Gold we can assume
that we are at or near our vision. Because a Gold Award literally translates as “world class.”
The next question that is thrown at me is “What happens once we’ve got a Gold; will we need
a new vision?” My answer is always an emphatic “No!” And the reason is simple—while it might
be tempting to take the foot off the gas, we have to recognise that we are in an endurance race,
a bit like Bathurst, but even tougher as our race doesn’t have a finish line.
So the best that we can say is: after a decade of commitment, we currently have the lead. It
is something in which we can take considerable pride and draw a lot of confidence from as we
have shown that we’ve got what it takes. It is definitely worth celebrating!
But having taken the lead, the last thing we can afford to do is have a pit stop. We know that
our competitors will be continuously improving the performance of their cars, keeping their pedals
firmly to the metal, so we are compelled to do the same. Quite apart from this, we owe it to all
New Zealanders to always be the best small-nation navy in the world.
GolD AND THE NAvy’S viSioN
Naval Excellence programme was established.
Known as Nx the programme initially employed
an Nx Coach and an Nx Quality Council was
formed. This evolved into what is now the Nx
Office, which provides the policy, and guidance
and training for the whole programme under
CN’s leadership.
Commander Karl Woodhead, the Navy’s
Director of Naval Excellence, observes that the
Nx Office evolved and innovated in tandem with
the rest of the Navy as it progressed towards
achieving Gold. “The Office began as the Navy’s
'Engine Room' of business excellence. We then
added the 'Ops Room' of Navy’s performance
measurement and risk management, and in
the last three years the Office expanded to
include a 'Chart Room/Navigation capability'
of strategic planning and management, which
included establishing the means to implement
plans.”
The concept of a single office that combines
strategy, performance, business excellence,
risk, and programme and project support has
become a template that other organisations
are now following. As CDR Woodhead explains
“This ensures that the Navy is doing the right
things, doing them the right way, doing them
well, and getting the right outcomes—we
have decreased the reliance on hope and
significantly increased the chances of hitting
our targets.”
The NZBEF assessments, approximately
THE BEST SMALL-NATION NAVY IN THE WORLDNZBEF AWARD RECiPiENTS iN lAST DECADE (highest award achieved)GolDroyal new Zealand navyvero insurancenZ aluminium SmeltersSilvERWhangarei district CouncilKerridge and Partnershutt City Councillivestock improvement Corporationaccident Compensation Corporationauckland regional Councildegussa Peroxide ltdtrade new Zealandaustralia nZ direct lineBRoNZEmetso mineralsCity Care ltdnew Zealand Fire ServiceGracelands vocational trusthorner and Partners ltdCoca-Cola amitil ltdovERSEAS GolD EqUivAlENTSBmW tnt express nokia mobile Phones SGS thomson microelectronicstexas instruments rank xerox Source: NZBEF
two-yearly, served as an indicator of how well
our “continuous improvement” journey was
going. Our first application for assessment, in
2001, proved to be very helpful in identifying
opportunities for improvement. Our second and
third applications showed we had made further
improvements.
Responding to the observations from those
three applications and subsequent “feed-back”
reports, 2009 saw the Navy’s fourth application.
This was another chance to measure our
progress—and identify opportunities to do
things even better. It was rewarded with the
highest award possible, a Gold Award, proof
that we have come far over the past 10 years
on our journey to “organisational excellence.”
And by this measure at least, it is proof that we
have realised our vision: “to be the best small-
nation navy in the world!”
The Award to the Navy on 20 November of the internationally-recognised, and highest-possible, Business Excellence Gold Award, marks the pinnacle of the Navy’s decade-long efforts to improve its organisational performance. In this feature we celebrate this unparalleled success as the only New Zealand public sector organisation—and only military force anywhere in the world—to have achieved such a standard.
WoRlD ClASS!
BY uNDERTAkINg THE NZBEF’S EVALuATIONS
WE, THE NAVY, HAVE BEEN ABLE TO pROVE WE ARE
‘NuMBER ONE.’
THE DiRECToR NX, CDR WooDHEAD, ACCEPTS THE AWARD CERTiFiCATE FRom THE GovERNoR-GENERAl AS CN looKS oN.
REAR ADmiRAlS WilSoN, lEDSoN & mCHAFFiE (STANDiNG, l To R) WiTH CN (HolDiNG THE GolD AWARD) THE GovERNoR-GENERAl AND mR miKE
WATSoN, CEo oF NZBEF. PHoToS: NZBEF
W W W . N A V Y . M I L . N ZW W W . N A V Y . M I L . N Z4 N T 1 5 0 D E C E M B E R 0 9 N T 1 5 0 D E C E M B E R 0 9 5
THE BEST SMALL-NATION NAVY IN THE WORLDB U S i N E S S E X C E l l E N C E B U S i N E S S E X C E l l E N C E
The benefits that Nx has delivered to the Navy
can and should be recognised and celebrated
as a Navy success. While the role of the various
CNs has been an important element in the
Navy’s Nx story, it would be wrong to overstate
that importance relative to the importance of
the commitment and contribution made by
other people in the organisation — uniformed
and civilian and at all levels.
I was fortunate to be closely involved in Nx
at its genesis. I was Captain Fleet Support
at the time and, from my perspective, there
were two people who were key to getting
the 'flywheel’ moving. The first was Admiral
Wilson, who identified the Baldrige Criteria
as the right framework to support the Navy’s
quest for excellence—and so showed us the
‘flywheel’.
The second was Bryan Travers who came
onboard as our ‘Nx Coach’. Bryan had
extensive commercial experience and it was
he who helped us get the ‘flywheel’ slowly, but
surely, trundling around. He had an important
influence on six foundation principles:
that our Vision ‘to be the best small-nation •
Navy in the world’ (kia mau mana motuhake
e te taua moana o te ao) was a mountain
worth trying to climb
When I took over as the Chief of Navy in 1997,
I was acutely conscious of the changes and
challenges I could see ahead:
The end of steam was approaching •
[WAIKATO, WELLINGTON & CANTERBURY
were all in commission] and our seagoing
manpower requ i rements wou ld be
decreasing, but we had alarming skill
shortages.
A Defence Assessment was about to •
conclude that the Navy should maintain not
less than three surface combatants (down
from four), but a third frigate to join TE KAHA
and TE MANA was still controversial.
We had deployed peacekeepers to •
Bougainville, with significant involvement
by our ships and sailors.
But shilly-shallying over the modifications •
to CHARLES UPHAM meant the intended
Navy sea-lift support for our ground forces
could not be supplied.
These and other issues were weighing heavily,
and often unfairly, on many people. But there
was no silver bullet so I embarked on a series
of innovations to refresh our practices and
policies. These included:
Establishing the Warrant Officer of the Navy •
position
Ensuring women were fairly represented on •
promotion boards
Changing the Navy’s logo and encouraging •
its use
TEN YEARS AgO THE NAVY BEgAN ITS jOuRNEY TO BuSINESS ExcELLENcE. NAVY TODAY INVITED THE THREE cHIEFS OF NAVY WHO kEpT THE NAVY ON
THIS pATH, TO REFLEcT ON THEIR Nx ExpERIENcE.
HoW oUR NX joURNEy BEGAN By RA K F WilSoN CBE, lvo, jP, RNZN (RTD)
THE NAvy’S NX SToRy By RA DAviD lEDSoN oNZm (RTD)
RA K F WilSoN
RA DAviD lEDSoN
RA PETER mCHAFFiE
During my term the fundamentals of our Nx
programme saw the organisation both internally
and externally prepared for, and fully committed
to, change. I was indeed fortunate that the
process was well embedded at the start of my
tenure. How else could we have forged ahead
with developing such extensive force structure
and operational changes (ships, personnel and
joint operations) and still meet the ever-present
demands on our ships and people?
The full participation of all in the Navy
contributed to the process. We were clearly
able to measure our progress and we were
entirely honest across the board about where
we might be lacking and what needed to be
done. Consequently, we had the trust of those
who were important to us.
Significant steps were made; with the
introduction of the new ships and a continuing
demanding environment, the Nx programme
is going from strength to strength. I for one
am a convert and our Navy’s commitment
to Business Excellence is indeed clearly a
significant cornerstone of the success that the
Navy of today enjoys.
ra Peter mChaFF ie CnZm, oBe (rtd)
Commissioning a new website, and•
Introducing core values of Commitment, •
Courage and Comradeship
While these changes conveyed a forward-
looking ethos, I knew they would have a
transitory effect unless they were rooted
in something more enduring. We needed
a framework to function and perform, with
the flexibility to adapt to circumstances and
challenges, without losing our fundamental
strengths.
I had long been a strong advocate for
subjecting our ships to external assessment.
While an inspection by the Maritime Commander
of the day could always be guaranteed to
spruce things up, they were largely subjective
and organisationally introverted tests. Only by
the use of outsiders conducting the exam could
we be certain that the basics were not being
compromised by our own small size. This led
me to think about an organisational review
process—an inspection of the whole Navy—by
external assessors. It was all very well saying
we were the best small navy around, but unless
there was a bench-marking process to justify
the claim, they were hollow words.
There were many ‘corporate betterment’
activities at the time, advocated by proponents
ranging from snake-oil salesmen to former stars
of Monty Python. However some either did not
have the breadth required, or were process-
focussed. After a lot of research, the Baldrige
process represented the only viable solution.
Not only was it proven internationally to be
applicable to government organisations, it was
very active in New Zealand and its membership
included many respected companies and
entities in local and central government.
However, in late 1998 I f irst sought a
commitment from all the Commodores and
Captains. At a meeting I pointed out that my
successor and theirs were present in the room,
but unless everyone agreed to the approach
it would not proceed. That commitment was
necessary to ensure my idea was not a flash
in the pan; their support for this approach was
unanimous.
Moving on from that point was sti l l not
stra ightforward. Some of the h iccups
included:
Choosing an NZBEF-accredited training •
prov ider ; our coach proved to be
excellent.
Having to defend the process to the CDF •
of the day.
Combating a reluctance to be identified •
with the programme (the first three Nx
Newsletters I wrote, produced and photo-
copied them myself!)
However persistence prevailed. I gave our
new programme what I thought was a catchy
title—Nx—which was modelled after the symbol
for a medical prescription and in 1999 the Navy
adopted it. My successor and his successor
perpetuated the programme with enthusiasm,
and now the results are visible to all.
that Nx was fundamentally about cultural •
change
that the ‘improvement journey’ would take •
a long time—at least ten years
that Nx was about achieving excellence—•
genuine and sustainable excellence. It was
not about winning awards.
that the Navy be prepared to look for •
best practice ‘outside’ and to see that as
presenting opportunities and not threats,
and
that to be ‘excellent’ brings additional costs •
in the short term—the benefits lie near or
over the planning horizon.
As I reflect on the reasons the Navy has been
successful, it comes down to making more
right decisions than wrong ones—and learning
the right lessons from mistakes. However, as
I ponder a relatively long list of both big and
little things, I can think of at least six that I
consider critical.
oNE. The Baldrige Criteria provided the right
‘cultural change/continuous improvement/
pursuit of excellence’ framework for the Navy.
Baldrige was the ‘right’ criteria for us because
they provided a world class benchmark and
were descriptive, so they could be shaped
to suit the Navy rather than the Navy having
to be shaped to fit tightly into a commercial
template.
TWo. A critical mass of ‘missionaries’ was able
to be developed; they were put in the right
places and sustained their commitment—they
kept that old flywheel moving. The mass of
‘mercenaries’ [those resistant to change] was
never able to attain sufficient weight to either
slow or reverse the flywheel of change.
THREE. The role played by the NZBEF and
their external evaluators. The external
evaluators are a motivated group from large
and small organisations of all types, who
are committed to organisational excellence.
Their regular evaluations of the Navy enabled
our improvement journey to be charted and
significant course alterations to be identified
and executed. The work of various teams over
the last decade has been of incredible value.
FoUR. The establishment of the Nx Office.
This office was key to efforts to make the
momentum of the flywheel self-sustaining—in
a sense, they provide the oil that can be applied
to the axle when it’s needed. High calibre
and highly skilled and motivated people have
made that office an integral part of the Navy’s
successes. There is no doubt, that as the Nx
programme has enabled the Navy to ‘lift its
game’ so, too, have the skills inside the Nx
Office been lifted.
FivE. The effective deployment of the Vision
and Core Values—our 3Cs—right across the
Navy. The 3Cs have been especially important
because they have such an important influence
on the core culture of the Navy and the
organisational response to our improvement
journey. They are, in a sense, the Navy’s ‘moral
compass’.
SiX. Nx and ‘excellence’ were made part of
what the Navy did — a characteristic of ‘the
Navy way’. I recall that in the early days of Nx,
some people would say that they had no time
for Nx because it interfered with their ‘proper’
jobs. They didn’t ‘get it’ about continuous
improvement. Today, though, more people get
it than don’t.
What is interesting about the Nx programme
is that for much of the last ten years the focus of
many people has been on using it as a vehicle
for process improvement—that is, they saw
great organisations as being fundamentally
characterised by great processes. However,
today great organisations understand that
while processes are important, it is the ‘social’
context in which they operate that is the
critical point of difference between ‘good’ and
‘excellent’.
As I look back to the Navy of 1999, I think
the greatest effect of Nx and the changes it
has enabled, have been in the quality of the
Navy’s people and the relationship they have
to the Navy—the way they respond to it. It has
had not only a ‘process’ impact but a ‘social’
one too.
So, because it is the right thing to do for
the organisation and the right thing to do for
the people, I trust the Navy will now lift the
bar and move the excellence it has already
demonstrated to a new level.
N T 1 5 0 D E C E M B E R 0 9 W W W . N A V Y . M I L . N Z 7W W W . N A V Y . M I L . N Z6 N T 1 5 0 D E C E M B E R 0 9
D E P l o y E D T A S K G R o U P
Tension between the Democratic Republic of
Plainchance (DRP) and the FPDA nations over
the resource-rich Island of Palau Tioman have
been building for some time. In October the
border dispute reaches breaking point, as a
task force of DRP warships and aircraft confront
FPDA forces in the region. On 20 October “war”
breaks out.
The Operations Room in TE MANA is where
the battle for Palau Tioman is being fought. In
the centre of the darkened Ops Room, the CO
is in his command chair while all around him
the Principal Warfare Officer and his team of
Combat System Operators track formations
of enemy aircraft, surface, and submarine
combatants, on sensor screens.
An attack of DRP Forces is building outside
the air defence boundary of our task group of
frigates and patrol craft. Inside the Operations
Room the boundary between reality and
simulation quickly blurs as information streams
in from our sensors, and operators call out the
latest plot.
“Red air contacts, 25 and closing.”“Attack building, attack building.”“Exocet, Exocet launch, 2 minutes time on top, range 20.”
The room is hot and the floor shakes as the
ship runs at 27 knots, heeling to port then
starboard as she takes evasive action. Over
the headsets the pace of the battle builds as
new contacts are reported, and the path of the
Exocet missile targeting us is called out.
“Surface contact.”“Range 12 and closing.””Blue surface contact.””Exocet, 1 minute closing.”
“Bam, bam, bam”—a heavy machinegun opens up from the upper deck, then TE MANA
heels sharply to starboard in an attempt to
shake the missile. Over the main broadcast
comes the order “Brace, Brace, Brace” and
operators grab at overhead rails.
“Fire, Fire, Fire, 3 Kilo.”“medic, medic, Casualty in the ops
Room.”We’re hit. A crew member in the Control
Room collapses and medics come running to
carry the man out. Around the ship the exercise
steps up another level as damage is reported to
Damage Control HQ and fire and flood teams
race to their posts.
“Everyone – keep your eye on the ball, concentrate,” calls the Chief operations Room Supervisor.
The intensity of the simulated attack peaks,
with damage control reports flooding in, and
Department Heads reporting the situation to
the CO. The smell of smoke permeates the
Ops Room, while damage control teams in full
fire and breathing apparatus work to bring fires
under control and restore damaged systems.
Meanwhile, on the sensor screens, another
attack is building. Around us TE MANA’s
systems are coming back online and she
prepares to keep on fighting the battle for
Pulau Tioman.
CommAND PRioRiTy:
FIGHT!
D E P l o y E D T A S K G R o U P
By andreW Cutler, navy CommuniCationS manaGeron 20 october the frigate te mana went to war in the South China Sea. it was an exercise, of course, but for four days the crew of 170 faced an intense and demanding simulation that tested the frigate’s systems and the training and endurance of her people.
the rnZn’s combat force of te mana and te Kaha, supported by the tanker endeavour participate in multi-national exercises every year to prepare the ships and their sailors for combat at sea. october’s exercise was organised by the Singapore armed Forces and involved 16 warships, nearly 60 aircraft, and personnel from Singapore, malaysia, new Zealand, australia and the uK.
the Battle FoR PUlaU tiomanCommAND Aim: DEFEND THE TiomAN iSlANDS CommAND PRioRiTy: FiGHT
The training never ends for the ship’s company
of a frigate on deployment. For three and a
half months they exercise damage control,
combat systems, the operations room, bridge,
engineering and flight crew. The intense training
ensures the crew and systems are prepared for
any eventuality and ready to fight the ship to
the best of its capability.
Over the deployment the training becomes
more complex as the ship works up toward
the Live Exercise phase where all the ship’s
systems will be tested during a simulated
conflict. Smoke grenades are used to imitate
fires or toxic chemical emergencies; fire crews
train in full breathing apparatus and anti-flash
combat gear; multiple emergencies happen
at the same time. Adding to the pressure is
the heat and humidity as the ship heads north
toward the exercise area in the South China
Sea.
The purpose of the training is to achieve
combat readiness. Achieving this means the
crew and ship are capable of responding to any
mission required by our government. In recent
years those situations have included peace
keeping operations around Timor Leste and
anti-terrorism patrols in the Persian Gulf.
The Anzac frigates are the only ships in
our fleet capable of being sent into conflict
situations. While the inshore and offshore
patrol vessels in our fleet are highly capable,
they are not designed for combat. Our frigates,
with their damage control systems, multiple
redundancies in key equipment and highly
trained crews, are designed to take damage
and keep fighting.
intenSity, ComPlexity, enduranCe
THE iNTENSE TRAiNiNG ENSURES THE CREW AND SySTEmS ARE PREPARED FoR ANy EvENTUAliTy AND READy To FiGHT THE SHiP To THE BEST oF iTS CAPABiliTy.
Mission ControlCo-ordinating a mission to harass enemy
ships by directing TE MANA’s Seasprite
helo is all part of the day’s work for Leading
Seaman Andre Taikato, a Combat Systems
Specialist. Andre grew up in Whangmata and
joined the Navy in 2000. He’s now training
to become an Operations Room Supervisor.
Andre says the reality of patrolling in a
place like the Arabian Gulf brings home the
importance of training and preparation.
“Exercises like the one we’re doing now
are important, because in high risk areas you
have to be prepared for anything. I was in
the Arabian Gulf in 2003 as part of Operation
Enduring Freedom, and every day we
boarded vessels searching for weapons.”
After eight years as a combat system
specialist, working the radar and sensor
systems which protect the ship, Andre says
he is looking forward to taking on more
responsibility in the supervisor’s role.
“I’ve gained a lot of skills over the last eight
years, and now I’ve got the chance to share
some of that with newer crew members, and
take my work to a higher level, co-ordinating
the work of all the system operators. It’s a
great challenge and a real opportunity.”
TE mANA PURSUES ENDEAvoUR AS oUR TANKER PlAyS THE RolE oF A SUSPECT
mERCHANT SHiP.
THE DRP “BATTlE FlAG.”
DAmAGE CoNTRol TEAm mEmBER AT WoRK.
HmA SHiPS DARWiN (04) ARUNTA (151) AND ANZAC (150).
mAlAySiAN F-18
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EXERCiSE lioN ZEAl RAS WiTH KD lEKiU By lt JaCinda JohnSton,
hmnZS te mana
On 30 September TE MANA sailed from
Changi Naval Base, Singapore, in company
with RSS SUPREME (Formidable-class frigate),
RSS VALOUR (Victory-class corvette) and
ENDEAVOUR, to participate in Exercise LION
ZEAL.
This year’s LION ZEAL was the tenth annual
bilateral exercise held between the Republic
of Singapore Navy (RSN) and the RNZN. The
exercise objectives were:
to strengthen the relationship•
to enhance mutual cooperation and •
understanding
to enhance interoperability between the •
two navies.
to provide opportunities for interaction •
and exchange of best practices in frigate
operations.
A THREE PHASE EXERCiSE SHORE PHASE (28 – 30 September) This was
a valuable opportunity for sharing professional
experiences. The RSN gave a presentation on
their experiences operating in the Gulf of Aden,
and we reciprocated with a presentation on
Ship-borne aviation by LTCDR Shaun Quinn,
our Flight Commander. This was followed by
a cross-deck familiarisation visit between the
aircrew.
The RSN participants observed a MOET-
run fire exercise on board ENDEAVOUR, and
we saw a DC demonstration onboard RSS
SUPREME. Also, combined ‘sea-check’ teams
were formed with members of our MOET and
the RSN Sea-Readiness Assessors, so that
the green uniforms of the evaluators were
distributed throughout the four ships.
SEA PHASE (30 September – 01 October)
We got down to business with warfare serials:
Air Defence against F-16s and Electronic
Warfare platforms, surface gunnery against
‘killer tomatoes’, and combined submarine
tracking against a simulated submarine target
(an EMATT). RSS VIGOUR and RSS INTREPID
joined the task group for a night encounter
exercise, to test each nation’s skill in tracking
opposing forces whilst remaining undetected.
SHORE COMPLETION PHASE (02 Oct 09)
On the final day, a sports tournament was
hosted by the RSN to further enhance
interaction between personnel of both navies.
With mixed teams over a range of sports, we
had too much fun to keep score!
By lSCS m r Betty,
hmnZS endeavour
On 12 October ENDEAVOUR conducted
a Replenishment At Sea (RAS) with the
Malaysian frigate KD LEKIU. This was the
second time LEKIU had conducted a RAS with
ENDEAVOUR, but that was sometime ago with
a different crew, and it would be the first time
ever that the RNZN actually pumped fuel to
a Royal Malaysian Navy vessel. Most of their
crew had never seen or participated in a RAS
before. As the RMN doesn’t have a tanker of
its own, they rely on those from other navies,
and rarely practice refuelling.
We were all interested to see how LEKIU’s
RAS Deck Party would fare; replenishing fuel
with a hose slung between two ships doing 12
knots means safety is important. The Seamen
on the RAS deck have to be well trained and
well versed in the procedures, and safety
conscious. Prior to this RAS serial, when
we were alongside in Sembawang, LEKIU’s
team had visited ENDEAVOUR to review our
equipment and procedures.
But as the serial at sea took place, we noted
some unconventional practices. About half-
way through the evolution, LEKIU’s Executive
Officer called up and advised that he was not
happy with the event and they would do some
more study before returning to RAS another
day. On board ENDEAVOUR we agreed and
the decision was made to discontinue the
evolution and try again. “RAS complete” was
signalled, all lines were passed back and the
ships parted.
With time in hand, the CO ENDEAVOUR
offered a member of our RAS Deck Party to go
to LEKIU to assist in the evolution, and practice
our method of passing and returning gear. This
was accepted and within ten minutes I was in
the sea boat on my way to the Malaysian vessel.
Once onboard I was met by the leader of the
RAS party (who had not done one since 2002)
and their Buffer (Chief Bosun’s Mate) who had
never participated in a RAS before.
Trying to explain the sequence of events
was difficult; the language barrier didn’t help.
There were only three personnel who could
speak English in their RAS Party of 40. But they
listened enthusiastically to everything I said. I
briefed the full sequence of events, and drew a
few pictures to help them understand.
Once more they set up the l ines and
equipment and were ready to go. Flag Romeo
WE GoT DoWN To BUSiNESS WiTH WARFARE SERiAlS: AiR DEFENCE AGAiNST F-16S AND ElECTRoNiC WARFARE PlATFoRmS; SURFACE GUNNERy AGAiNST ‘KillER TomAToES’ AND ComBiNED SUBmARiNE TRACKiNG AGAiNST A SimUlATED SUBmARiNE TARGET
was raised and we came into position alongside
ENDEAVOUR. This time all lines were passed,
the procedures on board LEKIU went well and
fuel was delivered successfully. Their crew were
very grateful and are now looking forward to
doing it again.
While my time on LEKIU was short, I was
impressed by their determination to learn the
correct procedures for what is, to them, an
unusual evolution.
TE mANA ANCHoRS WiTH THE FlEET oFF PUlAU TiomAN.
RSS vAloUR, RSS SUPREmE & HmNZS ENDEAvoUR
lTCDR CollEEN SmiTH CHECKS THE BARREl oF TE mANA’S 127mm GUN.
ENDEAvoUR SEEN FRom TE mANA’S SEASPRiTE.
KD lEKiU’S RAS PARTy AT WoRK
lSCS BETTy (iN HElmET) WiTH SAiloRS oN lEKiU
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o U R P E o P l E — T R A v E l l E R S ’ T A l E S
By lt JaCinda JohnSton, hmnZS te
mana
TE MANA and ENDEAVOUR sailed in company
from Darwin and our two ships were kept
busy with combined training on passage to
Singapore. We conducted Flying ops, RAS(L)
serials and Night Steam exercises, plus a light
jackstay personnel transfer to enable sailors
from TE MANA to find out exactly where our
fuel comes from.
On 25 September as we passed through the
Java Sea, TE MANA crossed the equator at
longitude 106°E.
B y a C h a Z r o B u S t a n d a S C S G h
Smith, hmnZS endeavour
On Sunday 9 October we were selected to
cross deck with the guided missile frigate
HMAS DARWIN. With not much information on
what to expect, we headed off in the seaboat,
enjoying a smooth ride across calm waters. As
soon as we stepped onboard ASCS Smith was
directed by the Chief Bosun’s Mate (CBM) to
close up on their gun direction platform. That
day the frigate was conducting live firing with
the 76mm gun, and it felt like every shell that
fired, shook the whole ship.
ACH Robust was sent away to their galley.
But we both had a chance to fully explore our temporary home. It’s quite a different experience going onto other ships; you notice what equipment they have that is different from ours, and we certainly noticed all the extra personnel they have. ENDEAVOUR’s company totals 49 personnel, but DARWIN’s is 205. They’re actually over the normal crewing levels for this type of ship, which makes life harder for the chefs!
The hospitality on DARWIN was invigorating. Everyone we spoke to and met were welcoming and more then happy to show us their facilities around the ship. One area that amazed us both was the sleeping accommodation. The
By andreW Cutler
It’s mid-afternoon in the South China Sea and
Able Marine Technician Hayley Gledhill from
Palmerston North is doing maintenance in
the helicopter fuel pump compartment of TE
MANA. Hayley had tried normal 9 – 5 jobs, but
they didn’t give her the challenge or opportunity
to keep learning that she wanted.
Since joining the Navy in 2007 Hayley has
done nine months shore training in Marine
Engineering, and some specialist training on
electrical systems. Now an AMT(L) [the ‘L’
stands for Electrical in naval terminology) she’s
part of the team that maintains and repairs the
ship’s electrical, plumbing, refrigeration and air
conditioning systems.
“Basically we keep the ship running, but
during action stations I have two jobs—mobile
repair and being part of the Forward Damage
Control team. If a compartment was damaged
I’d be part of the team who attack the fire.”
Hayley is working toward full certification as
an electrician, and eventually she could qualify
to operate the frigate’s engines and propulsion
systems. Hayley has also realised her dream
of travelling, and in the last year has been
to Qindao in China, Hong Kong, Singapore,
Darwin, Brisbane and Malaysia.
KEEPING TE MANA PUMPING
By oCo r iChard CooK & oCh Penehe
Sola, hmnZS endeavour
ENDEAVOUR’s passage to Cairns last
September was a chance for the new members
of our ship’s company to get their sea legs
and for some to become familiar with Navy-
issue sea sickness patches and pills. The sea
sickness was quickly overcome and by the third
day many could go without the patches.
Driving through the water for seven days non-
stop was a new experience for some of us.
Every day at sea brings something new—even
the movement of the ship through the water
felt different each day. But when we got to see
Australia, it felt so good to see land again! It’s
a feeling you can’t forget.
During our passage north, we conducted
Damage Control Circuit Training to refresh us all
on the basics, to assist newly joined personnel
to find their way around, and to get the Ordinary
Ratings and others new to sea life familiar with
the Damage Control routines
on ENDEAVOUR. It was an
excellent way to remember and
apply everything we learned in the flood and
fire units at the Damage Control School. The
rules of shoring, three elements needed for a
fire and the different pumps used on RNZN
ships—ENDEAVOUR’s pumps have to be
intrinsically safe, for example.
We also had a chance to stop the ship at sea
and conduct a ‘Hands to Bathe’ one day. And
although ENDEAVOUR might not look that high
out of the water, it’s a different matter when you
jump off the side!
After a great visit to Cairns in Queensland,
we rendezvoused with TE MANA off the Great
Barrier Reef, to start our time in company
with her and begin the ongoing training and
exercising serials that were the purpose of our
deployment.
oN PASSAGE
DEvoNPorT To CAIrNs
CrossING ThE LINE
SoUTH CHiNA SEA
Cross DECKING WITh hMAs DArWIN
female Junior Ratings’ compartment sleeps 30 and the males fit 70 in one massive mess deck.
All-in-all that day was a great learning experience. Being in a different working environment made us appreciate what we have and how we work, but also gave us a view of other ways of doing things. The day was great fun and we hope to get another opportunity soon.
“Do you hear there, OOW speaking. The
ship will cross the equator in approximately 10
minutes time. All those personnel wishing to
observe the equatorial buoys which mark the
division between the Northern and Southern
hemispheres, are welcome to do so from the
bridge-wings”.
I struggled to keep a straight face as eager
new members of our ship’s company rushed
up to the bridge to borrow binoculars or use
the ‘big eyes’. The equator buoys are akin to
other mythical creatures of the sea; so imagine
my surprise when I hear “I think I can see one,
Ma’am, at Green 45!”
At the same time I wondered just how many
people checked their basins to see if the water
really does swirl the other way.
That day we held the time-honoured Crossing
the Line ceremony, in which all Pollywogs
onboard were initiated by King Neptune’s
Court. On completion of the ceremony,
TE MANA stopped for a refreshing ‘hands to
bathe’ before we proceeded toward the busy
Singapore Straits and our berth at Singapore’s
naval base.
HmAS DARWiN
NEW SHEllBACKS PoSE oN
ComPlETioN oF THE CEREmoNy
THE Co BoWS To KiNG NEPTUNE
oCH PENEHE SolA
HANDS To BATHE — TWo
DivE FRom TE mANA.
AmT HAlEy GlEDHill
24 noveMber: TE mANA REGAiNS THE loU SmiTH RUGBy CUP!
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o U R P E o P l E — T R A v E l l E R S ’ T A l E S
I joined the Navy after completing my 7th form
year, and signed up in January 2006. My home
province is Taranaki, and I grew up on a couple
of farms in both Manaia and Eltham. My main
high school was Stratford High.
I trained as a Hydrographer, so my first
sea experience was in the RESOLUTION.
After coming ashore again and gaining my
Nav Yeo [Navigator’s Yeoman] qualification, I
was posted as Nav Yeo in TE KAHA. While
onboard I enjoyed two South East Asian
deployments, and I was also sent as a relief
Nav Yeo to CANTERBURY. After 18 months
in TE KAHA I was sent back to RESOLUTION
to re-aquaint with the world of Drogging, but
I then commenced my HCM conversion.
While onboard TE KAHA I had developed
an interest about the “back end” of the ship
where all the exciting things seemed to take
place—plus the Seasprite would often keep
me, and others, awake at night! So I decided
to check it out. I was given an “air experience”
flight with LHCM Strickland (now POHCM)
and it all escalated from there. That year I took
the time to find out exactly what the roles and
responsibilities of a Helo Crewman were.
Late last year I decided that I would apply
for a position as an HCM for the Navy. In
early 2009 I spent three weeks working from
Whenuapai with No 6 SQN learning and doing
exactly what the HCMs do. After some time my
application was sent through to the selection
board, and I was invited to attend PERSEL
[RNZAF personnel selection] in April 2009.
The conversion phase kicked off for me and
nine course-mates with the RNZAF Survival
School course at Whenuapai. Those two weeks
included most nights spent under parachutes
in the bush, a few morning frosts, and six days
spent on the run and hungry out at Ardmore.
(and a long wait because of a broken-down
Mog [Unimog truck]). A few kgs lighter from all
that fun, we then had various courses including:
Parachute Use, Human Factors Affecting
Flying, and Aviation-Related Illness. Finally there
was a month on course at Ohakea to introduce
us all to the world of military aviation.
On completion of these courses, I began my
Iroquois conversion with No3 SQN at Ohakea.
Having been on course for three month, I am
now thoroughly enjoying the change. Although
it’s still a while off yet, I can’t wait to get to
Whenuapai and begin flying on the ‘Sprites and
working with everyone else already up there.
The HCM conversion course has been
exactly what I thought it would be. For me it’s
a perfect change to my career and although
it's been challenging at times I’ve found it to
be very rewarding. It’s been great having all the
support of Crewman already in the job, both Air
Force and Navy, and always knowing if there’s
something you’re not sure about, they’re more
than happy to help.
My sPorTs!Given that I had spent a lot of my naval career
at sea, I haven’t yet had the time to commit
to a sports team ashore, since playing for the
Northcote Tigers (softball) in 2007. My hobbies
now include riding my motorbike, 4WD-ing, and
wakeboarding. I’m able to follow these pretty
much anytime, which suits the job a lot more
than a being in a scheduled sports team.
I always enjoyed the sports events at sea
that the PTIs arranged; though I admit to losing
two cricket bats overboard in a single game of
flight-deck cricket. One special highlight was
the 2007 Inter-mess Volleyball on TE KAHA!
RNZAF oHAKEA
hELo CrEWMAN
AHSo Tiffany Kalin has recently qualif ied as the Navy’s f irst female Helicopter Crewman; current ly working with RNZAF No3 SqN in ohakea, she descr ibes how she began th is ro le…
By lana KnaaPen,
un mil itary oBServer
Although the NZDF contribution to the UN
Truce Supervision Organisation (UNTSO) is
relatively small, there should be no doubting the
impact our contribution has in assisting Israel,
Syria and Lebanon to develop and maintain
peace in the region. As with all Kiwis posted
overseas, we have the knack of just getting
on with the job with the minimum of fuss, a
valuable and much-appreciated talent.
I have found that the role of a UN Military
Observer (UNMO) with UNTSO in Israel is
varied and always interesting. We live in an
Observation Post (OP) for seven days at a time
with an UNMO from another country and for
this you have to be totally self-sufficient—and a
good cook! On average, we spend three weeks
a month at an OP.
Up on the Platform we are responsible •
for watching over the Area of Separation
(AOS) between Syria and Israeli- occupied
Golan, ensuring any breaches of the
1974 Agreement on Disengagement are
reported.
On patrol we are responsible for observing •
military activities, gauging civilian attitudes
to the UN and, most importantly, reporting
any activities that are, or could lead to, a
violation of the Agreement.
The key to the 1974 Agreement is fortnightly
Inspections, which are conducted on Israeli
Defence Force and Syrian Defence Force
ChrIsTMAs IN ThE hoLy LAND
UNiTED NATioNS TRUCE SUPERviSioN oRGANiSATioN
UNTSO was established in 1948 to supervise
the truce agreed at the conclusion of the first
Arab/Israeli War, and was the first peacekeeping
mission to be established by the UN. There
are 23 contributing nations who provide a
total of 148 military observers to monitor the
ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements,
prevent isolated incidents from escalating, and
assist other UN peacekeeping operations in the
region. The NZDF contributes seven officers in
support of UNTSO, including one other naval
member at this time, Brendon Oakley.
positions and units within the Area of Limitation
(AOL). Under that agreement, military equipment
and personnel are accurately counted in order
to ensure the two nations' compliance with the
agreed restrictions and limitations.
For me, living in this part of the world with
its interesting political history and the current
(or more accurately, continuing) situation, is a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Living in Israel,
whilst predominantly quiet and calm, is not
without its security issues. The odd rocket
attack near our accommodation brings home
that this is a volatile part of the world with
longstanding conflicts and hatreds along each
border.
However, it is a real pleasure to be living in an
area that holds so much amazing history. This
area has it all, for religious and architectural
history buffs alike, as well as ordinary people
like me. It also underlines that I come from a
country with a comparatively short history.
As Christmas rushes towards us, we will
all be thinking of our families at home. It will
be strange not to be having a traditional get-
together around a Christmas tree or afternoon
BBQ in the sun. Instead, I will be shivering in
the snow and howling wind as I stand on the
open-decked OP platform! But, all the UNMOs
on duty will be getting together (as much as is
possible) for an ‘untraditional’ Christmas lunch,
so we will spend the day with our comrades
wishing you and your families all the very best
for a safe and happy New Year.
RNZAF iRoqUioS HoiSTS A
STRETCHER AND mEDiC.
A UN oBSERvATioN PoST
AN HCm iN THE CABiN DooR oF AN iRoqUoiS.
NEW HCm TiFFANy KAliN
iSRAEl/SyRiA
DESERT villAGE iN SyRiA
UN iNSPECTioN TEAm AlPHA; lANA KNAAPEN iS 3RD FRom RiGHT
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D i S A S T E R R E l i E F
TSUNAMI RELIEF MISSION CANTERBURy’S
By lt al i hanSen rnZn
Niuatoputapu Island was to become relatively familiar to us over the next while—in three visits we
spent a total of six days only 1000 metres from the reef that surrounds the island. After our initial
visit, we quickly headed to Apia, Samoa, where we offloaded the remainder of our relief supplies
at the main wharf before heading back to Niuatoputapu to land Tongan Government and NZDF
vehicles via our embarked Landing Craft. The two LCMs were essential to the success of the
operation as the island’s reefs preclude all but the smallest vessels getting to shore and there
was no other way to land the vehicles. This was the first time that our landing craft had been
used in this way so it was good to be breaking new ground again.
Our deployment was part of the “recovery phase” of the NZDF’s tsunami relief operation. CANTERBURY delivered 80 tonnes of general aid, 6 tonnes of medical equipment and medical supplies, 7 tonnes of plumbing supplies, 128 tonnes of power poles and Fale poles and 4 tonnes of electrical supplies to Samoa and Tonga
A few fortunate members of our Ship’s Company were able to go ashore for a period and help with the relief effort. We also had a 'Hands to Bathe' whilst at anchor which was really good, we just had to make sure the massive number of whales that we routinely saw were not around at that particular time!
OT(WE) Brad Hansen was one who went ashore at Niuatoputapu: “From where the ship was anchored you couldn’t really see the damage, but as we approached the island in a RHIB—it was extensive. Everything close to the coast was completely destroyed and there was just rubble everywhere. Surprisingly, in the middle of heaps of destroyed buildings there was a church still standing, pretty much intact. When we walked further inland there was only minor damage, though."
The Chief of Navy has announced the Navy’s
Sailor of the year 2009, who is
lET Shaun Taylor, currently serving in
HmNZS ENDEAvoUR.
“i congratulate lET Taylor on his success
and look forward to seeing the Govenor-
General presenting the formal award of the
RNZN Sailor of the year Badge and Citation to
him at Navy Divisions, in january 2010.”
A Selection Board chaired by the Warrant
officer of the Navy, Wo Dean Bloor, and
comprised of WoET Edwin, the Command
Warrant officer PHilomEl, WoSA Hickson,
WoTS Hunt, WoCSS jamieson, WoCSS
mohi and WoCSS Williams, considered six
nominations for the Sailor of the year award.
The other nominated Sailors were:
lCo K A Paisley, HmNZS ENDEAvoUR;•
lSCS m R Betty, HmNZS ENDEAvoUR;•
AWTR m l jellick, Hq jFNZ;•
ASCS j C Bickford, HmNZS NGAPoNA; •
and
AWTR j C Stewart, HmNZS PHilomEl.•
Wo Dean Bloor commented that all the
Sailors nominated were strong candidates
who serve as positive role models throughout
the Navy, by the professionalism they bring to
their jobs and the commitment they show to
the Navy. Their performance and behaviour
demonstrate a clear understanding of what
our Core values, the “3 Cs”, are about. CN
congratulated all the nominees on what
they have achieved and on their nomination
for this award.
As part of his award recognition, lET
Taylor will visit an overseas destination,
a visit designed to give the 2009 Sailor of
the year an enhanced understanding of the
various elements that underpin the Navy’s
Core values.
S A i l o R o F T H E y E A R
By CPoSCS G.t . Waho, CornerStone ChieF Petty oFF iCer
hmnZS endeavour
Leading Electronic Technician Shaun Taylor joined the Navy at 17 on the recommendation of a family
friend. While a 6th former at Maclean’s College, in Auckland, Shaun saw the advanced engineering
work that his friend was doing and he asked where he had learnt how to do that stuff? Shaun’s
friend replied “I’d learnt everything I knew in the Navy”. So Shaun finished his 6th form year and
joined the Navy.
Leaving behind two sisters and a brother at his home in Bucklands Beach (in Auckland’s
Eastern Suburbs) Shaun soon discovered the Navy was the right choice; he was gaining
experience in his chosen field—electronics, while having the opportunity to travel overseas.
Seven years later and onboard ENDEAVOUR, on passage from Jakarta, Indonesia to Darwin,
Australia, LET Taylor was advised of his Sailor of the Year Award. He had recently received the
Sailor of the Quarter Award in ENDEAVOUR, and had been advised that he was also nominated
for RNZN Sailor of the Year. But Shaun really didn’t think he’d be in the running at all. His jaw
dropped when he was advised by the CO on the morning on 12 November; he was shown the
email from the Warrant Officer of the Navy and only then did Shaun take it as being for real.
Since the announcement of the award Shaun has received many congratulatory emails from
superiors and colleagues whom he has worked with (along with a few ribbings). The 2008 Sailor
Of The Year, LSCS Gan Elphick-Moon is also serving in ENDEAVOUR and has been able to mentor
Shaun about the award, giving him an idea of what will be required of him in the following year.
LET Taylor is rapt that his work over the years has paid off and he is now looking forward to
posting ashore and training the new guys coming through. He is also braced for the challenge
of living up to the expectations that the SOTY award brings.
Having spent considerable time at sea over the last few years, Shaun is planning some leave
and travelling to Australia with his girlfriend Sarah to have a holiday. He is also looking forward
to getting back into the sports he enjoys: cycling, running and multisport.
lET SHAUN TAyloR rnZn Sailor oF the year
rnZn SAiloR oF THE yEAR2009 announCed
AmED CATRioNA liNDERS WiTH SomE BoyS FRom FAlEHAU villAGE.
THE SEASPRiTE lANDS ToNGAN AiD STAFF AT NUiAToPUTAPU
oT TARREN mCCUlloCH-PENFolD, AmED CATRioNA liNDERS AND oT jASoN GATES
CiviliAN HElPERS DiSEmBARK AT NiUAToPUTAPU viA THE ToNGAN PATRol CRAFT SAvEA
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W W W . N A V Y . M I L . N Z16 N T 1 5 0 D E C E M B E R 0 9 N T 1 5 0 D E C E M B E R 0 9 W W W . N A V Y . M I L . N Z 17
In addition to CANTERBURY’s voyage:
An RNZAF P-3 Orion aircraft from No.5 SQN conducted three days of disaster reconnaissance •
and aerial searches of the Samoan and Tongan coastlines.
Strategic airlift by C-130 Hercules and Boeing 757 aircraft from No.40 SQN flew seven •
flights from NZ. They delivered 12,000kg of medical equipment and supplies and 22,000kgs
of general aid including tents, caskets, chainsaws, tooling, shelter boxes, tarpaulins, food,
and water. The aid was provided from a number of sources including NZAID, various NGOs
and others. The Boeing 757 was also used to return eleven New Zealanders injured by the
Tsunami back to NZ.
In a joint RAAF and RNZAF operation, an RAAF C-130J Hercules flew two flights from NZ •
delivering RNZAF helicopters and other aid.
The NZ Army Medical team provided medical assistance at Lalomanu Hospital and Poutasi •
Medical Clinics. NZDF Aero-Medical Evacuation (AME) teams provided in-flight medical
coverage to injured New Zealanders being repatriated to NZ in addition to a local AME flight
in country.
The NZ Army Engineers provided reconnaissance and survey assessments of damaged •
infrastructure, assisted in ground body searches with the NZ Police, and other Rescue services.
They worked with the Samoan Water Authority constructing temporary toilets and water tanks
shelters for the displaced in the Saleapaga, Sale’a’amua and Satetoa villages.
The two Iroquois helicopters from No.3 SQN flew 76 hours in support of tasks for the Samoan •
Government, NZ Government agencies, NZ Police and other aid agencies. Most of the tasks
were aid distribution from Faleata to villages in both Upolu and Savaii. RNZAF personnel
also assisted in the clean up of Manono Island and the repair and refloating of a local fishing
vessel.
The RNZN Diving Team repaired and replaced fresh water pipelines between Manono and •
Namua Islands off the coast of Upolu. They conducted sub-surface body searches of the
southern lagoons including detailed searches of high probability areas within the lagoon. In
addition they conducted damage inspections of Aleipata Wharf, environmental reef surveys
and sub-surface obstacle removal operations.
NZDF Environmental Health Officers worked with Samoan and Tongan Ministry of Health and •
other environmental health agencies to establish the needs of displaced people as a result
of the Tsunami.
“It was a good feeling to be able to help the local people and they showed their gratitude by providing us with fresh sweet mangoes which were very good. With team work we got a lot achieved and it was very rewarding seeing the amount of aid we provided.”
Once the offload was successful CANTERBURY headed back to Apia for the last time where
we prepared to be the cornerstone of the NZDF extraction. We loaded up with a Huey [UH-1H helo] 25 vehicles, 12 containers and 70 extra personnel then sailed for NZ with a couple of pit stops along the way. We made a third and final stop at Niuatoputapu to pick up the Army vehicles and personnel for return to NZ and some Tongan passengers and a Bobcat to be dropped at Nuku’alofa during a whistle-stop visit the next day.
With our NZAID-led humanitarian mission accomplished, the Maritime Component Commander directed us back to Wellington where we berthed on 27 October. We disembarked:
One 3 SQN Iroquois helicopter (which had carried out Air Medical Evacuation, Search and •
Rescue operations, and provided transportation) with RNZAF personnel
Army Engineers (carried out infrastructure repairs and the cleanup) •
An NZDF Health Services Support team (comprised of doctors, nurses, Medics & EnvIronmental •
Health personnel who carried out Force Health Protection for NZDF personnel ashore, re-
established local health clinics and augmented local health services in support of NZAID).
Augmentation personnel (command/planners and logistic support staff together with NZAID •
and MFAT personnel).
CANTERBURY was welcomed home by the Minister of Defence, Dr Wayne Mapp and the Commander Joint Forces NZ, AVM Peter Stockwell. Dr Mapp took the opportunity to say thank you on behalf of the Government for all the NZDF relief efforts. Other NZDF personnel had already returned to NZ onboard an RNZAF Hercules, including the Navy Operational Diving Team, other RNZAF, and NZDF Health, personnel.
Wellington has featured in CANTERBURY’s plans several times over the last year but, for a variety of reasons, had always fallen through. We were all looking forward to this visit so it was good to be able to round off a great deployment with a top port visit. After five days alongside (which unfortunately didn’t include a pay day!) the ship’s company were well rested, and ready to get back alongside Devonport to pick up where we left off with our maintenance plans.
Overall the entire deployment was whirlwind. From whoa to go it was just under three weeks away, but it seemed like a lot longer as the tempo was so high and we achieved so much. The feedback we all got was that our efforts were well received and much appreciated. We were treated like minor celebrities in Samoa! The locals would recognise us for who we were and wanted to come up and talk to us and thank us. That was a good feeling and made it all worthwhile.
CANTERBURy DElivERED 80 ToNNES oF GENERAl AiD, 6 ToNNES oF mEDiCAl EqUiPmENT AND mEDiCAl SUPPliES, 7 ToNNES oF PlUmBiNG SUPPliES, 128 ToNNES oF PoWER PolES
AND FAlE PolES AND 4 ToNNES oF ElECTRiCAl SUPPliES To SAmoA AND ToNGA TSUNAmi REliEF—THE NZDF AiD EFFoRT:
D i S A S T E R R E l i E FD i S A S T E R R E l i E F
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THE SEASPRiTE (FRom 6 SqN RNZAF) PREPARES To liFT ANoTHER loAD ASHoRE. NoTE FAlE PolES STACKED AT RiGHT
CANTERBURy’S CRANE loWERS A vEHiClE iNTo AN lCm
THE FliGHT DECK PARTy PREPARE ANoTHER loAD FoR liFTiNG
mAj jAmES joSEPHS (l) HElPS CARl BURR, NZ RED CRoSS, SET UP A DESAliNATioN KiT oN NUiAToPUTAPU.
ToNGAN’S looK oN AS A PoliCE vEHiClE DiSEmBARKS FRom AN lCm
A TEAm FRom CANTERBURy DiSEmBARK A SmAll BoAT To NUiAToPUTAPU
oT BRAD HANSEN AND A SHiP mATE movE A TREETRUNK.
CANTERBURy’S SToRAGE HANGAR STACKED WiTH REliEF SUPPliES; REPlACEmENT
WATER TANKS ARE iN THE FoREGRoUND.
N T 1 5 0 D E C E M B E R 0 9 1918 N T 1 5 0 D E C E M B E R 0 9
TAUPo’S HomEComiNG PRoGRAmmEWedneSday 28 oCtoBer
1000 – 1400 Navy Band Concerts in Dargaville.
1500 TAUPO berths in Whangarei
1530 Powhiri/Welcome Ceremony – alongside at Port Nikau
1630 – 1730 Tour of TAUPO
thurSday 29 oCtoBer
0945 – 1045 Visit to TAUPO by local Police, MAF, Customs and Fire personnel
1000 Navy Band performance at Pompallier Catholic College
1100 – 1630 Visits to TAUPO by local Ports Authority and Coastguard personnel potential recruits Ex-Naval Mens Association, Veterans and RSA
1830 – 2000 Navy Band Concert at Whangarei RSA
Friday 30 oCtoBer
0815 – 1200 Charter Parade Rehearsal – Whangarei Town Centre
1200 – 1330 CO TAUPO’s official luncheon for Regional Mayors
1430 – 1630 Visit to TAUPO by St Francis Xavier School
1830 - 2000 Navy Band Concert at C a p t a i n B o u g a i n v i l l e Theatre
Saturday 31 oCtoBer
1115 Charter Parade Ceremony
1200 – 1220 Navy Band performance in Mall
1200 – 1330 Mayora l Recept ion i n Whangarei District Council Chambers – presentations and cutting of commissioning cake
Sunday 1 novemBer
1000 – 1500 TAUPO open for the public
monday 2 novemBer
1000 – 1200 TAUPO Ships Company visit
to St Francis Xavier School
1530 – 1745 Visits by local potential
recruits and cadets
i P v H o m E C o m i N G i P v H o m E C o m i N G
The fourth of our new IPVs, HMNZS TAUPO,
under the command of LTCDR Jonathan
Clarkson, berthed in Whangarei from 28
October to 3 November while the ship was
formally welcomed to the city and held a
Charter Parade. Rear Admiral Tony Parr,
CN, and the Lady Sponsor of TAUPO, Her
Excellency Lady Susan Satyanand, attended
the formal Charter Parade which was hosted
by the three regional mayors.
During the visit TAUPO hosted a large number
of organised tours, sent the ship's company
to visit schools and was opened to the public.
During the week the Navy Band performed a
series of concerts around the district.
Five local Northlanders are serving in
TAUPO:
The CO, LTCDR Jonathan Clarkson grew •
up in Kohukohu and Okaihau
LMT Joshua Wedding is from Kamo and •
Whangarei
Able Marine Technician Michael Belcher, •
Whangarei
Ordinary Chef Myles Kaka, Raumanga, •
Whangarei, and
Warrant Officer Joe Harema, Rawene•
coMes hoMe to whangarei
HmNZS TAUPoTAUPo ARRivES iN WHANGAREi oN 28 oCToBER,
ESCoRTED By THE loCAl CoASTGUARD
THE CHiEF oF NAvy PRESENTS TAUPo’S lADy SPoNSoR, HER EXCEllENCy SUSAN
SATyANAND, WiTH A FRAmED SHiP’S BADGE
mR KAHU SUTHERlAND (DEPUTy mAyoR oF WHANGAREi DiSTRiCT) AT lEFT, WiTH CRAiG
mCKERNAN (PRiNCiPlE oF ST FRANCiS XAviER PRimARy SCHool) oN THE BRiDGE oF TAUPo
lTCDR ClARKSoN SPEAKS DURiNG THE PoWHiRi.
lTCDR ClARKSoN ACCEPTS THE SHiP’S SymBol oF CommAND FRom THE CHiEF oF NAvy
THE THREE REGioNAl mAyoRS ( l To R) NEil TillER oF KAiPARA, STAN SEmENoFF oF WHANGAREi & WAyNE BRoWN oF THE FAR NoRTH DiSTRiCT, DURiNG THE PARADE
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W W W . N A V Y . M I L . N Z20 N T 1 5 0 D E C E M B E R 0 9 N T 1 5 0 D E C E M B E R 0 9 W W W . N A V Y . M I L . N Z 21
Inspector Les Paterson joined the NZ Police
in 1980 and became the Area Commander
for North Shore City in 2006. As the Area
Commander he became concerned about the
number of naval personnel who were coming
to the attention of the Police. He identified that
the underlying factors as youth, alcohol and a
lack of appropriate social skills.
Inspector Paterson raised the issue with
the CO, PHILOMEL, to work collaboratively
on the problem. This was the genesis of the
Kia Kaha programme. This programme is
hosted at the North Shore Police Centre and
Inspector Paterson has shown a passion for the
programme and has dedicated his own time, as
well as his staff, to its continued development.
The results of the Kia Kaha programme have
seen a marked reduction in naval personnel
appearing before the Court and a reduction in
adverse public attention and media reporting.
The programme has attracted the attention of
the other two Services, and received positive
comments from the North Shore Judiciary.
Inspector Paterson’s drive to support the
Navy goes well beyond the requirements of
being the Area Commander and he is fully
deserving of the Deputy Chief of Navy’s
Commendation.
N A v y ’ S v A l U E S N A v y ’ S v A l U E S
The New Zealand Breakers' star player Kirk
Penney worked in partnership with the Navy
and Police when he addressed a group of Navy
trainees at the North Shore Policing Centre
on 2 November. His talk was part of the final
‘Kia Kaha’ (stand strong) programme for naval
trainees during 2009.
Commanding Officer of PHILOMEL, CAPT
Dean McDougall, and Police Area Commander
Les Paterson are delighted to have the Breakers
on-board for the Kia Kaha programme. “The
Breakers are doing a huge amount of work in
the community, especially with schools. Getting
Kirk Penney to work with us is a real bonus
as he’s a former Westlake Boys pupil,” said
CAPT McDougall. “Kirk has a great message
to get across and he relates well to the young
recruits.”
Kirk Penny spoke on three main themes:
Teamwork (supporting your colleagues and •
those around you)
Integrity (to know and keep to the right •
things);
Courage (to do the right thing)•
He described the time he was an 18-year-old
rookie from New Zealand sent to the University
of Wisconsin (USA) on a Basketball scholarship,
with the aim of trying out for the American
NBL. He explained how he never knew what
commitment was, until this life-changing
experience. He has gone on in professional
basketball to captain the NZ Tall Blacks, but
he emphasised that everyone in a team has a
leadership role.
Approximately 700 naval trainees have been
through the Kia Kaha programme since it
started two years ago, with former All Black
Captain Buck Shelford as a mentor. Kia Kaha
aims to teach new Navy recruits about values,
personal accountability and judgement, as they
adjust to life in their new community of North
Shore City.
“The Navy’s recruits are drawn from all over
New Zealand; they are young and most have
never lived away from home before. They have
new responsibilities and will face new pitfalls, so
the aim of the session is to help prepare them
for this,” said Police Commander Paterson.
Subsequently, Inspector Paterson and
another stalwart of the Kia Kaha programme,
Mr Brian Warren, were each awarded a DCN’s
Commendation for their contribution to Kia
Kaha.
BreaKerS’ Star JoinS navy’S KiA KAHA PRoGRAmmE
KiRK PENNEy BECAmE THE SECoND KiWi iN THE NBA WHEN HE PlAyED FoR THE miAmi HEAT iN 2003, AND HAS SiNCE PlAyED PRoFESSioNAlly iN SPAiN, THE NBA DEvEloPmENT lEAGUE, iSRAEl, liTHUANiA AND GERmANy.KiRK HAS REPRESENTED NZ AT TWo olymPiCS AND TWo WoRlD CHAmPioNSHiPS. iN THE AUSTRAliAN NBl lAST SEASoN, HE WAS THE THiRD lEADiNG SCoRER (24.0 PoiNTS) AND EARNED SElECTioN To THE All-NBl TEAm.
Brian Warren is the Project Manager Professional
Military Education and Training within the
RNZAF Training Directorate Headquarters
at RNZAF Base Woodbourne. He has a
background including service in the RAF and
the NZ Army Territorial Force.
For the past twelve months Brian has been
assisting the Navy with the Kia Kaha project to
educate Basic Common Trainees and Junior
Officers to make positive choices in their lives
and caution on the consequences and risks
associated with drugs and alcohol. Brian has
willingly taken time out from his employment
to attend this programme. Based on personal
experience, Brian’s presentation provides an
insight into the impact of this issue, not only
to the individual but to their family, friends and
the wider community. His presentation makes
a compelling case for change and is invariably
well received.
Through courage, commitment and
comradeship, Brian embodies a true alignment
of the Services working together as one. His
dedication has been exceptional and he is
fully deserving of the Deputy Chief of Navy’s
Commendation.
DCN CommENDATioN FoR
Mr brian warren
DCN CommENDATioN FoR inspector Les paterson, nZ poLice
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[A] Sunset ceremony aboard KAHU at Napier on 2
october
[B] CANTERBURy’s ships company assembled on 4
Novmber, after the Tsunami Relief mission.
mC 09-0390-001
[C] lTGEN jerry mateparae and Andrew Stone of
Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising signed the Services’
Recruiting Advertising contract in Wellington earlier
this year, with livia Esterhazy (General manager,
Saatchi Wellington), CAPT Steve Streefkerk RNZN, Col
David Russell & GPCAPT Kevin mcEvoy RNZAF. This is
one of many recruiting initiatives this year.
WN 09-0111-003
[D] Cross-deck exchange with RSS SovEREiGNTy
during the FPDA exercises; Singaporean hosts crowd
around ACo Candi Fox and lWTR Keri Brooking
[E] ENDEAvoUR’s ships company, masquerading as
suspicious merchant sailors, are placed under guard
during a boarding exercise in Bersama lima 09. See
feature, p8.
[F] School Careers advisers are briefed on Seasprite
operations from CANTERBURy during a recruiting
visit to the naval base earlier this year. one of
CANTERBURy’s lCms is in the background.
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[G] lCSS Kyle lomas & Stephanie Sanders were
married on 18 September at Balmain Reserve,
Cheltenham Beach, in front of friends and family. They
held their Reception at mcHughs of Cheltenham.
[H] lWTR Keri Brooking (l) and ACo Candi Fox with the
Co of RSS SovEREiGNTy.
[i] Representatives from HmNZS KAHU visited the Puke
moki moki marae in Napier to meet with other young
people, during KAHU’s farewell visit in September. See
story on p 26.
[j] our Navy recruiters arranged for several school
students to join CANTERBURy for her passage from
Wellington to Auckland, in November. lT Ali Hansen
(left) and SlT Anna Biss (right) welcomed them aboard
on 2 November. WN 09-0127-002
[K] oTAGo crew members ready for a day at Flemington
for melbourne Cup (l to r): PoET Fiona Atkinson, ASCS
Samantha Carter, lWT Sharon Passau, lmED Kim
mordecai, ASTD Alyce Nicholson, ACSS Kylee Wiki-law
and ACH Katherine Wynands.
[l] Homeward bound after a day at the melbourne Cup
( they didn’t loose their shirts!) l to r: lT matt Penny, lT
Tim Gore, lT lorna Gray & lT matt Tinnelly.
[m] PERTH CUP: the winning TE mANA& ENDEAvoUR
team are joined by other participants after the
presentation to the Kiwi team (the 12th time in a row we
have won it!)
[N] SlT Dan may prepares for the Perth Cup on
ENDEAvoUR’s new Cross Trainer.
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F L E E T P R O G R E S S
H M N Z S K A H U
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HmNZS KAHUBuilt by Whangarei Engineering & •
Construction Ltd (WECO).
Keel laid 8 December 1978; completed •
23 May 1979.
Commissioned as HMNZ Diving Tender
MANAWANUI, Pennant No. A09, she began
her service on 28 May 1979 and operated
as a support vessel for the RNZN’s diving
teams in a variety of under water tasks.
Most took place in the Hauraki Gulf and
Bay of Plenty areas but one highlight was
the exploration and salvage work on the
sunken Soviet passenger liner MIKHAIL
LERMONTOV in Port Gore, Marlborough
Sounds, in March 1986.
In March 1988 the RNZN purchased a
larger Diving Support Ship, which was
commissioned as HMNZS MANAWANUI
(also taking the pennant number A09). The
smaller diving tender re-commissioned as
HMNZS KAHU (Pennant No. A04) on 17
May 1988. From 1988 KAHU has operated
as the navigation and seamanship training
vessel, provided support the RNZN Diving
School, and conducted operations with
Government agencies, Fisheries, Customs,
Police and DOC.
At the time of her decommissioning,
KAHU had motored 192,232 nautical miles
(the equivalent of sailing around the world
7½ times) and been underway for 22,411
hours. The underway hours do not reflect
the many additional hours KAHU spent at
anchor, supporting diving training and multi-
agency operations.
KAHUDECommiSSioNS By ltCdr muZZ Kennett rnZn
HMNZS KAHU sailed from Devonport for her
final voyage under the NZ White Ensign on 28
September. It was a rough passage across the
Bay of Plenty, with a tsunami warning (early on
30 September) to remind us that the ocean can
be unpredictable. We entered Hawke Bay on
Wednesday afternoon and berthed in Napier at
1900, to commence KAHU’s final visit to the
port. Serving in KAHU were two Napier men, the
Executive Officer (XO) LT Tujoi Thompson—a
former Head Boy of Te Aute College—and
Ordinary Marine Technician John Helleur, a
former student at Napier Boys’ High.
On Friday 2 October in Napier I hosted an
official luncheon and the ship’s company hosted
Sundowners for family, friends and local guests,
including members of HMNZS ROTOITI’s ship’s
company. A highlight that was enjoyed by all
guests was the Ceremonial Sunset, which
included a ship’s company Guard.
Sailors from both ships enjoyed a day at the
Kelt Cup race meeting, organised for us by the
HNO Napier, LTCDR Neville Smith, on Saturday.
On Monday 5 October the XO, LT Thompson
and three of our ship’s company attended
Puke Moki Moki Marae, Napier to meet and
talk to Students at Risk. Our group brought the
students back for ship tours of both KAHU and
ROTOITI afterwards. KAHU was programmed
to sail Monday afternoon (for Whangarei) but
with storms forecast and waves breaking over
the port breakwater, sailing was delayed until
Wednesday morning.
KAHU’s final port of call was to be Whangarei
before returning to Auckland to decommission.
On our passage north we encountered very high
seas (6–8m waves); it was an awesome sight
(for some) to see swells higher than the top of
the bridge coming at us! But KAHU handled
the swells well, rolling over them with ease.
Once out of Hawke Bay and with following
seas, KAHU surfed up the East Coast making
good time. We arrived at Port Whangarei at
1900 Thursday 8 October. Just two Whangarei
men were amongst our company, myself and
ABSCS William Smith, a former student of
Pompallier College.
The Whangarei visit was special as this is
where KAHU was built by the Whangarei
Engineering Company (WECO) in 1979. We
berthed at Port Whangarei, about 10 minutes
drive from the city centre and there on Friday 9
October I hosted a lunch onboard. That evening
a Sundowners and Ceremonial Sunset was
held, with several former employees of WECO
attending. A public open day was held on
Sunday with over 150 people coming to have
a last look inside KAHU.
The HNO had arranged tickets for our
ship’s company to attend the Northland vs
Wellington rugby game on the 11th, after which
we were able to join the Northland team for
refreshments.
KAHU sailed on Monday 12 October from
what was her first port of departure in May
1979 and was her final port of call 31 years later.
We anchored at Motutapu Island on the way
home, where our ship’s company enjoyed one
final ‘Hands to Bathe’ from the old girl before
KAHU made her final entry into Auckland on
iN ACCoRDANCE WiTH TRADiTioN KAHU ENTERED AUCKlAND HARBoUR FlyiNG A 12 m loNG PAyiNG-oFF PENNANT FRom THE mAiNmAST, WiTH oUR SHiP’S ComPANy FAllEN iN oN THE UPPER DECK iN PRoCEDURE AlPHA.
Tuesday 13 October.
In accordance with tradition KAHU entered
Auckland Harbour flying a 12 m long Paying-
off Pennant from the mainmast, with our
ship’s company fallen in on the upper deck in
Procedure Alpha.
HMNZS KAHU’s decommissioning at the
Naval Base on Thursday 29 October, was
marked by two events:
At 0620 the lifting of the Mauri (life force) took •
place with the ship’s company delivering the
Mauri to Te Taua Moana Marae where it will
live on for ever.
At Morning Colours we broke MCC’s broad •
pennant at the main mast; during the
forenoon KAHU was the Flag ship!
The formal decommissioning ceremony
commenced at midday. At 1218 NZDT
the NZ White Ensign, the NZ Flag and the
commissioning pennant were lowered for
the final time. Then I had the sad privilege of
marching off the ship with my ship’s company,
to the lament of a lone piper.
ASCS lEAH WAlSH loWERS THE NZ WHiTE ENSiGN
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KAHU ENTERS AUCKlAND WiTH PAyiNG oFF PENNANT FlyiNG
KAHU’S FiNAl SHiP’S ComPANy
THREE CHEERS FoR THEiR SHiP: omT(l) NATHAN REED & oSCS KiERAN WilliS
AET DAviD HoWARD RETURNS KAHU’S WHiTE ENSiGN To THE CHiEF oF NAvy
KAHU’S FiNAl SHiP’S ComPANy. CPOMT(P) Gary Neale (Engineering Officer),
ASCS Leah Walsh, ACH Riki Gunn, ASCS
Shane Herewini, OSCS Rora-Te-Ra Gordon
Glassford, AET David Howard, LT Tuijo
Thompson (Executive Officer), ASCS Caleb
Gomez, POSCS Paul Chase (Coxswain),
OMT(L) Nathan Reed, ASCS William Smith,
LT Muzz Kennett (Commanding Officer). Front
row, crouching: OSCS Kieran Willis, OSCS
Leevi Eaton, OMT(P) John Helleur.
(see photo above)
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F L E E T P R O G R E S S
By rod Berry*
I was privileged recently to receive an invitation
from LT Kennett, CO of KAHU, to searide with
him on passage from Auckland to Whitianga. It
was with a little nervousness that I accepted the
invitation as some two years prior, Muzz and I
had leased a 40ft vessel to cruise and fish the
Marlborough Sounds. He felt his (then) recently
achieved Bridge Watchkeeping Certificate
automatically earned him command status;
I, with a Boatmaster’s Certificate, was equally
adamant I could command.
Shared command was the initial solution;
however, during my command, and on leaving
a mooring buoy, I promptly went astern
over a lowered burley bomb line. Muzz was
despatched over the side with the appropriate
breathing apparatus to cut the line free from
the prop. He was not happy and I was relieved
of command on his resurfacing. I still maintain
that Kennett should have been at cleaning
stations and not fishing at the time of leaving
the buoy!
KAHU sailed Auckland early on 28 August,
with my clear understanding that I was a
passenger. It was a stunning morning and a
millpond sea, much to my relief. Prior to sailing
we were briefed on the ship's safety procedures
and given a tour of the onboard facilities. While
not a large vessel, KAHU accommodates the
crew and visitors with ease.
Our departure was uneventful but gave me
a great opportunity to become familiar with
some of the onboard navigational aids and
to talk to the crew about our modern Navy.
I was truly impressed with the Chef’s ability
to create a sensational breakfast despite the
challenging galley.
The man overboard drills reminded me of
days gone by, but it was comforting to know
that if I was stupid enough to disembark whilst
at sea, there was a better than even chance
the crew could get me back.
Our defence skills were tested with a round
or two of skeet shooting, using the RNZN
club shotguns. My time in the RNZN was as
a communicator, not a gunner and it soon
became apparent that I was performing
abysmally on the end of the shotguns!
Our precision entrance into Whitianga
Harbour at 1.15pm (1315) on the high tide
again demonstrated the expertise of the crew.
Whitianga is not an easy harbour to berth but it
was achieved by collaborative teamwork.
So what was the ‘take home’ message from
my short time back at sea with the RNZN?
I saw a team who took pride in themselves •
and the Service in which they serve.
I saw a crew who took personal responsibility •
for their respective roles onboard.
I am not at all concerned about the future of •
our Navy. It may be different today from my
time but the dedication and commitment is
still plainly evident.
I would like to thank the Navy for the
opportunity to undertake this passage. To LT
Kennett and the ship’s company of KAHU,
thank you for your generous hospitality and
the professional manner in which our voyage
was conducted.
SEARiDE iN KAHU
* THE AUTHoR: Rod Berry BEM retired from the RNZN as a Chief Radio Supervisor in January
1986, after 20 years service. He is currently a Director and the General Manager of EAP Services
Limited, New Zealand’s foremost provider of personnel support services. He is a Board member
of the Asia Pacific Employee Assistance Roundtable based in Singapore and is a Board member
of Dyosoft International, a New Zealand software development company.
D E P L O Y A B L E H Y D R O G R A P H I C s U R v e Y U N I T
Slt miChael leSter rnZn
DHSU is currently conducting a hydrographic
survey of Mercury Bay, the Mercury Islands and
the northern part of Coromandel Peninsula, for
the revision of existing charts of the area and
production of a new larger scale chart of the
area around the Mercury Islands.
Paul Shanahan, who has an interest in the
Whitianga area, contacted the DHSU regarding
the wreck of HMS BUFFALO, which is on the
main beach of Whitianga. That beach is called
Buffalo Beach because of the ship wreck;
however the wreck is not charted.
Paul sent us a recent aerial photo that he had
taken which shows BUFFALO’s wreck a couple
of hundred metres offshore at Whitianga. With
the light right and the sea calm and clear, you
can see the shape of the hull underwater. Using
this photo in conjunction with satellite imagery
I was able to determine a suitable visual transit
to use to sail over the wreck.
I was working in the area with AHSO Kieron
Boardman on DIRK, our 5m survey skiff, and
we decided to run a couple of lines on the
estimated position of the wreck with side scan
gear, after work had finished for the day. We
found it first try, thanks to Paul’s photo, which
enabled a good transit to be picked out from
shore features.
The sidescan image shows the view of the
wreck (with north to the right). The wreck is
approximately 30m long and 8-9m wide which
ties in well with records, which list the ship as
30.1m long over the keel and 10.3m beam.
Based on analysis of the imagery it protrudes
approx 30–40cm from the seabed. BUFFALO
was of teak construction, a timber that lasts
well in the marine environment. A small pile of
timber debris is also visible off to one side in
the Sidescan imagery. We gained the imagery
at high tide, in 4m of water with our CMAX
Sidescan pole-mounted on the side of the
boat.
W ik ipedia had some in format ion on
BUFFALO, which was my initial source about
the wreck. Once local conditions were suitable
I was keen to conduct a recreational dive on
it and get photos and measurements. LT Hall
and I later went for a snorkel on the wreck and
took a first hand look. The bottom of the hull is
all that remains, with timbers in good condition
despite almost 170 years in the shallow water.
Our dive confirmed that the remnants stick out
about 30–50 cm from the sandy seabed.
note froM the new ZeaLand historic
pLaces trUstShipwrecks and underwater archaeological
sites are an irreplaceable part of our heritage
and, if the site of the wreck dates to before
1900, are protected by the Historic Places
Act 1993. Well over 2000 shipwrecks are
known to have occurred in New Zealand
waters and over 1200 of these pre-date
1900.
It is unlawful for any person to destroy,
damage or modify an archaeological site
without the prior authority of NZHPT. Failure
to comply can lead to prosecution, with
conviction carrying fines as high as $100,000
for destruction of a site and up to $40,000
for damage or modification.
Types of activity around shipwreck sites
that may require permission from NZHPT
include tourist operations, filming and
salvage. There is other legislation that may
apply to maritime sites, such as the Marine
Reserves Act and Regional and District
Plans. Contact NZHPT for advice if you are
unsure about your legal obligations.
While diving on wrecks can be a fascinating
experience it is important to leave the wreck
site as you found it. Many wrecks hold
important archaeological information about
the circumstances surrounding the wreck,
the lives of the people on board, the cargo,
and the construction and technology of the
vessel. The relationship between different
parts of the wreck and their contexts is very
important. It is not just the artefacts and
materials that provide information but also
their relative positions to each other. Wrecks
are therefore highly vulnerable to damage
through disturbance.
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KAHU SEEN FRom RESolUTioN iN 2005
RoD BERRy SKEET SHooTiNG FRom KAHU
Mercury Bay Survey:iDENTiFyiNG HmS BUFFAlo
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F L E E T P R O G R E S S
BUFFALO sailed from England in 1839 with
convicts for Tasmania. She then proceeded
to Sydney, where in response to Captain
Hobson’s request for troops [he had only
recently been proclaimed as Lieutenant
Governor of New Zealand] a detachment of the
80th Regiment embarked. With Mrs Hobson
and her family as passengers, the BUFFALO
sailed from Sydney and arrived at the Bay of
Islands on 16 April 1840. She then sailed to
Mercury Bay to load kauri spars, arriving on
22 July. On 24 July, loaded with spars and
fresh water, the BUFFALO attempted to leave
Mercury Bay but with the wind shifting to the
south-east Captain Wood decided to return
to Cook’s Bay (now known as Cook’s Beach).
The weather deteriorated and by the 27th a
heavy easterly swell had developed, eventually
forcing the BUFFALO onto the beach with the
loss of two lives.
The wreck location is well known in Whitianga
and the BUFFALO is remembered with exhibits
in the Mercury Bay Museum, housed in the
dairy factory building across from the Whitianga
HmS BUFFAlo
Wharf. The Museum tells the story of the area,
from the great navigators, Kupe and Cook, the
kauri and agricultural industries, up to present
times. There is a large display depicting HMS
BUFFALO.
By CPomt Wayne Freeman
MANAWANUI visited Gisborne to represent
the Navy at this year’s Te Unga Mai Festival
over the weekend 9–12 October. Te Unga Mai
translates as “the arrival” and celebrates the
first 'official' meeting of Maori and Europeans
when Lieutenant Cook, commanding HM
Bark ENDEAVOUR, landed in New Zealand
on 9 October 1769. This year was the fourth
celebration of the festival and our CO, LTCDR
Phil Rowe, has the distinction of attending
three of these festivals before, making him the
Navy’s expert.
Early on Friday we arrived in Poverty Bay and
embarked eight students from local schools,
members of the press, the HNO and WO
Golding, for a trip around the bay and breakfast
at sea. Following a small taste of naval life and
shipboard activities we berthed at 1000.
Once alongside it was “all hands on deck” to
prepare MANAWANUI for the weekend. First
up was the CO’s luncheon attended by the
HNO, LTCDR(Hon) Penny Clarke, Mrs Georgina
Johnson (Te Unga Mai General Manager), Mr
Richard Brooking (Te Unga Mai Chairman),
and the teaching staff of the student who
were the Royal Society of NZ prize winners
and had won a passage on board to study
astro-navigation.
The luncheon was beneficial on two counts:
putting faces to names, and as a briefing on the
weekend’s events. Judging by the sounds of
voices and laughter emanating from the dining
hall this was a great success, as was the menu
H M N Z S M A N A W A N U I
TE UNGA mAi 09 iN GiSBoRNE
provided by LCH Craigie and ACH Bright, and
served by honoury stewards ASHO Blackburn
and ASCS Rotgans. The day ended with an
onboard informal gathering of all our company,
before a visit to the local RSA.
Saturday dawned to miserable weather.
We got the expected call from the Te Unga
Mai Trust telling us we were moving to a wet
weather routine, with the events to be held in
the Tatapouri Fishing Club. Along with cultural
advisor CPO Ruru, all our ship’s company
(stand fast the duty watch) attended the
ceremony looking sharp in their No 1s. A series
of welcomes, prayers, speeches, presentations
and songs was followed with a finger-food
brunch. It was an interesting morning and
certainly a time of reflection on how New
Zealand has evolved.
We then went back onboard to prepare
MANAWANUI for visits from members of the
public. WO Golding set up shop on the bridge
with his recruiting gear, the dining hall was set
up with public relations give outs and a display
of the ship’s small arms. A total of 167 visitors
braved the wretched weather and tackled the
brow (which at high water resembled a cliff face)
to look over our home.
Evening approached and it was back into
uniform. The JRs volunteered to attend a
Services’ Dinner at the RSA. This was a great
turn out for a voluntary event and LSA Bradley
Wilkinson gave a fine speech at the RSA which
provided a huge amount of positive feedback to
the ship. Officers, Senior Ratings and my wife,
Lorraine, attended the Lawson Field Theatre
for an evening of wine, finger food, and a light-
hearted round of presentations from guests on
the subject of ‘Voyaging’. Our own CO was
one of the guest speakers and he gave an
account of his hero Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ill-
fated attempt on the crossing of the Antarctic
continent, and subsequent rescue of his whole
crew. The evening was most enjoyable and
ended a well-organised day by the Te Unga
Mai Trust.
Our RSA contingent communicated by text
so we all met at one of the night spots for more
festivities … Sunday leave expired at 1000 and
twelve tired-looking sailors mustered at Anzac
Park to take part in a Waka Ama Challenge
with the Trust. At first this was not treated
with any enthusiasm, but sailors always like a
challenge and under my guidance as manager
we fielded two teams. I had to take part, even
though I was dressed in my Sunday best. But
the reputation of the RNZN was at stake. After
a safety brief and some on-the-spot training
we hit the water for some practice runs out
towards the river mouth.
It was then down to business: three short
course races, two teams from the ship and a
team of experts from the Trust. The CO and
his team easily smashed the competition 3–0
to take the trophy! This left two further races to
take the series. With the crews mixed around
the final races took place with MANAWANUI
winning race 4. Race 5 was in the bag, but
we forgot an important element of Waka
Ama—remaining upright. To the amusement
of everyone we flipped our waka. The locals
pulled up, checking our safety and instruction
on righting the craft, while the other team snuck
off for the win. Thus MANAWANUI lifted the Te
Unga Mai Waka Ama Championship Trophy
2009! This was a fun day and topped off what
was a great weekend. Next year we aim to
return to defend the trophy!
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SlT SCoTT WARD WiTH 5 yEAR-olD joSHUA RANDAll iN GiSBoRNEPHoTo: REBECCA GRUNWEll, THE GiSBoRNE HERAlD
FoRmER CDR NiCK qUiNN SEEN DURiNG mANAWANUi’S 21ST BiRTHDAy
ASCS NiCK RoTGANS SHoWS joE lEoNARD A mACHiNE GUN
SHANTAyA RANDAll jUmPS FoR joy AloNGSiDE mANAWANUi
PoTENTiAl RECRUiTS joiN THE Co AND Wo REECE GolDiNG oN BoARD
THE RoyAl SoCiETy SCiENCE CoNTEST WiNNERS ABoARD mANAWANUi
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F L E E T P R O G R E S S
By mid hayden Conmee rnZn
At the start of November RESOLUTION,
MANAWANUI, the Mine Counter Measures
Team (MCMT), and the Operational Diving Team
(ODT) all sailed for Noumea to participate in
the international Lagoon Mine Exercise. The
various participating units were tasked with
locating the mines and starting their removal.
Our RNZN force was joined by French and
Australian vessels and diving teams, while the
USN provided their Diving Platoon and Marine
Mammal (dolphin) Mine Countermeasures
Unit.
Our passage to Noumea took five days.
MANAWANUI left DNB two days ahead of
RESOLUTION, which stayed behind to embark
the MCM and ODT personnel and equipment
after their recent deployments to Singapore (for
Ex Bersama Lima) and Samoa. With favourable
weather, mild seas and a warm breeze, we were
quickly acclimatised for the white sands and
blue waters of New Caledonia. RESOLUTION
undertook ECCDs, MOBEXs and Damage
Control exercises enroute, as well as weapon
handling training. A rigorous PT session each
day made sure we were in tip-top shape for
engagement with one of the local rugby teams
after arrival. Our final day at sea was in less than
10 knots of wind, with blue skies and smooth
seas, a fantastic way to end the passage. After
our live firing of the Steyrs we ended the day
with a Hands to Bathe, in 25ºC water.
After a weekend of briefings and preparations—
during which the MCMT transferred to
RESOLUTION for the operation, while the
ODT relocated to MANAWANUI—the MCMT
commenced underwater survey operations
utilising two REMUS Autonomous Underwater
Vehicles (which had been recently used in the
search for the Tongan ferry). The MCMT task
was to map the sea floor and identify potential
contacts of interest, which the ODT would then
validate as mines (or otherwise) visually during
diving operations. The plan was for the mines
to then be lifted off the seabed using air-filled
lifting bags to allow explosive destruction below
the surface.
RESOLUTION also enjoyed the company of
several fresh faces, and some familiar faces
being posted on for the exercise. CDR Tuffin
assumed his old post as CO of RESOLUTION,
LTCDR Arndell remained in NZ to await the birth
of his first child, while SLT Davies posted on
as Navigator. A contingent of freshly qualified
Midshipmen watch-keepers and several
Ordinary Hydrographic Survey Technicians
fresh out of BBT meant that the ship was a hive
of activity as questions were asked, evolutions
studied and task books signed off.
The Exercise continues until 24 November,
with both ships programmed to return to
PHILOMEL on 28 November. We anticipate it
will be a steep learning curve for many of our
Hydrographic, MCM and Diving personnel, as
we all learn how our foreign partners approach
littoral warfare and actually undertake real mine
clearance. Of course we all plan to make the
most of the tropical conditions here, prior to the
onset of summer in New Zealand!
During WWII New Caledonia was home to over 40 000 American troops and Noumea was a
major naval base. The island was surrounded by defensive mine fields. After the end of the
war most of the mines were sunk to make the shipping lanes safe, but as a result the island
still has many areas with live ordnance lying on the sea-bed.
Mine cLearance: ‘LAgOON MINE Ex’
H M N Z S M A N A W A N U I / R e s O L U T I O N
lDR KEyWoRTH ATTACHiNG EXPloSivES To oNE oF THE WWii miNES
THE oPERATioNAl DiviNG TEAm oN mANAWANUi SlT ADAm FlAWS TAKES A FiX AT SUNRiSE AHSo DoRiAN mASoN oN WATCH AS THE oNliNE oPERAToR oN RESolUTioN’S BRiDGE.
THE DivERS AND THE mCm TEAm CoNDUCT PlANNiNG FoR THE EXERCiSE
FRENCH NAvy DivERS DURiNG A WiNCHEX oN RESolUTioN AS A
PUmA HElo APPRoACHESAET lANCE mARTiN-CoRmACK DURiNG THE WEAPoNS TRAiNiNG
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F L E E T P R O G R E S S
I N S H O R E P A T R O L V E S S E L S - O N O P e R A T I O N s[A] RoToiTi powers out to sea on patrol.
[B] RoToiTi coming alongside at Timaru, 31 october Photo: Peter Hogg
[C] TAUPo in French Pass, in mid october
[D] RoToiTi’s foc’sle party, after arriving at Timaru
[E] ASCS jay Fowler helps secure RoToiTi alongside at Timaru. Photo: Peter Hogg
[F] Dame Alison Roxburgh, the lady Sponsor for PUKAKi, on board her ship with her husband, james.mC 09-0364-114
[G] PUKAKi seen from Point Haswell, leaving Wellington on 14 october in cold and bleak conditions. Photo: Colin Davies
[H] RoToiTi entering lyttelton, 12 November. Photo: Waynne Williams
[i] HAWEA’s commissioning ship’s company
[j] The four iPvs leave Auckland, 21 September. Seen from RoToiTi
[K] RoToTi conducting boarding operations off Northland during September.
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F L E E T P R O G R E S S
By lt Ben lanGley rnZn
I began to write this while TE KAHA was in
the Calliope Dry Dock completing the last of
her two scheduled dockings for this Extended
Selected Restricted Availability (ESRA) period.
TE KAHA is in deep maintenance, with an
enormous amount of work and effort still
required to get her ready for our deployment
next year. The ESRA terminal date is 11
December and there has been a large amount
of work conducted onboard. Contractors
have completed approximately 72,000 of the
115,000 hours required to complete the ESRA,
and in recent weeks were undertaking up to
4500 hours per week.
The ESRA maintenance period has progressed
considerably since the last ship update
[see November’s NT, p 37]. The Propulsion
Diesel Engines (PDE) have been secured in
compartment 4 Hotel, with the surrounding
enclosures being fitted in place and 4 Hotel
is now starting to resemble an engine room
again.
Due to the new TB93 model PDE’s being
considerably more powerful than the TB
83 model, AIMECS and TP Engineering are
currently upgrading the salt water cooling
systems, to ensure the new engines can
operate at their maximum performance levels
and give the output speed required. This job
requires the removal of all the 150mm diameter
cooling pipe work and replacing it with 200mm
pipe. That’s a large job itself and some long
hours are being worked to ensure the job is
completed this month.
H M N Z S T e K A H A O P V O T A G O
The base plate for the Vertical Launch System
(VLS) has been inserted above the PDE module
in 4 Hotel, allowing the 16 tonne VLS launcher
to be returned onboard. The VLS required
an alignment after the ship was undocked in
mid-November. Alignment of the VLS required
TE KAHA to be fuelled and ballasted to the
desired specifications, to allow maximum
accuracy for the setting to work of the VLS
system. So it's not just engineering, but
logistics that has to be taken into consideration
by our team onboard.
The quarterdeck work has progressed
significantly and the new compartments are
now recognisable as a gymnasium and a
laundry (although the relocation of the laundry
itself will not be completed in this maintenance
period). The quarterdeck bollards have been
relocated, which has resulted in considerably
less space for personnel when conducting
seamanship evolutions in this area. There is still
work being done there and it is not uncommon
to have up to eight welders working 12-hour
days on the quarterdeck job alone.
The communications upgrade has continued
and is currently in the installation phase of
the project. Again, there is still a lot of work
being done to meet the deadlines for testing
during HATs and SATs early next year. Up to
eight contractors have been employed in the
Communications Centre, often commencing
work at 0700 each day.
Not only has the maintenance side of the
ESRA progressed, but our ship’s company
are preparing to get themselves back to the
skill levels required for operating a warship. A
capability generation plan was developed to
prepare our ship’s company for moving back
onboard before Christmas, then to prepare for
HATs and SATs in the new year.
The majority of our company are undertaking
training periods, including the necessary
weapon handling test. That included spending
a day at the Whangaparaoa range firing the
5.56mm IW Steyr. First aid training has also
been completed, along with an increased focus
on Damage Control training.
Along with whole-ship skills, specialist training
has also been undertaken by the various
departments:
The ME control room watch-keepers •
have been to the Training Unit Anzac Ship
Support Centre (TUASSC) in Western
Australia, for re-familiarisation and continual
development of the procedures and routines
required to take the ship to sea.
The Operations Branch staff have been re-•
familiarising themselves with seamanship
evolutions, and
the Weapons Engineers used the facilities •
at the Maritime Warfare Training Centre here
at PHILOMEL.
Along with the personnel training, each
Department is planning to re-store their
individual areas with the stores required for the
upcoming HATS/SATS and our deployment
next year. The Marine Engineering team are
also re-storing the fuels and oils required to
get TE KAHA to sea and through the busy
SATS period. With a lead time of eight weeks
on some of the oils required, careful planning
was required, to ensure we are ready to go
when the new PDEs and AGEs are fired up for
the first time.
Over the next month HMNZS TE KAHA will
have completed the maintenance for the ESRA,
and will then shift her focus on the completion
of HATS and SATS. During these, TE KAHA
will also be evaluated in a number of areas to
ensure she is both capable as a platform, and
that our ship’s company are competent for
taking her safely to sea. On completion of our
three week SATS period on 10 February, we
will undertake a short period of aviation training
and harbour training prior to our deployment
in April.
Te KAHA’s esRA UPDATe
The possibility that the new OPV OTAGO might
be accepted in Williamstown for the RNZN,
came closer with the deployment of the OPV
delivery crew to Melbourne in October.
As an interim accommodation solution, the
Ministry of Defence (MoD) had organized for
us to stay nearby the BAE shipyard, where
OTAGO and WELLINGTON are having their final
fit out completed, in picturesque Williamstown.
Similar in character to Devonport this town is
home to BAE Systems, the NZ MoD office,
and happily for us, some terrific cafes and
restaurants. However, it wasn’t long before
accommodation became available at the
nearest military base—RAAF Williams—our
home away from home until we accept the
OPVs. The nearest town, Laverton, is a typical
small Aussie country town.
After a brief settling-in period the crew began
an intense training programme to get ready to
bring OTAGO home to NZ. BAE Systems have
stringent safety rules and we had to ensure
everyone completed the specific ship Damage
Control familiarization and ME systems training.
The Ops Branch conducted briefings, group
discussions were held under direction of the
WSC, and there were daily Q&A sessions on
all topics naval. Meanwhile our POET and LET
worked hard to ensure LAN access back to the
rest of the RNZN. Despite the challenges, the
crew has come together to form a tight team
and have worked well bringing the ship and her
systems closer to acceptance.
On Tuesday 3 November training had to
take a forced pause—for the Melbourne Cup;
“the race that stops a nation”. This is a public
holiday for the state of Victoria and some
members of our ship’s company got along to
Flemington Raceway to experience Cup Day.
The guys looked sharp in their suits (despite
being last-minute purchases from the local
Op Shop) while the females had gone all out
with dresses topped off with either a hat or
fascinator. It was a great day and even if you
weren’t successful at betting, then watching
all the other well-dressed race attendees was
entertainment in itself!
However, as the process for acceptance of
OTAGO, between BAE Systems and the MoD,
continued, everyone was really busy getting
up to speed on the ship’s systems, damage
control facilities and SOPs in general. It’s a
great privilege to be a new crew on a brand
new ship and to start afresh, however there is
also a lot of work initiating the new procedures.
The NSD support team made their planned
surge to Melbourne and with their expertise the
ship’s stores loading was completed efficiently
and in good time.
Once Acceptance is arranged, MOET will
arrive here, to put us through our paces. Then
we will move onboard for duty watches—and
hopefully it won’t be long before OTAGO can
slip and proceed to NZ.
otaGo-PreParinG FoR DElivERy
CPoSCS miKE Simm, oTAGo'S WHolE SHiP CooRDiNAToR, BRiEFS THE DElivERy CREW
ASA WEllS AND lSA oWENS loADiNG NAvAl SToRES FoR oTAGo
lmED moRDECAi AT WoRK iN THE oTAGo oFFiCE AT BAE SySTEmS
W W W . N A V Y . M I L . N Z36 N T 1 5 0 D E C E M B E R 0 9 N T 1 5 0 D E C E M B E R 0 9 W W W . N A V Y . M I L . N Z 37
J A N u A r Y | F e b r u A r Y
N A V A L C O M B A T F O R C E
HmNZS TE mANA [CDR B A GERRITSEN RNZN]
1-17 PAL17-25 DNB Harbour Training25-28 Shakedown28-31 Port Visit, Auckland City
1-3 Harbour Training3-6 Passage to Australia6-7 FBE, Sydney8-28 Fleet Concentration Period
HmNZS TE KAHA [CDR M C WILLIAMS MNZM RNZN]
1-10 PAL11-14 Harbour Training Week15-17 Inclining Experiment18-31 DNB, HATS & Harbour Training Week
1-2 Harbour Training Week2-28 SATS
N A V A L S U P P O R T F O R C E
HmNZS ENDEAvoUR [CDR D J TOMS MNZM RNZN]
1-10 PAL11-14 Harbour Training Week15-17 Inclining Experiment18-22 HATS23-31 DNB Harbour Training
1-2 Harbour Training2-28 SATS
HmNZS CANTERBURy [CDR J L GILMOUR RNZN]
1-17 PAL18-25 DNB Harbour Training25-31 Shakedown
1-3 DNB Harbour Training3-4 Passage4-7 Waitangi7-11 Passage to Australia11-17 FBE Sydney17-19 PASSEX19-22 Townsville22-26 SQUADEX26-28 Townsville
H Y D R O G R A P H I C S U R V E Y F O R C E
HmNZS RESolUTioN [LTCDR S D ARNDELL RNZN]
1-10 PAL11-26 DNB IMAV, Harbour Training, HATS26-27 SATS27-31 DNB Harbour Training
1-2 DNB2-16 OP ACHERON17-22 Napier22-24 EEZ Patrol24-28 DNB Harbour Training
D I V I N G & M C M F O R C E
HmNZS mANAWANUi [A/LTCDR P J ROWE RNZN]
1-10 PAL11-31 DNB, IMAV
1-4 HATS4-5 SATS5-8 DNB8-12 EX NAUTILUS12-15 Port Visit (TBC)15-19 EX NAUTILUS19-28 DNB, Harbour Training
J A N u A r Y | F e b r u A r Y
L I T T O R A L WA R FA R E S U P P O R T F O R C E
oPERATioNAl DiviNG TEAm [LTCDR A G MCMILLAN RNZN]
1-17 PAL18-24 Harbour Training
8-19 EX NAUTILUS
miNE CoUNTER mEASURES TEAm [LTCDR K Barrett RNZN]
1-10 PAL11-31 DNB, Harbour Trainin
1-12 OP ORION12-15 Port Visit (TBC)15-18 Deployed18-28 DNB, Harbour Training
I N S H O R E P A T R O L F O R C E
HmNZS RoToiTi [LT A HOGG RNZN]
1-17 DNB, PAL& Preps18-31 DSRA
1-28 DSRA
HmNZS HAWEA [LT G I JUDSON RNZN ]
1-17 DNB, PAL& Preps18-31 DSRA
1-28 DSRA
HmNZS PUKAKi (LT J J MCQUEEN RNZN)
1-7 DNB, PAL& Preps8-9 EEZ Patrol9-11 Wellington11-14 OP KAUWAE14-16 Picton16-21 OP MULTUS21-25 Picton25-31 EEZ Patrol
1-15 DNB Harbour Training PAL15-18 At sea in support of DDC 10/0118-28 DNB Harbour Training
HmNZS TAUPo (LTCDR J L P CLARKSON RNZN)
1-25 DNB, PAL& Harbour Training25-29 EEZ Patrol29-31 Auckland City
1 At Anchor (Auckland Regatta Guard Ship)2-3 EEZ Patrol3-6 Opua6-12 EEZ Patrol12-22 DNB Harbour Training22-26 EEZ Patrol26-28 DNB
A R O U N D T H e F L E E T
NOTe: THis FOrecAsT is subJecT TO cHANGe
cOmpiLeD bY - Lcss(A) KYLe LOmAs, J333m-3, HQ JFNZ
The Defence Transformation Programme
(DTP) is the formal programme of work to take
a strategic look at the overall NZDF support
functions. It is assessed that $45 million has
already been saved through several tactical
“quick win” projects. DTP is focused on the
longer-term transformational change across the
NZDF, which will deliver further savings.
This year has also bought us closer to instituting
simpler and better support functions for Human
Resource Management (HRM), Logistics and
within HQ NZDF. The process undertaken has
followed a thorough approach:
We have researched the current state for •
HRM, Logistics & the HQ,
We developed a vision for what those •
organisations could look like in the future,
then
The information gathered was combined •
with external reviews and research into other
organisations and militaries, and
Compared with existing frameworks and •
theories.
This process enabled the DTP staff to
provide the NZDF Executive Leadership Team
with detailed options, to support our decision
makers in determining what's best for NZDF.
All this work came together in August at
the Transformation Summit, where the ELT
discussed how DTP would progress.
The ELT agreed that:
support services would increasingly be •
organised on functional lines.
the enduring role of Service Chiefs is integral •
in the command structure.
the DTP had shifted from planning to •
delivery, with a bold agenda for change.
The initiatives from the Transformation Summit
are:
a consolidated logistics organisation, •
to be headed by AIRCDRE Peter Guy
as the Commander Logistics. With the
support of a Logistics Advisory Board of
key logistics representatives from each
Service, COMLOG is tasked with delivering
benefits and improvements across the entire
logistics function.
a consolidated Training and Education •
Directorate. The Commandant of the
Defence College, COL Al McCone, has
been tasked with setting up the Training
and Education Directorate.
More agile and adaptable HRM processes
have also come a step closer, with the ELT
approving the investigation of a consolidated
Human Resource organisation.
These new organisations are designed to
support operations, and ensure the Personnel
Required in Uniform (PRU) requirements
are met. Service representatives will ensure
the cultural strengths and practices of each
Service are understood, as further detail is
developed.
The ELT also approved the investment case
for a centralised payroll unit and work has
begun on identifying the impact of centralising
payroll on the wider HRM function.
Within NZDF Headquarters, the aim is to
reduce unnecessary bureaucracy and simplify
structures to better support the outputs of
the NZDF, in particular support to the Chief
of Defence Force and the three Service
Chiefs. Each department head is reviewing
their function, and the first areas to be looked
at are HQ Policy, Planning, Finance and
Development.
To ensure Service-specific needs are taken
into account, the DTP is staffed with military
representatives working alongside specialist
project team members. They are working on
organisational design, process design, key
performance indicator definition, role definition
and other activities. By freeing up resources
through the creation of leaner and smarter
support services, we will be better able to
deliver our military capability—NZDF’s reason
for being.
G A l l E y S l i D E
DTP: ACHiEvEmENTS THiS yEAR
Simpler and Better
AiRCDRE PETER GUy
to follow progress on the dtp programme, click on the dtp link on your intranet home page.
ComPiled By aWtr Jo SteWart,Courses and Promotions Clerk, FPtCoNGRATUlATioNS oN yoUR PRomoTioN:cdr n e philpott rnZnLtcdr g avard rnZnLtcdr e M nind rnZnLtcdr M p Kennett rnZnLtcdr p a smith rnZnvrLt p J eady rnZnLt M J williams rnZnLt c carkeek rnZnLt M hunt rnZnLt s turner rnZnsLt d May rnZnsLt v t Mcdonald rnZnsLt o L v gee rnZnsLt M i hague rnZnvrcpoMUs e r Lawrence pocss d L a anderson poews a M King postd b s Jury Lwtr K M Mitchell Lwtr n L brooks Lch L M eton Lco v M Mills Lcss M tulimaiau Lcss r M smith Ldr J i Kauika Ldr w f s Keyworth Lhst t r chell LMt(L) c f t tua LMUs s f purllant Lstd c M taylor Lstd J c webby adr J h williams ach L M thyne ach r w w Kingi ach t bartlett aco c L tagata aco p J hall aco s L Kitchen aco L e broad aet K t siale aet2 M M c Kainuku ahso b f daley-rutherford aMt2 t w wineera aMt2(L) J d bowler aMt2(p) a p rowe aMt2(p) t g garrett astd h c w Matthews astd s K dysart at(we) b J Martin asea(vr) r J chappell asea(vr) h w g tyson asea(vr) d M smith asea(vr) p v greer FAREWEll & THANK yoU FoR yoUR SERviCE:capt M J Millar rnZnchap r a pearson rnZnvrLtcdr a t smyth rnZnvrLtcdr v J payne rnZnvrwors d d crosby cpopti r b statham Lcss s Morgan-smith Lscs d g williams Lscs f tanuvasa aet1 b c harvey aMedic J e gardiner aMt1(p) M s stoddart aMUs L e emms awt1 n c Martin adef(vr) d e scott
RNZN PRomoTioNS & FAREWEllS
oTAGo AT WilliAmSToWN
W W W . N A V Y . M I L . N Z38 N T 1 5 0 D E C E M B E R 0 9 N T 1 5 0 D E C E M B E R 0 9 W W W . N A V Y . M I L . N Z 39
we performed an Waiata-a-ringa (action song)
‘Tu ana Te Ngakau Hihiko’ written by Maria
and Bones Tapene. It talks about following
your dreams and aspirations, but the most
important thing is to have aroha (compassion
and consideration) for one another
No bracket is complete without a Poi song,
and the one chosen was written by CPO Miru
Mclean, with the tune by PO Kelly Kahukiwa.
‘Anei Ko Te Taonga Te Tamaiti’ acknowledges
our precious tamariki (children). We must care
for them so they stand with pride and dignity,
for they are our leaders of tomorrow.
Our men then took the prime position on the
stage with their Haka ‘Te Matauranga’ which
speaks of our tupuna (ancestors) handing
down the knowledge to inspire us, to use the
knowledge and hold on to our Te Reo me ona
tikanga me ona kawa.
The ladies joined in for the Navy Haka; ‘Te
Tumu Herenga Waka’, by CPO Miru Mclean
and CPO Karauria Ruru, acknowledges our
three core values.
We completed the programme wi th
Whakawatea (exit) song ‘Tautoko’ written by
CPO Miru Mclean and PO Kelly Kahukiwa.
This paid tribute to all the hard work and long
hours our group put in and also thanked Ngati
Tumatauenga (NZ Army) and the people behind
the scenes: cooks, cleaners and organisers,
who worked so hard to make this kaupapa a
wonderful success.
And thanks to, to all the NZDF groups that
participated in the Waiouru Cultural Festival
2009. Without you the traditions, customs and
whakawhanaungatanga (family and friendship
links) of this wonderful occasion would not have
been possible.
T E m o A N A m A R A E
waioUrUcULtUraL festivaL 09
Te Reo Heramana (voice of the sailor) Culture
Club members attended the bi-annual NZDF
cultural festival in Waiouru on 3 October.
Our group is made up of the wider Naval
Community, civilians, family members and
service members; there were some new faces,
balanced with the seasoned performers. The
waiata (songs) in our programme were mostly
written by members of our group and this
proved to be a good point of difference to the
other NZDF groups.
This year’s programme opened with
‘Whakaari mai’, as a tribute to the late Sir
Howard Morrison—this is the song he sang
at the Royal Command Performance and
is remember by his fans since. This was
followed by a powerful item with our ladies
wheeling patu (club) and the men their taiaha
(spears). ‘Whakawhanautanga’ was written
by CPO Karauria Ruru, acknowledging all the
people throughout NZDF who came together
to support the Waiouru festival. The last part
acknowledges our Navy pepeha (proverb), our
mountain Maunga Uika, our river Nga Awa e
Rua, and our whenua Te Kurae a Tura.
Next was a moteatea (chant) ‘Tenei Au’,
written by Dr Peter Sharples. This is a karakia
used before warriors went into battle to call on
the gods to give them strength, knowledge and
expertise with the taiaha to fight the enemy.
The programme then changed completely and
Then there was Oecussi, the isolated enclave
to the west, which needed a road transport
corridor, but that took a long time to arrange.
I visited the refugee camps in Atambua. It was
hard to imagine how people could be so scared
of returning to East Timor that they continued
to live in the horrors of those camps.
The UNMOs I served with varied; the Aussies
and Kiwis were good, as were the Brazilians
who could speak Portuguese; the Malaysians
brought their ability to talk with the Indonesians
and the Pakistanis worked hard. Some were not
so good—two foreign UNMOs were restricted
to Darwin while sexual assault charges were
investigated. The worst moment for us was the
death of a Malaysian UNMO in Darwin Hospital
where he succumbed to malaria as he was
returning from leave.
In my mind the hero of East Timor was the
Head of UNTAET, Sergio Vieira de Mello. After
INTERFET had established the peace, he had to
build a country out of the devastation and with a
local population of whom many were displaced
and most were generally uneducated. As a
professional UN diplomat he was one who
inspired us all and it was a great loss when he
was killed in Iraq in 2003.
o U R N A v A l H E R i T A G E
By CaPt GreG BuChan rnZn (rtd)*
I flew in to Dili on Christmas Eve 1999 and
one of the lasting impressions of my time in
East Timor as Deputy Chief Military Observer
was to occur early the next morning. Andrew
Martin and I left our house to head to UNMO
HQ, but all of the surrounding streets were
full of people heading to church for Christmas
Mass. It showed me the strong faith of the
East Timorese people, which must have been
a major strength for them throughout their
struggles.
During my six month tour I lived in a rented
house in a suburb of Dili. Living in the community
allowed me to get to know a large number of
people and some particularly well. I was
impressed by their sense of family and their
love for their children.
In a country as devastated as East Timor, the
first imperative was to establish law and order. It
was a sobering lesson to realise that one of the
first steps in establishing a law-abiding society
is to have a prison!
I was fortunate to travel through most of East
Timor and into Indonesian Timor, which gave a
wide range of contrasts.
the destroyed UNAMET vehicles still at •
Baucau airport
the lush vegetation overrunning neglected •
coffee plantations at Ermera, and
at Aileu, the fortitude of all in the Falantil, •
from Xanana Gusmao to each of his foot
soldiers.
10 yEARS oN my mEmoRiES oF EAST TimoR
* A/CAPT Greg Buchan was the Deputy
Chief Military Observer, UNTAET, December
1999-June 2000.
CAPT GREG BUCHAN, CENTRE, WiTH FoUR oTHER RNZN PERSoNNEl WHo WERE SERviNG iN E TimoR iN miD-2000 (l To R) WoRS NoEl NGAHA, lT mEliSSA KAio & lT mATT WRAy (BoTH SEATED) AND PoS DAvE WHiTmoRE. CDR KAio & lTCDR WRAy ARE STill SERviNG ToDAy.
CAPT BUCHAN DiSCUSSES FiSHiNG WiTH A loCAl CHilD, AT Dili EARly iN 2000. HmNZS ENDEAvoUR iS ANCHoRED
oFF SHoRE AS THE loGiSTiCS Hq SHiP FoR iNTERFET. PHoTo: lAC NANCy CoX RNZAF
TE REo HERAmANA oN STAGE
THE RNZN CoNTiNGENT
oh
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S P o R T - R U G B y l E A G U E S P o R T - R U G B y l E A G U E
By CPodr Brendon JohnSon
Navy hosted this year’s Inter-Services Rugby
League tournament during September. The
RNZN Coaching staff and team management
had planned an all-out assault to uplift the Mad
Butcher Trophy, which had been held by Army
over the past six 6 years. An extended RNZN
training squad of 41 players was selected from
the annual Inter-Ship competition and from
those who had played for the club throughout
the 2009 season. A testing training schedule
was set up, which allowed all squad members
the opportunity to show what they had to
offer, before the final training squad of 20 was
announced.
Our focus was on the first game against Air
Force, who bought their strongest team in ten
years. The game was fierce, with the forwards
battling for dominance. Navy scored first, with
tries by AMT(P) Dinnel Mio and ASCS Adrian
Shelford. At half time we held a 12–4 lead. The
second half provided more excitement and big
hits but the commitment by the Navy team was
overwhelming, with ASCS Shelford proving
pivotal in winning the game 16–12.
The second day saw Air Force play Army
in a spectacular match that could have
matched any NRL game! Army took what
seemed an unassailable lead, but with only 20
minutes left, Air Force found another gear and
proceeded to claw back to 26–all. With three
minutes remaining and after numerous drop
goal attempts by both teams the outcome
looked like a draw … but at one minute left,
Air Force attacked 80m up the right hand side
until a penalty was awarded. The crowd was
enthralled as the 40 m kick went right through
the middle. Air Force had defeated Army
28–26, their first victory over Army in more
than 15 years.
That left the RNZN side having to win or
draw against Army to take the title. Our mental
preparation was focussed on ensuring that the
17 who were selected were going out with one
mission, to win.
The forwards battled for ascendancy, until
Army made the first clear break which was
shut down by an outstanding scramble in
defence by ASCS Shelford. The next Army
attack spread across field and was shutdown
by a bone-rattling tackle from POSA Aaron
Poroa-Simmons.
The Navy attack was led by 20-year veteran
POCSS Lance Tahiwi and LCO Dave Tapene.
Tries in the first half were scored by ASCS
Shelford and LDR Phil Smyth; both were
converted by AMT Benji Bush who kicked
brilliantly throughout the tournament. Halftime:
12-2 to Navy.
Army came back hard in the second half
with a quick try. With the score at 12–6 and a
man in the sin bin for Navy, Army found some
inspiration and attacked continuously. The Navy
defence was robust and held strong. With eight
minutes to go, ODR Palu Tonga fired off a set
scrum play and ran through the Army defence
to score, ensuring both the match and the
tournament were won by Navy!
Coaching and management for Navy League
2009 would like to thank CPOPTI Matt Jeffries
and his staff for a well-organised tournament.
And thanks, too, to all the COs and department
heads who ensured our best players were
available for the 2009 campaign.
ToURNAmENT RESUlTS
Navy 16 v Air Force 12
Air Force 28 v Army 26
Navy 18 v Army 8
STANDiNGS:
1st: Navy; Winners of the Mad
Butcher Trophy 2009
2nd: Air Force
3rd: Army
ToURNAmENT AWARDS:
Best Rookie: ODR S. Tonga
Best Forward: Cpl B. Brown
Best Back: Cpl J. Ryan
MVP: AMT D Mio
NZDF TEAm SElECTioNS:
CPOET R. Wattie
CPODR B. Johnson
CPOSA P. Warbrick
LCO T. Matoe
LSCS W. Sio
ASCS A. Shelford
ASCS S. O’Brien
AMT B. Bush
ODR S. Tonga
OCSS I. Toleafoa
LCO D. Tapene
POSA A. Poroa-Simmons
POSA D. Mauafu
THE ANNUAl AUCKlAND RUGBy lEAGUE AWARDSBy CPoet roy Wattie
On 24 October the Annual Auckland Rugby
League awards dinner was held at Mount
Smart Stadium, celebrating 100 years of
Rugby League in the Auckland region. A
contingent of nine from the Navy Dolphins
Club attended; we were part of a crowd
of 300 who were present to acknowledge
the achievements of Rugby League
players throughout the Auckland region. It
was a great night for Navy Rugby League
and Rugby League in general.
Our group were all delighted when the
‘Mandron Masonry Phelan Shield for Player
of the Year’—voted on by all opposition
coaches—went to OCSS Itaifale Toleafoa
of the Navy Dolphins Club. Congratulations
Itaifale!
iNTER-SERviCES’ viCToRy! oUR mENTAl PREPARATioN
WAS FoCUSSED oN ENSURiNG THAT THE 17 WHo WERE
SElECTED WERE GoiNG oUT WiTH oNE miSSioN, To WIN
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NAvy vS AiR FoRCE NAvy vS AiR ARmy
TEAm CAPTiAN lCo THomAS mAToE SCoRES A TRy
oCSS iTAiFAlE TolEAFoA
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S P o R T - R U G B y S P o R T - R U G B y
By ltCdr oWen younG rnZn
Our Navy’s senior Rugby Union team
participated in the Commonwealth Cup rugby
tournament in UK, 6–15 October. The Royal
Navy (RN) hosted the tournament at Plymouth.
We had all hoped the tournament would include
four teams but in the end the South African
Navy’s team couldn’t make it. The RN included
an invitation team to make up the fourth side.
Our squad had a lengthy build-up (including
the 2009 Inter-Service tournament) before we
departed for the UK on 29 September and we
reached HMS RALEIGH 48 hours later.
RALEIGH is the RN’s in i t ia l t ra in ing
establishment. Each week the base receives
a new intake of over 50 personnel who
commence an eight week initial training course
(BCT equivalent). Every Friday afternoon there
is a Graduation Parade. With all that training
going on in the background our team settled
in.
For the first few days we held an intensive
training programme to both overcome jetlag
and spark up our team for the first match
against the RAN on 6 October. We all enjoyed
the Tournament opening ceremony and a few
low-key social activities.
The Plymouth Albion Rugby Club ground was
the venue for all matches. The opening match,
the RNZN vs the RAN, was also the initial
contest for the Shelford-Stokes Shield.
In front of a crowd of over 1200, we outscored
the RAN seven tries to two in a comprehensive
45–12 victory. Our point scorers were:
Tries: SLT Marty Fourie, LT Andy Longley, •
POWTR Hone Taurua, OCSC Palu Tonga,
LPTI Morgan Findlay, LT Damian Gibbs &
AET Stevie Winikerei
At the Tournament closing function our squad
had eight players named for the Tournament
Barbarians team, to play a Cornwell-Devon
selection three days later. Additionally, LT
Damian Gibbs RNZN was recognised as Player
of the Tournament.
Rugby did not stop with the end of the
Tournament; on 13 October we travelled to
the Tavistock Rugby Club where a combined
ANZAC team (made up of reserve players and
coaching/management staff) took on the local
club side. In a light-hearted match the locals
Conversions & Penalties: LPTI Findlay (2 •
of each)
One major injury disrupted preparations for
the following matches.
On 9 October the RAN defeated the Invitation
side. That was the curtain raiser to our key
match against the RN. Again conditions were
not conducive to good rugby, with a strong
wind and thick misty rain sweeping down the
ground.
Facing a strong RN side our team opened
well as team captain, Hone Taurua, scored
a try for a 5–0 lead. Despite sustaining some
intense pressure the RN side fought back with
three penalties to lead 9–5 at halftime. An early
second half try by LS Slade Sturmey saw us
regain the lead; however, the RN then kept up
the pressure for the remainder of the match.
They scored a converted try to lead 16–10
with 15 minutes remaining. We were unable to
recover from this set back and the final score
remained 16–10.
We enjoyed our match on 12 October against
the invitation team, winning 33–21, but this did
not count towards tournament standings. This
match provided an opportunity for the reserve
players to show their talents:
Tries, ASCS Anaru Walker, AHSO Greg •
Carter, ODR Palu Tonga, AET Stevie
Winikerei & LCSS Wetini Reti.
Conversions: AHSO Carter 4.•
After that match, the entire RNZN squad
stood on the sidelines to cheer for our Aussie
friends against the RN. Despite our vocal
support the RAN lost 34–11 to the RN; thus
the RN retained the Commonwealth Cup. We
now have a long three year wait until Australia
hosts the next tournament!
beat the Anzac side, then they generously
hosted our two teams to some outstanding
British hospitality.
On 15 October a CWC Sevens tournament
was held. Four teams participated—the Royal
Marines provided the fourth side. Our NZ side
consisted mainly of young promising players,
supplemented by a couple of experienced
lads. Our youngsters provided an exhilarating
performance being undefeated in the initial
round robin: vs RM 31–0; vs RN 19–12; vs
RAN 31–0. Interestingly the RN side for the
Sevens final had a very Fijian look …! The
match proved to be one of the highlights of the
tournament, with our team running up a score
of 60-something to 7.
Following the Sevens final, the Barbarians
Team, after only one training run, ran onto the
Plymouth Albion Rugby ground to a RN-packed
crowd of 3500.
Selected for the Barbarians from our squad •
were: LT Damian Gibbs, SLT Marty Fourie,
POWTR Hone Taurua, Mr Sam Houghton,
LSEA Slade Sturmey, OSCS Piri Mona
Nepia, ACH Tim Te Hau, AET Josh Parangi
& ODR Palu Tonga.
CPOCSS (A) Dean Fielding was selected as
Team Manager and POMED Simon Vissers as
the Barbarians Medic/Strapper.
The first half proved to be a battle up front
with a very well-drilled Cornwell-Devon team
dominating the rucks with fast ball security
and turn-overs. Our Barbarians side took a
buffeting, losing 50–13.
It was a weary bunch of Kiwis who boarded
the bus for London the following morning.
Our final two days in the UK provided some
sightseeing highlights including Stonehenge
and Windsor Castle. While at Windsor we held
a short team debrief when we recognised our
Most Valuable Player—POMT Chris Henricksen.
Chris has provided a huge contribution to the
2009 campaign; he was a dedicated trainer in
the lead up period and a player who always
gave his utmost on the field.
After a couple of days in London we headed
home. The tour has confirmed a number of
very promising young players and our challenge
will be to continue to develop the spirit we
achieved, for RNZN rugby overall.
oUR SqUAD HAD EiGHT PlAyERS NAmED FoR THE ToURNAmENT BARBARiANS TEAm. ADDiTioNAlly, lT DAmiAN GiBBS RNZN WAS RECoGNiSED AS PlAyER oF THE ToURNAmENT.
THE SHElFoRD-SToKES SHiElDThe Shield is to be contested
for whenever the two navies’
representative teams play each
other. The Shield is named after
two rugby stalwarts from the
respective Navies, Wayne (Buck)
Shelford and WO Geoff Stokes, a
long-serving RAN rugby man and
current RAN coach.
The historic Lou Smith Cup
remains to be contested between
RAN and RNZN ships.cOMMONWEALTH cup RugBYA TRy AGAiNST THE RAN By FUllBACK ANDy loNGlEy oDv ToNGA DURiNG THE GAmE AGAiNST THE RN
THE RNZN TEAm BEFoRE THEiR FiRST mATCH, 6 oCToBER A liNE oUT AGAiNST THE RN, 9 oCToBER
THE RNZN oFFiCiAl TEAm PHoTo AT HmS RAlEiGH
N T 1 5 0 D E C E M B E R 0 9 W W W . N A V Y . M I L . N Z 45W W W . N A V Y . M I L . N Z44 N T 1 5 0 D E C E M B E R 0 9
m A i N N o T i C E B o A R D
REUNioNS 2010 JANuArY 1975 iNTAKe 35 YeAr reuNiON (OFFICERS, BCTS, WRENS & APPRENTICES)
15 & 16 January 2010
Friday 15 Jan 1900-2300 Mix & Mingle Senior Ratings Mess HMNZS PHILOMEL.Saturday 16 Jan Base Tour and Ship VisitsDinner (Venue TBC)
REGISTRATIONS: by 30 Nov 09 to: E: [email protected]: 021 396 420
HmNZs OTAGO AssOciATiON reuNiON50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE COMMISSIONING
25-27 June 2010, Dunedin
Open to all past and serving members of the RNZN and RNZNVRProgramme is being developed and will be on the Association’s WebsiteW: www.hmnzsotago.org
‘ALL sHips reuNiON’ Palmerston North , Labour Weekend 2010.At the Palmerston North RSA and Navy Clubrooms
Please Contact: Dave Leese E: [email protected], P: 06 354 0479 or 027 243 0427
mururOA NucLeAr VeTerANs reuNiON Anzac Weekend 2010, Napier Operation Grapple Vets most welcome
Please Contact: E: [email protected], P: 06 834 1114
rNZN GuNNers reuNiONEASTER WEEKEND 2010 AT THE DEVONPORT NGATARINGA SPORTS COMPLEx
Please contact:J.Senton.P: 09 634 4650 E: [email protected] .nz
S P o R T - S A i l i N G
By andreW Cullen
LT Ross Hickey skippered the STC PAEAII to
Wellington and the Marlborough Sounds during
October & November. I arrived at Chaffer’s
Marina with some degree of trepidation, some
of us weren’t sure what to expect; but what we
lacked in experience we made up in willingness
to take advantage of the opportunity! In our
foul weather gear we sure looked the part and
we soon learned that we had a very capable
skipper and mate who created a no-stress
learning environment.
We set off toward Eastbourne and on to
Seaview. By then lunch was looking pretty
good so we tootled back from Soames Island
towards Evans Bay and enjoyed a feed on
the way.
We all were starting to really enjoy sailing;
we were tacking and gybing and were keen to
show off to the other yachties. We took delight
in pointing others’ inability to raise a spinnaker
the right way—then the Skipper admitted that
he had done the very same thing on at least
one occasion!
Three UK Defence-owned yachts are due to sail into Auckland in January, when an ambitious
British Tri-Service adventure reaches its half-way mark. The Sail Training Exercise, TRANSGLOBE,
involves personnel from all three Services, Regular and Reserve, in a globe-circling yacht race
from June 2009 to July 2010, with each yacht crewed by Army, Navy or Air Force personnel.
The aim of the exercise is to develop individuals’ personal qualities and teamwork, with some
550 personnel crewing different legs of the race and undertaking ocean crossings from the heat
of the Tropics to the cold of the Southern Ocean.
The three yachts are:
HMSTV ADVENTURE: Royal Navy
HMSTV CHALLENGER: British Army
HMSTV DISCOVERER: RAF
They are Challenge 67s, steel-hulled, 67 ft (20.4m) yachts with a crew of 14, designed for Chay
Blythe’s “Challenge” ocean race events in the ’90s and built at Devonport, Cornwall. Four were
purchased by the UK MoD and are operated by the Joint Services Adventurous Sail Training
Centre at Gosport, Hampshire.
The race has taken the yachts down the Atlantic in three legs—with crew changes at each
port—then from Capetown to Perth and on to Sydney. Leg Six is the Sydney-Hobart yacht race,
before the three British yachts race to Auckland 9–23 January. The yachts will be in Auckland
for a week, sailing for Montevideo, Uruguay on 30 January.
BRiTiSH TRANSGloBE RACE
SAIL TRAINING IN WELLINGTON
Later, our crew took part in an SAR operation,
of a duckling! The Department of Conservation
would have been proud of the tenacity
displayed as we attempted to reunite that lone
duckling with its family.
By the time we got back to the pier and
stowed the yacht we were all feeling rather
pleased with ourselves. Unfortunately the
weather the next day as was against us, so
we did not make it out for the whole weekend.
Our thanks to Ross & Donna for their patience
and good humour, and to all our ship-mates.
Our grateful thanks to the Navy for making this
day possible.
SomE oF THE STC CREW (l To R): DoNNA HAmmoND, ANDREW CUllEN, joyCE DUFFEll & lT RoSS HiCKEy
20 December 1000 HMS Neptune Memorial Service
24 December 2330 Christmas Eve Midnight Mass
25 December 1000 Christmas Day Service and Holy Communion
All serving and former military and civilian personnel, families and friends are welcome
to attend
NAVAL cHApeL OF sT cHrisTOpHer
December serVices
NEW ZEAlAND BRANCH oF THE RoyAl mARiNES ASSoCiATioN
Meets bi-monthly: 1400 on the 2nd Saturday of the month, at Pt Chevalier RSA.
Full membership is open to any serving or former •
RM, RMR and RN.
Associated or affiliated membership to any member •
or former member of HM Forces who served with an
RM unit or formation, family members of RM, RMR &
RN, and Royal Marines Cadets (aged 18 and over).
New members are most welcome.•
President: Peter Collins.
Secretary: Colleen Ellis
Ph: 09 622 1733
Postal: 3/136 Trafalgar Street,
Onehunga 1061
Auckland.
Website: http://www.royalmarinesassociation.org/nz/rma_nz_home.html
new ZeaLand Korea veterans’ association
Membership of the New Zealand Korea Veterans’ Association is available to those members
of the NZDF who have served in Korea under the United Nations Military Commission since 1
January 1958, and were awarded the appropriate medallic recognition for such service.
For information and membership details contact:
Douglas Callander
NZKVA National Secretary
23 Longcroft Terrace
Newlands, Wellington, 6037
Ph: (04) 478-3238
Fax: (04) 478-3602
Email: [email protected]
W W W . N A V Y . M I L . N Z46 N T 1 5 0 D E C E M B E R 0 9 N T 1 5 0 D E C E M B E R 0 9 W W W . N A V Y . M I L . N Z 47
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