MEDICS IN PNG - Royal New Zealand Navy

MEDICS 

IN PNG 

LIFE IN KOREA 

TE KAHA - 

A DAY IN THE LIFE 

WWW.NAVY.MIL.NZ 

NT125SEPTEMBER07 

1

CONTENTS 

YOURS AYE 

ISSN 1173-8332 

TODAY 

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 Public Relations Unit, 

Wellington, Navy Today is now in its twelfth year 

of publication. 

Views expressed in Navy Today are not necessarily 

those of the RNZN or the NZDF. 

Contributions are welcomed. Submit copy of letters 

for publication in Microsoft Word, on diskette or 

emailed. Articles about 300 words, digital photos 

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Reprinting of items is encouraged if Navy Today is 

acknowledged. 

Leading Medic Natasha Gill from Northcote 

makes friends with a male Red-Sided 

Eclectus, a parrot native to PNG and 

the Solomon Islands, during the Pacific 

Partnership medical deployment aboard USS 

PELELIU. See feature page 4. 

PHOTO: USN 

SEPTEMBER COVER 

CONTENTS 

RADM DAVID LEDSON CHIEF OF NAVY 

YOURS AYE 

I WAS BRIEFED on the results of our We were the only ones to see the silly 

recent personnel surveys the other day. element – our seniors only saw the immutable 

nature of processes. To mock things 

As I listened to the various comments 

that had been made about work loads, our seniors considered serious was often 

leadership, recognition, promotions and the game in town. 

the like, I heard the various perceptions As I got promoted I started to take some 

that people had; and I reflected on my of the process stuff more seriously – in 

own perceptions of the Navy. 

part because I saw where it fit into the 

It struck me that over the years, and bigger picture. Things that had seemed 

even now, I didn’t have a single endur- 

easy to do, and that I couldn’t see why 

quite unimportant the next day 

I came to realise that ultimately my 

perceptions about the Navy were mostly 

shaped by the state of my relationships 

and interactions with other people – inside 

and outside the Navy – and what they 

did and said. I reached a point where I 

understood that if I were to accurately 

express my perception of the Navy as an 

organisation in the biggest of big picture 

Copy deadlines for NT 5pm as follows: 

NT 126 October issue: 17 September 

NT 127 November issue: 17 October 

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CDR Maxine Lawes 

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A publication of 

DEFENCE 

PUBLIC RELATIONS UNIT 

FEATURES: 

08 ROTOITI named 

13 Diver in the Lebanon 

14 Deployment to Darwin 

15 Helping with the Homecoming 

18 HMNZS KIWI – a CO’s perspective 

20 The Navy’s author – Grant Howard 

21 Remembering CAPTAIN Wybrants 

Olphert RNR 

22 Our People 

24 HMNZS TE KAHA 

04 

PACIFIC 

PARTNERSHIP 

Seven of our sailors joined 

USS PELELIU in support of 

Pacific Partnership to assist in 

humanitarian medical efforts 

in Oceania. The team helped to 

provide free medical assistance 

for the people of Papua New 

Guinea. 

INSIDE: 

LIVING IN SOUTH 

KOREA 

LT Jeremy Packham RNZN is 

living in Korea, working for 

the United Nations Command 

Military Armistice Commission. 

He lives with four US Army and 

Air Force personnel in the small 

town of Ganseong, about 30 

minutes south of the DMZ. 

26 HMNZS CANTERBURY 

29 No 6 Squadron 

30 HMNZS RESOLUTION 

32 HMNZS ENDEAVOUR 

33 HMNZS WAKAKURA 

34 HMNZS MANAWANUI 

35 Around the Fleet 

36 Galley Slide 

38 Sport 

10 16 

43 Main Notice Board 

FIRE CONTROLLERS 

IN TE KAHA 

TE KAHA is currently in East 

Asian waters. The success of 

the frigate’s activities depends 

in large part on the people of the 

Weapon Engineering department, 

two of TE KAHA’s Electronic 

Technicians describe a day in 

their life. 

ing perception about every aspect of 

the Navy. Over time, and depending 

on a range of factors, as my perspective 

moved about a bit, my perceptions 

changed too. 

As a Junior Officer at sea I felt that I 

was doing the hard yards and the people 

ashore had a soft number. By the same 

token, I considered I was having more fun 

than them! It seems to me that life at sea 

is pretty straightforward – the thing you 

have to do is keep focused on what your 

ship is doing, then you need to do your 

bit – as does everyone else onboard – to 

make it happen. Service at sea was always 

characterised by an ‘us’ and ‘them’ 

view of the world. There was a view, too, 

that ‘them’ did very little to help ‘us’ – in 

fact ‘them’ seemed to be determined to 

annoy ‘us’. 

As a Junior Officer, too, I thought boundaries 

were there to be tested. However, 

if there was ‘push back’ then it was just 

one of those things. I and my contemporaries 

tended to be pretty relaxed about 

what we considered to be bureaucratic 

processes, to laugh at some of the silly 

consequences, and move on. Amongst 

us the feeling was that we were the only 

ones who saw the funny side of things 

– our seniors only saw the serious side. 

they weren’t done, now seemed to have 

an added shade of complexity. 

I also got to spend less time at sea. 

Instead of a relatively simple world it 

started getting more complicated. I didn’t 

end every day having achieved something 

I could take pride in, such as a successful 

watch or a successful gunnery serial. 

In fact, to achieve something equalling 

those successes could often take days 

or weeks. 

As I became more senior, it was almost 

as if my perceptions were like a slowly 

spinning coin. I had started off seeing 

heads and then I saw heads and tails – and 

then I saw mainly tails. I came to realise 

that through my career my perceptions 

were being influenced and shaped by a 

number of factors: 

• My place in the Navy 

• How I thought the Navy regarded me 

– and how I thought the Navy should 

regard me 

• My particular job and the satisfaction – 

or lack of – that I was getting out of it 

• Circumstances in my personal life – 

whether that life was sweet or sour 

• My relationships with my workmates 

• A whole lot of other stuff, some really 

big and some really small, some of it 

important at the time, and some of it 

terms – was it for me or was it not for 

me? – then I needed to move on, from 

focusing on personal stuff and how committed 

the Navy was to me or my family, 

to thinking hard about my commitment 

to the Navy. 

This was the coin not flipping either 

heads or tails, but spinning on its edge. 

It was the realisation that this thing called 

commitment works both ways. It’s not 

about us only taking, nor is it about ‘the 

Navy’ only taking, it’s about both doing 

some giving too. 

I meet many people who say to me ‘my 

perception is my reality ‘- when what they 

are really saying is ‘my perception is the 

one and only reality’. So if they say they 

are working hard then, QED, they are indeed 

working hard. No question about it 

– no debate about it. This all ends making 

things quite complicated because it becomes 

difficult to get your hands around 

‘the real world’. Everyone seems to see 

it differently. 

I like to keep things simple whenever 

I can. So, I believe the really important 

‘perception question’ has nothing to do 

whether this or that aspect is real or not. 

The important question – in fact the important 

question for all of us to answer - is 

‘Is the Navy for me?’ 

2 NT125SEPTEMBER07 WWW.NAVY.MIL.NZ 


NT125SEPTEMBER07 3

MC 07-0286-07 

PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP 

Locals wave a warm 

welcome as the Medcap 

team lands near Madang 

BY MC3 LEONARD MANDAP, USS PELELIU PUBLIC AFFAIRS 

RNZN JOINS PACIFIC 

PARTNERSHIP TEAM 

AMED Andrea Gooch was 

one of the team deployed 

on Pacific Partnership 

BY SURGEON COMMANDER JOHN DUNCAN RNZN, 

DIRECTOR OF NAVAL MEDICINE, NAVAL HEALTH SERVICES 

PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP: 

MEDICAL AID TO PNG 

Photo: USN 

SEVEN sailors from the Royal New Zealand 

Navy joined USS PELELIU (LHA 5) underway 

in support of Pacific Partnership to assist in 

humanitarian medical efforts in South East 

Asia and Oceania. One Surgeon Commander, 

one Warrant Officer Medic, two Leading 

Medics, and three Able Medics helped to 

provide free medical assistance for the 

people of Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon 

Islands. The RNZN medical team stayed 

aboard the PELELIU for three weeks. 

‘We are like your (hospital corpsmen), we 

do a little of everything,’ said Able Medic Melanie 

Bainbridge. ‘We do medical examinations 

all day long, basic medical services, and 

we are also trained for emergency care.’ 

Warrant Officer Medic Lee Matrevers 

said, ‘Our mission is to basically see how 

the US Navy operates and join the other 

nations on this mission to see where we 

can help out.’ 

It is Matrevers’s first time in a USN ship, 

especially one so ‘massive,’ he said. He 

explained that he’s done medical missions 

before, but nothing at this scale. ‘It feels 

great - It’s really neat to see how other 

The RNZN 

Medical Team 

• SGN CDR John Duncan [Hamilton] 

• WOMED Lee Matravers 

[Whangapaoroa] 

• LMED Tracey Richdale [Wanganui] 

• LMED Natasha Gill [Northcote] 

• AMED Andrea Gooch [Stratford] 

• AMED Melanie Bainbridge [Levin] 

• AMED Toni Simmonds [Masterton] 

people operate and how they live. There are 

quite a few similarities with the US Navy and 

the RNZN from damage control to how we 

actually live and talk onboard.’ 

It is also Able Medic Toni Simmonds’ and 

Able Medic Melanie Bainbridge’s first time 

aboard a US ship and their first time actually 

out to sea. They compared RNZN ships to 

USN ships. ‘Their rooms are a lot bigger and 

we only have a hundred people on our ships 

(whereas) this one has over one thousand,’ 

said Simmonds. ‘It’s a really cool experience 

to be in the PELELIU.’ 

Bainbridge said, ‘To be asked to do this 

mission is a pretty big deal, it’s pretty 

cool.’ 

The Pacific Partnership team consists of 

USS PELELIU sailors, non-governmental 

organizations (NGOs) and military medical 

volunteers from India, Canada, Japan, Australia, 

Vietnam, Singapore, Korea, and now 

New Zealand. This 2007 Pacific Partnership 

is a representation of how many diverse 

groups can work together towards a common 

goal and help under-privileged areas 

around the world. 

SGN CDR Duncan went ashore on 7 August 

for the official welcome to PNG with 

representatives of all Pacific Partner Nations, 

NGOs and USN Command, where they were 

greeted by PNG officials. WOMED Matrevers 

said, ‘Joining with other nations sends 

a message to the rest of the world that we 

can work as a team together to achieve 

something that’s good.’ 

WE joined the PELELIU in Singapore and 

sailed that afternoon. At 40,000 tones and 

nearly 900 ft long there is a lot of ship and 

we are getting used to it, but still are getting 

lost every now and then. The crew 

are fantastic and clearly are used to the 

new folk getting lost! There is a huge USN 

medical/surgical /dental /optometrical/ 

engineering /nursing component. The US 

crew are wonderful and really are the most 

fantastic hosts 

There is a large military as well as NGO 

medical/veterinary and engineering component 

aboard. We are still meeting everyone 

and there is a lot of planning for when we 

get to PNG and start the mission proper. 

We will be taking part in four types of aid 

programmes: 

• Medcap - medical aid running clinics and 

seeing patients 

• Vetcap - veterinarians 

• Dencap - dental 

• Encap - engineering projects 

THE PLANNING PHASE 

We will be in PNG from 8 - 18 August; 

we are not sure at this stage how many 

medical staff from PNG we will be working 

with. While we are on our way, we are 

undertaking all the planning. We will be in The Medcaps consist of primary care doctors 

like myself and many others. We have 

the Mandang area, conducting Medcaps 

and Dencaps at four sites: at Josephstaal paediatricians, ophthalmologists, general 

(4 days), and at Ileg, Bunabun and Miak surgeons and cardiologists. There are two 

(two days each). We will also be running a US Navy Optometrists who will be consulting 

and providing glasses to the local popu- 

medical consultancy at the Gaubin Hospital. 

There is radio advertising and so we expect lation. We also have a general surgeon and 

to be busy, how busy we will not know until an ophthalmologist who will be performing 

we get there. 

surgery on the PELELIU. 

SRGN CDR John Duncan with a patient during the clinic at Josephstall 

Photo: USN 



NT125SEPTEMBER07 5

LEADERSHIP 

MC 07-0286-02 

Photo: USN 

Photo: USN 

WEMED Lee Matravers 

at the Navy Hospital 

before his deployment 

Photo: USN 

ABOVE LEFT: USS PELELIU. LEFT: WOMED Lee Matravers administers an immunization 

shot at Bunabun Health Center in Madang. ABOVE: AMED Toni Simmonds is 

interviewed by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jennifer Hudson, from 

USS PELELIU during a community relations project at Madang Technical School. 

There will be clinics ashore to identify 

people who are suitable for surgery and we 

have people on the ground there already to 

try and pre-arrange this. We will transfer 

the patients here by chopper and by boat 

where we have 4 operating theatres, a 16 

bed ICU/ Recovery area and a very large 

ward, where we will care for them until they 

return to the mainland. We have embarked 

shoes and warm clothes as the local PNG 

folk are likely to find the airconditioning on 

board here a little chilly! The US Navy Ophthalmologist 

embarked is hoping to get as 

many cataracts lined up as he can operate 

on in the time available to him. 

The dentists will be doing a lot of dental 

work, while the Public Health and Environmental 

Health personnel will be doing 

projects like clean water and other environmental 

health issues. 

There are four major engineering projects. 

The PELELIU is great as it has landing craft 

that can land heavy machinery and we have 

bulldozers, graders, diggers and trucks and 

all manner of engineering equipment embarked. 

We also have the ‘Sea Bees’ [from 

LMED Gill meets a feathered 

friend ashore in PNG 

Photo: USN 

Construction Battalions] the US Navy construction 

engineers who have projects to 

do. They are going to repair the Maik Health 

Clinic, Josephstaal Health Clinic, Panmin 

School and there is also a roading project. 

These have been pre-organised and the 

health clinics and hospitals involved are still 

in use but are in a state of disrepair and will 

benefit hugely from this work. 

Communications will be difficult as this is 

very remote and so we will be using satellite 

phones. In remote areas we will be going 

inland for some of the Medcaps and we will 

be staying overnight, which I am sure will 

be interesting! 

I will be on the Medcaps and doing local 

clinics. The RNZN Medics will be coming 

ashore with the Medcaps to help with vaccination 

programs, or assisting in the OR 

and helping look after patients aboard. 

NEARLY THERE 

Sunday night [5 August] and we have just 

crossed the equator - we are still steaming 

on (and yes, we are a steam ship and 

have steam turbines to power us through 

the water). 

Tuesday is to be our first day in PNG and 

although we have had a long transit from 

Singapore it has been very valuable. I have 

had time to meet and talk to the US Ship 

command, the US Medical command and 

all the NGO and partner nations. 

Today was a “Steel Beach” where there 

was a bbq (aka grill) in the hangar bay, with 

volleyball, a bouncy castle, basket ball and 

a huge meal, it ran from 1030-1830. As you 

can imagine the hangar bay is a large space 

indeed. It was Sunday and so although we 

had to have breakfast in rig we could wear 

PT rig for the rest of the day (of course no 

beer!) 

The Medics have been helping with packing 

of medical supplies, meeting the other 

Medics and USN medical staff from the 

PELELIU and also the embarked NGO and 

US Forces medical staff. We have US Air 

Force and US Army medical staff on board 

as well. 

The Medics all have Medcaps to do and 

will be primarily vaccinating. Vaccinations 

are very important over here and although 

there is a good vaccination program running, 

the level of full immunisation is low. Twenty 

percent of children are not immunised, and 

many of the immunised children have not 

fully completed their vaccinations. So we 

will be vaccinating as part of the national 

vaccination program, giving boosters that 

are due (or overdue) and initiating vaccination 

in unvaccinated people. Of course we will 

be filling out their vaccination booklets and 

then organising the follow-up vaccinations 

with the local health infrastructure. 

There is still a lot of tetanus and other 

diseases in PNG that cause significant 

morbidity and mortality so vaccination offers 

a huge and ongoing benefit to the local 

population. 

There has been huge attention to maintaining 

the ‘cold chain’ in order to ensure the 

vaccinations’ effectiveness. For the whole 

voyage there will be over a million dollars 

worth of vaccinations given (not solely in 

PNG) which gives an idea as to the scope 

of the vaccination program. 

On arrival Tuesday [7 August], there will 

be a formal reception for the ship and the 

medical team. I will be going as the RNZN 

representative - in coveralls and not whites 

(as getting into and out of the chopper and 

then transport to the reception I think the 

chance of keeping the whites white would 

be minimal!) Then the Medcaps and the like 

will start. Next month: Medcap Diary. 

PACIFIC 

PARTNERSHIP 

Total Medical Personnel 188 

US Military 136 

Partner Nations 26 

NGOs 26 

Military Partner 

Nations 

NZ 7 

Australia 5 

India 6 

Canada 3 

Vietnam 3 

Japan 1 

Korea 1 

NGO 

Project Hope 20 

Aloha Medical Mission 3 

UCSD Pre-dental Society 3 



NT125SEPTEMBER07 7

PROJECT PROTECTOR 

ROTOITI, the first of the RNZN’s Lake-class 

Inshore Patrol Vessels, had been tucked 

away in build at the Tenix yards in Whangarei 

and her official unveiling at a Naming 

Ceremony on Saturday 4 August proved a 

good opportunity for four of her future crew 

to gain a sneak preview. 

Those who have been following the IPV’s 

build progress in the pages of Navy Today 

will be aware that three IPVs are now well 

underway, with HAWEA in one piece on the 

hardstand and the various modules of PU- 

KAKI being assembled on the yard floor. [See 

NT 124 August p18.] ROTOITI however, is 

the star of the show and we saw her sitting 

alongside H-Wharf at Whangarei when we 

arrived for the service. POSCS James Leef 

(the future Coxswain) reacted: ‘Upon our arrival 

my first thought was: Impressive!’ 

A naming ceremony is a special moment 

for any ship and there was a feeling of anticipation 

during the brief ‘meet and greet’ 

over coffees as the VIPs arrived. A stiff 

breeze did nothing to deter what was going 

to prove a memorable occasion and the 

RNZN Band played with gusto as the guests 

took their seats. 

On completion of the moving benediction 

by our CHAPLAIN Peter Olds, the CEO of 

Tenix, Chief of Navy RA Ledson and the 

Minister of Defence all spoke in praise of 

both ROTOITI and the project. The Naval 

Hymn was sung with emotion, then - the 

best saved for last - as Her Worship the 

Mayor of Napier Mrs Barbara Arnott spoke 

those meaningful words ‘I name this ship 

ROTOITI and may God bless her and all 

those who sail in her’ and cut the ribbon 

The Mayor of Napier receives flowers from Kristyan 

Megchelse and Joshua Kingi, two children of Tenix staff. 

BY LT ALISTAIR MCHAFFIE RNZN (CO DESIGNATE) 

ROTOITI 

NAMED 

releasing the bottle. The assembled crowd 

gasped (perhaps due the liberal sprinkling of 

cold champagne they received courtesy of 

the wind) as the bottle smashed convincingly 

upon ROTOITI’s bow signifying the completion 

of the ceremony. For myself, I found 

it quite emotional, I had not realised how 

significant the occasion would feel. 

After the ceremony, there were toasts in 

the marquee and an opportunity to mingle 

with the interesting mix of individuals who 

MC 07-0318-82 

had made the trip to Whangarei. It was especially 

pleasing for the future company of 

ROTOITI to meet a past XO and LPTI who 

had served on the Loch-class Frigate by the 

same name. ACO Virginia Mills commented 

‘It was a great afternoon, meeting old sailors, 

and CN, and hearing their views on 

how things will progress for the Navy over 

the next year.’ 

ROTOITI is affiliated with the City of 

Napier and the Hawkes Bay Region and it 

was stirring to hear Her Worship remind the 

audience of the important ties between the 

RNZN and Napier. ROTOITI has a responsibility 

to continue to strengthen the bonds 

established by previous ships - not only HM 

Ships VERONICA, DUNEDIN and DIOMEDE, 

but more recently HMNZS RESOLUTION. 

‘It was awesome to hear how excited our 

home port is about having us,’ POSCS Leef 

commented. 

Both the Coxswain and ACO Mills were 

given a tour of the ship by CPOMT(L) Matt 

Newbold (working for the MoD project team 

in Whangarei). The first impression given by 

an IPV is its sheer size in comparison with 

the Inshore Patrol Craft currently in service. 

It is immediately apparent also that these 

are capable ships, built for speed and fit 

HMNZS KIWI passes ROTOITI in Whangarei; the jump in 

size from the present IPCs to the new IPVs is apparent! 

MC 07-0319-06 

for purpose. A look at the bridge emphasises 

the level of technology being applied 

throughout Project Protector and while 

this represents challenges to the way we 

do business the opportunities to not only 

minimise manning but increase the skills of 

our team was readily apparent. POSCS Leef 

was keen: ‘Like anyone with a new piece 

of kit you get impatient and all you want to 

do is get onboard to see how everything 

works….. I can’t wait!’ 

ROTOITI will remain alongside in Whangarei 

later this year when she is expected to be 

handed to the RNZN at the commissioning 

MC 07-0318-63 

LEFT: The Mayor of Napier, Barbara Arnott, cuts the ribbon to release a champagne bottle 

to break on the bow of ROTOITI immediately after she had named our new ship. Defence 

Minister Phil Goff looks on. ABOVE: Present at the naming ceremony: (l to r) ACO Virginia 

Mills, POSCS James Leef, SLT Fraser Toulmin and LT Alistair McHaffie. 

Photo: LET John Laughton 

ceremony. Her crew are busy preparing for 

this duty conducting not only IPV training 

with Tenix and the RNZN but also a series of 

refresher training in core skills such as small 

arms, damage control and first aid. 

There is no doubt our team is excited, 

knowing that in a short time they will be 

responsible for the safe and successful conduct 

of the RNZN’s newest asset and one of 

the most modern patrol vessels to defend 

New Zealand waters. ‘It means so much 

more as we will all be setting the standard 

for the next ships to come out into the fleet,’ 

says ACO Mills. 

UPDATE 

Photo: Tenix 

Our first Off-shore Patrol 

Vessel, OTAGO (P148) 

continues to be fitted-out at 

Tenix’s Williamstown yard. 



NT125SEPTEMBER07 9

NAVY PEACEKEEPERS 

BY LT JEREMY PACKHAM RNZN 

LIVING IN 

SOUTH KOREA 

At the Bulguksa 

Temple, which is over 

1200 years old, in 

Gyeongju City 

ABOVE: LT Packham 

standing by a guard at 

the Gyeonbuk Palace 

in Seoul. The original 

palace dates back to 1394 

but was demolished in 

1911. The South Korean 

government rebuilt the 

palace in the 1990s. 

‘ANYONG HASAYO. Nanoon bymujang 

jidae eh keonmu haneun Jeremy Packham 

haygun daewi imnida. Geurigo nomuna 

maume turoyo.’ 

‘Good morning. My name is Jeremy Packham, 

working here at the DMZ and I am a 

Naval Lieutenant. I like it here very much.’ 

That is my standard introduction, but also 

virtually the limit of my Korean language 

skills! I have been here in the Republic of 

Korea for just over four months now, working 

for the United Nations Command Military 

Armistice Commission (UNCMAC) as the 

Corridor Control Officer for Transportation 

Corridor East (the highway between North 

and South Korea). 

Because of our location, we (I and 4 US 

Army and Air Force personnel) live in a 

small town called Ganseong which is about 

30 minutes south of the DMZ. The town is 

home to approximately 15,000 people. We 

live in an apartment block of eight 15-storey 

buildings - which seem to just appear out of 

no where, surrounded by rice paddies. 

The locals are very friendly and always 

come up and say hello in English. On the 

whole though very few people in the town 

speak English at all therefore communication 

is quite interesting at times. There is a strong 

temptation to merely rely on our translator 

to get by when in the town itself, but I find 

it forces you to try and learn more of the 

language. The funny thing is that most of the 

locals don’t expect you to speak any Hangukmal, 

so if you respond in their language, 

they sometimes think you are fluent. I very 

quickly learnt the phrase ‘chanoon hangukmal 

chogoon haljool arayo’ which means ‘I 

only speak a little Korean’. 

One of the hardest aspects of life in the 

town to get used to is the fact that you are 

an oddity, being one of only 5 non-Koreans 

in the town. People are always staring at you 

and wanting to come up and talk - you soon 

get used to it though. 

The culture is so vastly different from our 

own and is totally fascinating. On the whole, 

the food is fantastic. I love going to Hansui 

houses (restaurants where you sit on the 

floor and cook your own food) and having 

Kalbi (BBQ pork). You have a gas grill in 

the middle of the table and cook the meat 

yourself, and it comes with lots of different 

side dishes ranging from crab to kimchi to 

pickled eggs. I still haven’t got used to kimchi 

(fermented cabbage) and probably never will. 

Rice and kimchi are on the menu - breakfast, 

lunch and dinner! Though to be honest, I do 

miss good old Kiwi fish and chips or a steak 

and cheese pie! 

Driving is probably the biggest challenge 

over here. Apart from driving on the right 

side of the road, and the signals being different 

(orange warns that green is coming), the 

problem is the way they drive. For example, 

red lights seem to be an advisory - people 

frequently run lights! Police cars always 

drive around with lights flashing, even if they 

aren’t actually doing anything. Motorcycles 

and scooters prefer to ride on the footpath 

and the speed limits only seem to be there 

for show. In Seoul, it is not uncommon for 

people to be doing speeds of over 90kph 

down busy streets (imagine doing that down 

Auckland’s Queen St!) 

I have done a lot of sight-seeing and no 

matter where you go, the locals are all very 

polite and gracious and generally interested 

in you. The country itself is beautiful and full 

of history, both good and bad (how many 

places in the world can you go into a 1300 

year-old tomb?). 

The Korean people have endured terrible 

hardships over the last hundred or so years, 

but have persevered and seem to be stronger 

because of it. I feel very privileged to 

have been given the opportunity to experience 

true Korean culture at the town level 

and to be able to learn from within about 

the Korean people. 

Katchi Kapshida! 

We go together! 

ABOVE: A traditional dance performed at Yongin Folk Village. BELOW LEFT: Sitting down 

with my Korean and US team to a traditional Korean meal of Kalbi (bbq pork). BELOW RIGHT: 

This is typical of how much the Koreans load up their bikes and scooters! 

RAILWAY TO 

NORTH KOREA 

Photos: LT Packham 

THIS YEAR, 17 May became an historic day 

for the people of South Korea and North 

Korea. That day saw the first train crossings 

from North to South and back, since the 

outbreak of the Korean War 57 years earlier. 

It also marked a potential step towards the 

reunification of the Korean Peninsula and the 

beginnings of a rail network that would link 

Seoul with Europe. Both of these reasons 

are very important to not only the region 

but the world. A unified Korea should add 

stability to the region and the greater world 

community, while a rail network linked to 

Asia and across to Europe would mean a 



NT125SEPTEMBER07 11


The scene as the North Korean officials stepped off the train 

faster trade route overland, with obvious 

financial benefits. 

I was lucky enough to witness these events 

up close - my job for the day was to photographically 

document the event for UNCMAC, 

from the Jejin Train Station which is located 

approximately 5kms from the Southern Barrier 

Fence of the Joint Administration Area at 

an area we refer to as the C.I.Q (Customs, 

Immigration and Quarantine). 

I managed to get as close as I possibly could 

whilst remaining inconspicuous (not easy 

when you are pretty much the only Westerner 

in the area, and wearing camouflage uniform). 

The Korean media were there in force and 

there were hundreds of spectators. The train 

pulled up to the music “Conquest of Paradise,” 

which was a real treat for me being a 

Canterbury Crusaders supporter! When the 

train finally stopped at the platform, the media 

frenzy began. Journalists and photographers 

were jostling and the security personnel had 

their hands full trying to keep them in check. I 

had certainly never seen anything like it. 

The passengers (a mix of North and South 

VIP’s) stepped off the train and received 

flowers from young children then posed for 

the official photos, before departing for a VIP 

North and South Korean officials shake 

hands at the railway station. 

luncheon. The crowd that had gathered was 

rapturous and all the big news agencies had 

live feeds. The whole experience was aweinspiring. 

While this was a one-off event, the potential 

for a regular rail service is clear. I was lucky 

to have been on hand for this historic international 

event. 

NZ EXTENDS 

COMMITMENT 

TO UN KOREA 

MISSION 

DEFENCE MINISTER Phil Goff announced 

on 3 August that NZ will 

extend its commitment to the United 

Nations Command Military Armistice 

Commission (UNCMAC) in the 

Republic of Korea for two years, to 

August 2009. 

‘Stability on the Korean peninsula 

is critical to ensure peace 

and prosperity across Asia. NZ’s 

participation in UNCMAC ensures 

we are recognised as an active 

participant in the peace process 

and reinforces our commitment to 

peace keeping and our relationship 

with the Republic of Korea,’ 

said Mr Goff. 

‘In 1953 an Armistice Agreement 

was signed which ended fighting in 

the Korean War. As a result of the 

Agreement, a 241km long and 4km 

wide buffer zone, the Demilitarised 

Zone (DMZ), was created to separate 

North Korean and South Korean 

armed forces. The primary role 

of UNCMAC is to supervise access 

to, and security of, the DMZ. 

‘ NZDF officers have served with 

UNCMAC since 1998. The deployment 

involves three NZDF officers 

who serve for a six-month tour of 

duty. They are employed monitoring 

the DMZ to ensure parties comply 

with the terms of the 1953 Armistice 

Agreement. 

‘UNCMAC is a multinational mission 

led by the United States. The 

NZDF personnel serving with UN- 

CMAC have earned a high degree 

of respect from the other military 

personnel they serve alongside - 

from Australia, Canada, Colombia, 

Thailand, the Philippines, Turkey 

and the UK,’ said Mr Goff. 

Five of the Kiwi team currently deployed in the Lebanon (l to 

r) Sapper Ben Langman - Kerikeri, Sapper Lloyd Rakaupai - 

TaumaranuiLDR Rau Ormsby - Te Kuiti, Sapper Rob Sturgeon 

- Ohaupo, Sapper Wayne Whittingham - TaupoThey are holding 

Schonstedt Metal Detectors, a new piece of kit acquired 

specifically for use in the Lebanon where they are used to 

assist with searching areas of heavy and dense vegetation. 

DIVER ON DRY LAND IN 

SOUTHERN LEBANON 

LEADING DIVER Joseph Carroll from Waipukurau 

is now deployed on a seven month 

tour of duty clearing bombs in Southern 

Lebanon. The 27-year-old is a member of 

a 10-strong joint-Service NZDF Battlefield 

Area Clearance (BAC) team led by LTCDR 

Trevor Leslie RNZN. The team is locating and 

disarming unexploded munitions left in the 

area after the conflict between Israel and 

Hezbollah in 2006. 

The former Central Hawke’s Bay College 

student says that what he has seen in Southern 

Lebanon is hard for Kiwis to imagine. 

‘Life’s really difficult for the people of 

Southern Lebanon after last year’s war. They 

need to get back to working on the land, 

but with so many bombs spread out over 

the area it’s just too dangerous. We’ll clear 

as much land as we can while we’re here 

so the people can get back to their lives in 

safety. We’ve been well trained for this job, 

and we’re only too happy to help out where 

we can.’ 

LDR Carroll joined the Navy to serve NZ as 

well as to experience some of the world. He 

has been deployed to the Solomon Islands 

and to the Persian Gulf in the frigates TE 

KAHA and TE MANA, but rates his career 

highlight so far as achieving his rank as a 

Leading Diver. 

‘Passing the Operational Diver Change- 

Over course in 2005 meant I was made a 

diver full time, and I love it. I really enjoy the 

fact that I never know what a new day will 

bring – it could be a normal day at work or, as 

now, I might be deployed overseas.’ 

The first NZDF BAC team [under LTCDR 

Steve Lenik RNZN] who were in Southern 

Lebanon prior to LDR Carroll’s arrival, created 

a formidable reputation among the multinational 

BAC teams, by clearing 957 bombs 

in five months – mostly the difficult-to-find, 

small but deadly, cluster bomb munitions 

– which were spread across crop fields, orchards 

and grazing land. So far the new team 

have disposed of 400 bomblets, a Katushka 

rocket and a 155mm smoke shell. 

The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah 

during 2006 has left substantial amounts of 

unexploded munitions scattered throughout 

Southern Lebanon which pose a risk to the 

local people who work on the land to provide 

food and money for their families, and to 

children who play in the affected areas. The 

NZDF team is in Southern Lebanon as part 

of a mission led by the United Nations Mine 

Action Co-ordination Centre. 

NZDF EOD Team of CPODI Matt Haydon (right) and LDR Rau Ormsby with a very happy 

local landowner after removing a 122mm Katushka Rocket from the foundations of his 

house. The Kiwi team responded to an EOD callout for a 122mm Katushka Rocket, found 

lodged in the foundations of the house and preventing the home owner from rebuilding 

his family home. 



NT125SEPTEMBER07 13


OUR PEOPLE 

Photos: CPO Rob Powell 

AK 07-0394-51 

BY CPOWTR ROB POWELL 

DEPLOYMENT TO DARWIN 

& EAST TIMOR 

BY PETTY OFFICER CHEF SPADIE NUKU 

HELPING WITH THE 

HOMECOMING 

The Navy group with CPL Apiata VC: Back 

row l to r: ACH Te Hau, AMT2 Mio, OCSS 

Mansell, OSCS Paniani, OHSO Butler, 

OSCS Karauna; front row l to r: ACSS 

Retallick, POCH Nuku, CPL Apiata VC, 

OSCS Smith, ASCS Phillips & OCSS Hoko. 

HELLO FROM Darwin, temperature 31º C 

yet again! I am part of the logistical support 

team for TG GYRO, East Timor, and am 

based in Darwin for the next few months. 

CPL Cpl Gabby Knight & LAC Steve Brogan 

(both Air Force) and LCPL Benno Schumacher 

and SIG Rebecca Biss from the 

NZ Army make up the team. 

After completing PDT at Burnham camp, 

then a Hercules flight via Amberley, we 

arrived in Darwin to meet our new OC 

MAJ Brett Grieve. We were pleased to be 

accommodated in proper barrack accommodation 

– not Tin City! 

After completing our handovers, we 

were invited to a gathering at the Buzz Bar 

to meet all the people whom we would 

be dealing with over the next six months. 

(The first lesson - wine and hot weather 

are not good matches!) 

Our new crew assumed full responsibility, 

with our first task being to greet and 

on-move 95 personnel from Dili back to 

NZ, after a night in Tin City. My first task 

was to balance the cash book for the end 

of the month - this went without a hitch. 

After the first couple of months in Darwin, 

I had seen a number of the nearby 

tourist attractions: Crocadylus Park, Litchfield 

National Park and a few of the privileged to have a detailed explanation 

Army only this year, so we were rather 

outlying suburbs. I also joined the Northern of the tanks’ capabilities and a close look 

Territory Soccer Referees association and over one. 

have been refereeing most weekends. So far this deployment has been very 

My first TOD into East Timor was at Camp enjoyable – hard work and good people. 

Phoneix, where the CO NSE and the SNO But I intend to take my mid-tour leave 

are located. I did my second TOD back to in September and go with my wife to 

East Timor in the middle of August. Thailand. 

In Darwin, one of the highlights for our For other in the Writer branch I recommend 

this deployment to Darwin - a re- 

team was being invited to 1 Armoured 

Regiment at Robertson Barracks to view warding experience especially if you take 

their new tanks - the Abrams M1A1. This the time to get to know and mingle with 

has been introduced into the Australian the locals. 

The Kiwis take a close look at the new M1A1 Abrams tank. 

IN EARLY August, 9 ratings and 

I set off to help out with the hui 

for CPL Willie Apiata VC, at Tukaki 

Marae in Te Kaha. Our first day of 

work involved erecting tents for 

the huge numbers attending. In 

true Navy style, we got stuck in, 

and even though we don’t put up 

too many tents, it was Navy who 

took control to put up 5 huge 

tents for eating, as well as accommodation 

tents and one tent 

at the local RSA, for the overflow 

of people. 

It was a highlight on Saturday 

11th, when the local iwi, Te 

Whanau A Apanui, welcomed 

Ngati Porou and Nga Puhi onto 

their marae. The whai korero of 

both tribes, and then the waiatas 

and hakas were awesome! 

On the Friday night in one of the 

marquees, iwi and kura kaupapa 

from around the coast all put on 

performances that lasted until late 

into the night. Even the Maori Affairs 

Minister, Parekura Horomia, 

was in amongst it. 

The hakari the next day was a 

highlight. So much kai moana of 

crayfish, paua, pipis, and mussels, 

Te Whanau A Apanui sure know 

how to put on a feed. 

But the highlight I think for 

everyone, was finally meeting 

Willie, shaking his hands, and 

seeing how softly-spoken and 

humble the guy is. Being told by 

him how blown away he was at 

seeing the people come together 

to welcome home a war hero. We 

all got a photo together, the whole 

NZDF contingent, and as single 

Service groups (thanks to SGT Te 

Hau for letting the senior service 

go first!) Incidentally, ACH Tim 

Te Hau, who was on leave, also 

came and gave us a hand for the 

whole time we were there. 

Special thanks to Te Whanau A 

Apanui for making us all welcome, 

and to the marae, Tukaki, for letting 

us stay in the wharenui, as 

well as the kohanga reo, for letting 

both Navy and Air Force use 

their facilities. 

And thanks too, to MAJ Tod and 

SGT Te Hau, and all the Army and 

Air Force personnel, especially 

the Cooks, who - as NZDF - all 

got in to help out with this special 

hui. Kia Ora. 

OSCS Pomane Karauna (left) and ASCS Padre Philips help 

prepare the Hungi pits. 

OHSO Julie Butler hands a PR pack to a local school student. 

AK 07-0384-60 

AK 07-0383-04 

14 NT125SEPTEMBER07 




15

Photos TE KAHA 

A DAY IN THE LIFE 

BY LET WARRICK HUNTER AND LET ANGELA BASHAM, FIRE CONTROL OFFICERS 

FIRE CONTROLLERS 

IN TE KAHA 

OUR FRIGATE TE KAHA IS 

CURRENTLY IN EAST ASIAN WATERS, 

HEADING TO JAPAN AND CHINA 

AFTER A SERIES OF EXERCISES WITH 

OUR FPDA PARTNERS. THE SUCCESS 

OF THE FRIGATE’S ACTIVITIES 

DEPENDS IN LARGE PART ON 

THE PEOPLE OF THE WEAPON 

ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, 

WHO KEEP THE GUNS, RADARS 

AND ALL THE OTHER EQUIPMENT 

ON TOP LINE. TWO OF TE KAHA’S 

ELECTRONIC TECHNICIANS GIVE AN 

INSIGHT TO A DAY IN THEIR LIFE. 

WHAT IS A WARSHIP? 

LET Hunter with one of TE 

KAHA’s 50 cal machine guns 

The frigates are the pride of our Navy - the 

jewels in the crown of our war-fighting capability. 

To see TE KAHA in her splendour as 

she slices effortlessly through unforgiving 

waters, to hear her mighty 5” gun roar, to 

detect the enemy beyond the horizon, these 

invoke feelings of pride, of strength and - to 

our enemies - fear. For this is what we are 

trained to do, and it is what we do well. 

Though consider for a moment what makes 

a warship. A ship is a platform for carrying 

cargo or personnel across the ocean - a 

warship on the other hand is a platform for 

carrying guns, missiles and sensors. The 5” 

(127mm) gun, the Vertical Launch missile 

system, the CIWS ‘Gatling gun’, long range 

and target radars, an array of radios for com- 

municating with ships, aircraft and land; it is 

these that make our ship a warship, without 

them we are well-trained (but not very luxurious) 

passenger liner! 

Enter the mighty Weapon Engineering department, 

for without us the war-fighting capability 

of our ship simply does not exist. All 

this specialised gear is lovingly maintained 

and in many cases operated by our dedicated 

team of officers and sailors. 

THE FIRE CONTROL OFFICER (FCO) 

As FCOs we have to be prepared for any 

eventuality, especially in any (hopefully unlikely) 

incident where our ship may come 

under attack. To practise for this, the FCO, 

along with the Operations crew, spend long 

hours in training and gunnery drills. Even 

LET Hunter and LET 

Basham in front of 

the main mast. 

The two LETs do a maintenance check on 

one of TE KAHA’s target pointers. 

“ 

when not closed-up, the FCO’s job is often 

We close up for all gunnery, including CIWS 

and 50 cal firings – in an AA shoot we keep an 

eye on hostile aircraft tracks… 

a busy one. The FCOs are also Combat 

System maintainers, and our ‘part of ship’ 

includes the entire Combat System as well 

as the Fire Control system, the interfaces to 

the complex weaponry that our frigate the 

capable combatant that it is. We both went 

through the Combat System Maintenance 

course in HMAS STIRLING, WA and the 

Fire Control Officer’s course, which is held 

in PHILOMEL. 

0620: Early Bird PT – is there life at this 

time of day? There’s certainly no sun! 

0730: Breakfast - at least there’s cereal 

left! 

0800: Turn to 

0830: System Operation Checks. Train up 

the AET so they can do it next time 

A typical day will consist of careful cleaning 

and inspecting of our respective systems followed 

by SOCs – system operation checks. 

Due to the inherent adverse conditions at 

sea (salt spray, constant motion, vibration) a 

large part of our time is devoted to preventing 

and, in rare cases, repairing, our beloved 

electronic and weapon systems. 

0900: FMMS (planned maintenance) jobs 

– but all the Multi-function consoles and 

Standard Interface Units are in use. Write 

e-mails home instead 

1030: Prepare for Gunnery brief. Tell off AB 

for not ditching rubbish last night 

1145: Gunnery brief. Present safety rules 

for Anti-Aircraft firings. 

1159: CO wants to see the BR (Book of 

Reference) – hasty search in the technical 

office! 

1200: Lunch 

Though we may not work in watches, we 

are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a 

week. We will often be found working long 

after leave has been piped in a foreign port 

just to ensure all are systems are operating 

without defect or delay, so when it is time 

to once again sail the briny deep we are 

prepared for the next operation. During this 

deployment we are also carrying out Quartermaster 

duties in harbour – so when the 

ship gets alongside we can look forward to 

the Middle-Morning watch (0200-0800) just 

to deprive the brain of precious sleep! 

“ 

1245: Make sure Fire Control system is 

working properly. 

1248: Turn Director Control Unit off, kick it 

a few times, turn it back on. 

1255: Close up for gunnery 

1300: AA firings – Yeah! 

1430: Firings go well – bow down and say 

thanks to the DCU for working properly 

1431: Start compiling records 

1500: Still compiling records. Get Muzzle 

Velocity data from Jimmi 

We close up for all gunnery, including 

CIWS and .50cal firings. For an AA shoot we 

stare intently at a radar picture, keeping an 

eye on the hostile aircraft tracks flying in at 

us. For Boarding ops the FCO closes up and 

records what can be seen of the boarded 

vessel with the Director TV camera. An FCO 

is also expected to know how the equipment 

throughout the ship works, such as the radars, 

the gun turret and missile systems, and 

so we can often be found working late into 

the night, researching these other important 

devices that we would be lost without. 

1600: time for PT? Nah, did it this morning 

- watch movie instead! 

1730: Preps for scran 

1750: Dinner – caught up with a couple of 

the stokers. Hadn’t seen them all day 

1815: Clean for evening rounds 

1830: Rounds – re-scrub of the showers! 

1900: Write Firing Advisory Note for next 

week’s shoots 

1930: Copy tactical files to MO (magneticoptical) 

disk - hang out in Ops Room, eat 

their vittles (victuals) 

1950: Re-copy tactical files onto blank 

disk – doh! 

When the day is not filled with the loving 

care and maintenance of our beloved Fire 

Control System, it is often covered instead 

by seemingly endless paperwork – preparations 

for future gunnery, coordination of records 

of past shoots, liaising with the OPSO 

and PWO for accurate administration and 

organisation of gunnery shoots and drills. 

But all this hard work and effort is made 

worthwhile by one overwhelming fact – we 

get to shoot the gun and the missiles! 

2020: Watch rest of movie in mess deck 

2200: Close up in pit 



NT125SEPTEMBER07 17

BY LT J J MCQUEEN RNZN 

WHAT IS IT LIKE to be a 27 year-old commanding 

one of Her Majesty’s New Zealand 

Ships? I often thought of my Commanding 

Officers in my time as an OOW in a frigate, 

and how lonely they must get eating by 

themselves and not associating much with 

the Wardroom. I always said it was just one 

of those traditions… My answer now has 

adjusted somewhat, realising that there are 

sometimes not enough hours in the day to 

worry about where I eat! 

After recently taking command – in fact to 

be the last CO of KIWI – I have had a chance 

to reflect on my first 3 months in charge of 

the oldest ship of our current fleet. KIWI was 

commissioned in 1984 and will be decommissioned 

in December of this year, to make 

way for the more modern and capable IPVs 

of the Protector fleet. 

It’s been a very interesting ride so far, more 

a blur of activity coupled with some major 

setbacks and great highs. My first week in 

command went smoothly and without incident 

and I thought to myself ‘this isn’t that 

hard,’ only to eat my words the next week 

when KIWI broke down [a cracked crank case 

– see NT 123 July] during the sea phase of 

the Grade 1&2 OOW course while transiting 

Whangarei Harbour. Berthing with only one 

engine was a little different from normal. I 

thought, ‘get it right or else make a lasting 

impression on the wharf…’ Subsequently 

we had to have our port engine replaced 

which meant KIWI was out of action for 3 

weeks - it did run through my head that had 

I done something wrong in a past life… But 

that setback has been balanced since, by 

some really successful patrols. 

As a 19 year-old Midshipman seven years 

ago, KIWI was my first ship and we completed 

a seven-week circumnavigation of 

HMNZS KIWI 

A CO’S PERSPECTIVE 

the South Island with my GLX* year-mates. I had often wondered what the patrol force 

It was a real eye-opener to life in the Navy; does during an EEZ, Customs and Fisheries 

I had a green tinge in my face the whole patrol. Having learnt so much first-hand in 

time and I lost 7 kilos that trip, being continually 

sea sick and never quite feeling at little ships are contributing just as much 

the last few months, I can now say that the 

ease about being in a 30m vessel that was to our outputs as any of our ships at the 

at times moving around like a rubber ducky moment. 

in a bath tub! 

KIWI’s first contribution is as a platform 

Coming back to KIWI now, not much has for external agencies such as Customs and 

changed on board and the sea-keeping qualities 

of an IPC are still poor (but I have better side the Navy – we call this MAO&T (Multi- 

Fisheries to come aboard and operate alongsea-legs 

myself!). Each five days away, as Agency Operations and Tasks). For a fisheries 

operation, for example, we search for 

the ship rolls and pitches its way from each 

successive wave (and it doesn’t have to be vessels of interest and conduct queries and 

very rough for that to happen) you can get boardings of fishing vessels, following certain 

criteria. Recently we have participated in 

bruised all down your side after bumping into 

the various rails and bulkheads. Your shoulders 

can ache from continually holding on in the Blue-fin tuna fishing fleet operating off 

OP KAUWE, in which we have checked that 

most sea-states. Everyone on board works the East Cape had been properly reporting 

hard to keep our ship going! 

their catch to fisheries authorities ashore. 

That involves checking their paper work and 

checking the holds of these vessels to confirm 

it. With blue-fin tuna worth $15,000 per 

fish (at today’s exchange rates), misreporting 

of fish can be lucrative – and encourage black 

market sales. By being able to stop this right 

at the start of the fishing chain acts as an 

active deterrent for the future. 

In terms of Customs operations there are 

some constraints on what I can write, but 

an example might be vessels departing NZ 

– they should leave our waters on the most 

expeditious route towards their destination. 

So if you see an ocean-capable yacht 

or vessel in a bay at anchor but which had 

cleared Customs a week ago – that activates 

a tripwire that perhaps the vessel has broken 

the law. Optimistically, they are sheltering 

waiting for better winds; pessimistically, they 

maybe landing drugs ashore. The same thing 

applies to vessels arriving – which may avoid 

or delay making contact with Customs. 

On the naval side of our spectrum of operations 

- the IPCs provide the perfect ship 

for the beginner OOW, and for OJT (On Job 

Training) for all ranks. We have embarked an 

array of trainees including Electronic Technicians, 

Communicators and Combat System 

Specialists to conduct task book training 

before being posted to the larger ships. The 

IPCs therefore are the ‘breeding ground’ for 

the rest of the Navy! Before our ‘task-book’ 

NAVAL PATROL FORCE 

You can get bruised all down your 

side after bumping into the various 

rails and bulkheads – your shoulders 

“ache from continually holding on… 

WN 06-0115-54 

“ 

ratings post off, I always ask if they have 

learnt something and if they have enjoyed 

their time on KIWI. Most of the time they 

reply ‘Yes, a lot!’ So hopefully we are adding 

to their motivation for their jobs in our 

other ships. 

It’s been a steep learning curve in running 

and administering your own ship. You are not 

just the Captain, but also the Ops Officer and 

Supply Officer all in one. A Lieutenant’s drive 

is one where you really end up hands-on, as 

well as commanding. But it’s not a lonely job, 

you realize you have to rely on your crew and 

that there is so much support from ashore 

you only need to flick an email for advice, 

while help is only a phone call away. The 

hard part is realizing that you need to have 

confidence in the decisions you make! 

As the CO you get to choose where to 

anchor and decide how to go about doing 

our tasks. It’s a really rewarding job. True that 

sometimes there is apparent boredom when 

there are not many contacts about. But in 

contrast you can end up boarding 5 vessels 

in a day. You then appreciate a quiet transit 

to your next port. 

You get to see some of New Zealand’s 

most beautiful coastline, anchor in bays and 

visit country pubs you never knew existed, 

and interact with different people each 

week. I think that I speak for all of the IPC 

COs that we are immensely proud to be 

given the opportunity to fly the NZ White Ensign 

around our country and make our own 

unique contributions in leading our ships. 

What next for KIWI? This month we have 

more MAO&T and 3 weeks conducting navigation 

training for the newest Watch Keepers 

on their OOW(B) course. Later, we head 

south for MAO&T along the east coast of the 

South Island. So that’s a glimpse of my time 

onboard so far. Still a lot to learn, but in my 

opinion it’s the best job in the Navy! 

*GLX = General List Executive, the Navy’s 

designation for seaman officers. 



NT125SEPTEMBER07 19

FAMILY & FRIENDS 

OUR NAVAL HERITAGE 

THE NAVY’S AUTHOR - GRANT HOWARD 

BY CHRISTINE HODGSON, 

THE NAVY MUSEUM 

GRANT HOWARD was just 10 when he ‘fell 

in love with the Navy’, as he went on board 

HMS ACHILLES in New Plymouth (just before 

WWII). He did not, however, join the 

Navy straight off - Grant began a career in 

journalism at the New Zealand Herald in 

1946, after completing his secondary education 

at Mount Albert Grammar. 

Yet it is his writing that has allowed him 

to continue his interest in, and involvement 

with, the sea and the Navy in particular. 

From 1948 Grant spent three years as a 

member of HMNZS NGAPONA, the Auckland 

Division of the RNZNVR and from 

1951-54 was the naval reporter for the 

Herald before he moved into radio and later 

television news. In 1962 he stepped back 

into uniform, joining the RNZN in 1962 as a 

naval information officer. 

He says his 8-year short service commission 

was one of the happiest times of his life, 

as outside his normal duties he was able to 

devote much of his spare time to studying 

New Zealand’s rich naval history. After leaving 

the Navy and returning to journalism, 

Grant also spent 13 years with the Sea Cadet 

Corps, nine of them as Commanding Officer 

of TS LEANDER. 

His first book, The Navy in New Zealand 

was published in 1981 and was followed 

by his history of the Women’s Royal New 

Grant Howard 

WN 06-0115-54 

Zealand Naval Service in 1988. Portrait of a 

Navy, written to mark the 50th anniversary of 

the royal recognition of the RNZN in October 

1941, was his third major work. 

Grant has continued to contribute to the 

NZ Herald with articles on maritime themes, 

but his other interest is motorcycling, and in 

2002 Grant published the story of champion 

racer Len Perry. He has also edited a history 

of Otahuhu, published by the Tamaki Historical 

Society. 

His latest book on William Sanders has 

been four years in preparation and is likely 

to be regarded as one of Grant’s best. He 

soon discovered that Sander’s trail was 

not always easy to follow, mainly because 

MC 07-0378-01 

The book cover 

Sanders’ wartime activities were classified 

as ‘secret’. However, through dogged determination, 

Grant has found much information 

to illuminate Sander’s life and establish him 

as a truly remarkable New Zealander, a man 

deserving far greater public recognition than 

he has received to date. 

Grant’s work in researching and publishing 

the history of our nation’s Navy has been 

important for the Navy, and for the wider 

awareness of our Navy’s achievements. The 

Navy has been very fortunate that Grant Howard 

has dedicated his writing talents to the 

service and his latest effort will promote an 

awareness of a New Zealand naval hero who 

until now was known to too few. 

THE EXHIBITION 

The Gunner Billy exhibition breaks new ground 

for the Navy Museum, with a large graphic 

story used to tell the story of Sanders’ actions. 

The exhibition curator is Cliff Heywood 

and it was designed by Jason Saunders from 

Scenario Communications. The exquisitely 

detailed model of HMS PRIZE was made by 

LTCDR Rod Davies RNZN (Rtd). 

The cover for Grant Howard’s book is taken 

from an original painting by M E R Tripe, c1920, 

which is held in Archives NZ collection of National 

War Art. They kindly gave permission for 

the image to be used both on the book cover 

and in the exhibition. 

MC 07-0368-01 

BY CDR LOUIS SCHMITT VRD*,RNZNVR (RET’D), FORMER CO HMNZS OLPHERT 

REMEMBERING CAPTAIN 

WYBRANTS OLPHERT 

DSO*, DSC, RD, RNR 

ON TUESDAY 21 August, the family of CAPT 

Wybrants Olphert presented his WWI medals, 

including a DSO and Bar, DSC, and his 

(post-war) Reserve Decoration, to the Navy 

Museum. The RNZNVR establishment in 

Wellington is named HMNZS OLPHERT and 

is still the only naval establishment named 

after a Naval Officer in NZ. When the family 

gave his medals to the Navy, they also presented 

a watch that had been presented to 

CAPT Olphert, and his own personal scrap 

book with some great historical newspaper 

cuttings. 

Wybrants Olphert commanded Q ships in 

WWI, and was responsible for sinking five 

German submarines. He first went to sea 

as a Merchant Navy Cadet at age 14 then 

served in the NZ Shipping Co. on the run 

between UK and Lyttleton. In 1902 he was 

commissioned into the Royal Navy (RNVR) 

and in 1914 was ‘called up by proclamation’ 

and placed in command of HM armed yacht 

SCADAUN. As a Lieutenant he next commanded 

HM Yacht PIONEER II before appointments 

to other ships. His command of 

the Q ship HMS SALVIA led to the sinking of 

three U-boats before SALVIA was torpedoed 

and sunk in June 1917. LTCDR Olphert was 

CDR Roger Havell 

RNZNVR accepts 

the medals from 

Tim Olphert, CAPT 

Olphert’s grandson 

taken prisoner and spent eighteen months 

as a prisoner of war. 

After ‘the Great War’ the British Government 

was aware of the need for a continuing 

and effective Naval Reserve across the 

Empire. Here in NZ, former RN and RNR 

officers were called to volunteer to lead 

the new Reserves. In 1926 the first RNVR 

Division was commissioned in Auckland. 

Wybrants Olphert was offered the rank of 

OH 07-0579-01 

OH 07-0579-04 

Commander and appointed to command the 

Wellington Division RNVR when it formed 

in March 1928. During these pre war years 

sea training was aboard the veteran mine 

sweeper HMS WAKAKURA. 

CAPT Olphert died in 1938; subsequently 

it was agreed that the Division be named 

after him. Understandably, it was decided to 

design a badge based on the original family 

crest. The College of Heralds in London produced 

a design showing a bird’s claw holding 

an arrow as it rises from the sea. There was 

some criticism of this, but when the naval 

career and seafaring record of their first CO 

was recalled, the badge was considered appropriate 

and accepted. 

With the Olphert family was Major Denis 

Hayden, CAPT Olphert’s grandson. He said 

of the evening presentation: 

‘It was a very moving and proud time for 

all to share - my family and the ships company 

both – and being there for Chief Boyd’s 

award for 45 years service was very appropriate 

too. For my family, we were proud to 

be part of such a great occasion, where my 

grandfathers decorations are placed on long 

term loan to the RNZN for care and protection 

along with the cherished print of HMS 

WORCESTER and my grandfather’s 100 yearold 

scrap book. 

I was most moved by Admiral Ledson’s 

words and his great sense of merging two 

quite different occasions into one, where all 

present felt part of the occasion and very 

much part of a common team. My Aunt Betty 

at 93 years gave stirring speech to the ship’s 

company and RNZN generally; we were all 

very proud of her.’ 

UNIQUE 

LS&GCM 

During the same evening, CPO G B (Dickie) 

Boyd was presented with a third bar to his Long 

Service and Good Conduct Medal, representing 

45 years of service to the Naval Reserve. His is 

the only LS & GCM in the Commonwealth with 

3 bars. (This is unlikely to ever occur again, 

as the RNZNVR LS&GCM, which was also the 

universal medal within the Commonwealth navies 

until recently, has been replaced in other 

countries by local awards.) 





21

OUR PEOPLE 

A. Alison Cuthbert, seen with her husband 

Stuart, son Neil, daughter Rachel and two 

granddaughters Brooke and Talia, as she 

was presented with a CN Commendation on 

her retirement from the Naval Community 

Organisation. Alison graciously thanked her 

family for their patience as she provided 

support and aid to other naval families 

through the NCO. 

B. CANTERBURY’s special guests (l to r) 

WOWT Wayne Morris, LTCDR Melissa Kaio, 

Scott Mabey, Isabelle Mabey and LTCDR Matt 

Wray. See story on page 28. 

C. The Governor-General, the Hon Anand 

Satyanand, opened the new premises of the 

Cook Islands’ RSA in Rarotonga on 22 August. 

He presented a gift to the RSA President, 

along with a plaque and cheque from the 

RNZRSA. In addition, CDR Shaun Fogarty 

RNZN, the NZDF Attache, presented a print 

of HMNZS WAIKATO for the new clubrooms (l 

to r): CPO Jeff Scott, NZ naval adviser based 

in Rarotonga; the Governor-General, Peter 

Broadbent President of the Cook Islands RSA, 

and CDR Fogarty. 

D. The Vice-Regal party goes ashore from 

RESOLUTION in Tokelau (l to r) CAPT Kate 

Weinberg, ADC, the Hon. Winnie Laban MP, 

Susan Satyanand, CDR Murray Tuffin, His 

Excellency the Governor General, LSCS Kyle 

Revill, AHSO Tomas Chell and Mr David 

Payton. 

E. The award of CPO Boyd’s third bar to his 

LS&GCM (see p 21) was also an opportunity 

for the OLPHERT personnel and colleagues 

who have worked at HQJFNZ to gather for a 

group photo. As will be seen, a talented and 

distinguished bunch! 

F. TE KAHA’s Seasprite moving supplies ashore 

at Raoul Island. See page 24. 

G. RESOLUTION’S SHORE PARTY. LTCDR 

Bill Spence and RESOLUTION’s shore party 

after their welcome to Apia. See story p 30. 

H. The family of CAPT Wybrants Olphert at 

HMNZS OLPHERT on the night his medals 

and memorabilia were presented to the 

Navy Museum. In the centre, holding the 

bouquet, is CAPT Olphert’s daughter, Betty 

Hurst. 

I. LTCDR Rod Davies RNZN (Rtd) and his wife 

stand with Grant Howard at the ‘Gunner Billy’ 

book launch and exhibition. The model of 

Sanders’ schooner, HMS PRIZE, was made by 

Rod for the exhibition. 

MC 07-0336-07 

A 

OH 07-0579-06 

E F G 

MC 07-0368-19 

B 

Photo: Government House 

C 

OH 07-0579-16 Photo: Government House 

D 

J. AMT1(P) 07/01 Course graduated on 10 

August (l to r): LT Matenga, AMT2 Hawaikirangi, 

AMT2 Topham, AMT2 Stevens, AMT2 George, 

AMT2 Aperhama, AMT2 Cully and CPOMT(L) 

Lusis. 

H 

I 

J 



NT125SEPTEMBER07 23

FLEET PROGRESS 

INTERNATIONAL 

NAVAL COMBAT FORCE 

HMNZS TE KAHA 

Karen Baird, leader 

of the Raoul Island 

project; the smile 

on her face shows 

just how valued 

fresh milk is! 

BY LT EMMA GIBBS RNZN 

RAOUL ISLAND RESUPPLY 

BACK IN 1987 the Department of Conversation 

took over the management of Raoul 

Island, the largest of a chain of small islands 

stretching about 600 miles north of NZ, from 

the Meteorological Service and Lands and 

Survey. The Island was in the process of 

becoming over-run by wildlife, with goats, 

cats and rats being the main concern. With 

the Island under new management, these 

introduced beasts were actively eliminated, 

and 2003 saw the last of them gone for 

good. Since the demise of those predators, 

the many endangered species of birds on 

the Island have thrived, with a significant 

increase in numbers in only a few years. For 

many the art of bird watching is not a pastime 

that evokes enthusiasm, but for those 

who understand the plight of these endangered 

species, Raoul Island now presents 

an opportunity to save several species from 

complete extinction. 

And so we come to those people who 

made it all happen, the DOC workers and 

volunteers who give up 6-12 months of their 

lives at a time, to live on an island where they 

cannot fish (there is a marine reserve surrounding 

the Island), do not have fresh milk 

(a brew consists of a powdery substance 

Photo: Te Kaha 

to give the illusion of milk) and live from 

resupply to resupply. TE KAHA took mercy 

on them and donated eight 2-litre bottles 

of our best blue top milk, which should at 

least allow each of them a cup of tea and 

bowl of cereal! 

Their main job is the restoration of the Island’s 

flora and fauna, while also collecting 

data for external agencies. Restoration of 

the Island’s plants means weed eradication, 

now that the pests have been removed, and 

monitoring the birds’ recovery. They are also 

responsible for the continuing maintenance 

of the facilities there from the (few) roads to 

the diesel generators. 

The DoC staff’s tasks for external agencies 

are varied and somewhat more interesting: 

• They launch a helium balloon every morning 

which feeds meteorological data back 

to a computer which is then sent on to the 

Meteorological Service 

• They collect CO2 samples for the Scripps 

Institute in the USA for the project to measure 

the world’s CO2 levels 

• They monitor the two volcanoes on the 

Island, Denham volcano and Raoul volcano, 

using a remote seismometer to record volcanic 

tremors and take photos once a week 

which are sent back to GNS for their data 

• and a small portion of their time is taken 

up with catering for visiting yachties and 

carrying out quarantine requirements. 

In order to do all this, they are trained 

(somewhat similarly to RNZN personnel) in 

areas such as bush fire-fighting and other 

emergency responses, while among the 

team are medics who are trained in basic 

life-saving medical care. 

TE KAHA’s involvement was for resupply 

- which that the DoC staff rely on. This is often 

undertaken by the RNZN and this year TE 

KAHA was able to help out. We were loaded 

‘up to the gunnels’ with food, fuel, equipment, 

vinyl flooring and 11 DoC workers. 

Their jobs on the Island would range from 

laying the vinyl in the huts to installing a 

sound device on one of the hills to simulate 

the call of the White Naped Petrels - in order 

to entice those birds from the neighbouring 

island, which is the sole island habituated 

by these endangered birds. 

It was sunny and clear as we anchored at 

0630 on 5 August – spectacular conditions 

for a day of flying stores ashore. The process 

was a 7 hour marathon for the flight 

crew and those loading and unloading the 

stores, as the helicopter made 41 round 

trips, the majority with an under-slung load 

of bladders of fuel for the diesel generators 

on the Island. Crew fatigue was possible 

concern, and not just of the flight crew, as 

the people responsible for hooking up the 

stores at one end and removing them at 

the other needed to be on their game the 

whole time. The whole evolution was a success, 

and our aircraft also transferred a load 

of stores from the main base to a secondary 

location on a distant beach - before the 

weather began to pack in and it was time to 

recover the aircraft. The DoC workers were 

extremely grateful for that extra run, as that 

saved them hours in back-breaking labour, 

lugging the stores themselves. 

From Raoul Island, we set course for Darwin, 

a 14-day transit to our first port visit for 

OP CUTLASS 02/07. 

MALAYSIAN 


TATTOO 

THE NZDF Maori Cultural Group that performed 

at the Kuala Lumpur International 

Tattoo in early September was led by the 

RNZN contingent from HMNZS TE KAHA. 

The Cultural Group included 27 Navy personnel, 

complemented by four personnel 

each from the RNZAF and NZ Army. As 

with all NZDF Maori Cultural Groups, this 

one carries the spirit of ‘Te Hokowhitu A 

Tu’ (28th Maori Battalion) and performs 

under ‘Te Ope Kaatua o Aotearoa’ ~ New 

Zealand Defence Force. 

The NZDF is honoured to have been 

invited to participate in the Kuala Lumpur 

International Tattoo in celebration of Malaysia’s 

50th year of Independence. The 

participation of our Maori Cultural Group 

is a reflection of the strong and historic 

ties between New Zealand and Malaysia 

in military co-operation and diplomatic 

relations. 

The Maori Cultural Group performed a 

collection of songs and dance from New 

TE KAHA AND THE JAPAN 

TRAINING SQUADRON 

TE KAHA sailed from Darwin to Malaysia in company with the Japan 

Training Squadron, (which had visited Wellington in late July) 

The JTS impressed TE KAHA with their precision, doing things ‘bang 

on time’. They also introduced TE KAHA to a new night station-keeping 

exercise: every night, the four ships had to remain in a diamond formation 

from 2200 – 0600, and stay within 500 metres of their station on the 

guide. On the hour, every hour, the guide would change, so as to give 

everyone an opportunity to practise station-keeping. We usually practice 

this in sectors – and often quite generous ones – so this required a lot 

more monitoring and skill by the OOW. 

Inter-ship voice communications with the Japanese were good, despite 

the expected language barriers. Their communicators speak reasonable 

English, and the standard transmissions are understood and clear. 

TE KAHA has appreciated this special opportunity to be in company 

with the JTS in East Asian waters 

Zealand that spoke of history and legend. 

The high intensity seven minute bracket 

was specifically put together for the Kuala 

Lumpur International Tattoo. The bracket 

included the use of traditional Maori hand 

weapons, poi and musical instruments 

and the performers wore traditional 

dress, including traditional body art. 

NZDF Maori Cultural Groups have a 

strong history in performing at international 

events all around the world; 

Royal Tournaments, World Expos, corporate 

functions and numerous formal 

Government functions and ceremonial 

welcomes. Maori culture has been embraced 

by the NZDF and now forms part 

of military ceremonial parades to complement 

traditional ceremonies showcasing 

the unique NZ Maori and Defence Force 

culture. 

All members of the Maori Cultural 

Group are committed volunteers who 

come from a background in traditional 

performing arts and many have performed 

internationally before. Senior members 

of the group have also performed at the 

prestigious National Performing Arts 

Competition held bi-annually in New 

Zealand. 

EXERCISE SUMAN 

PROTECTOR 2007 

JDS KASHIMA alongside TE KAHA in Darwin 

The Malaysian Ministry of Defence stated 

that the inaugural EX SUMAN PROTECTOR 

2007 (SP07) was one in a series of Jointlevel 

exercises involving the armed forces 

from the FPDA partner nations, which was 

conducted from 20 August to 9 September. 

This exercise reflected collaborative 

traning for the defence of Malaysia and 

Singapore and was hosted by Malaysia. 

It aimed to enhance interoperability and 

mutual co-operation. 

SP07 was a multinational Command Post 

Exercise/Computer Assisted Exercise 

(CPX/CAX) in the planning and conduct of 

Joint Operations. Personnel of the FPDA 

nations (Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, 

Singapore and UK) were exercised within a 

Combined Joint Task Force HQ along with 

Maritime, Air, Land and Logistic Component 

HQs. The exercise was conducted at 

RMAF Butterworth Air Base, in Malaysia. 

It included the effects of military interplay 

between Non-Governmental Organisations 

and Other Government Departments with 

a focus on political, legal, media issues. A 

multi-national After Action Review team 

led by HQ IADS is now assessing the exercise 

outcome. 

Photo: Te Kaha 



NT125SEPTEMBER07 25


HMNZS CANTERBURY 

BY LT DUNCAN MACKENZIE RNZN 

OUR SHIP - the Navy’s largest and newest - sailed from DNB early 

on 6 August for an intensive few days of sea trials. Much to the 

delight of local boaties who regularly ‘buzzed’ past, CANTERRBURY 

anchored near North Head to train in the launch and recovery of 

the Landing Craft. 

During the next day, machinery trials were conducted, with the 

ship’s marine control technology being put through its paces; subsequently 

full power trials went well, with the ship reaching a top 

speed of 20.1 knots! 

The ship’s gun, radar, navigation and radio systems were thoroughly 

tested by the trials team - the trials officer, LTCDR Andrew 

Curlewis, said, ‘The trials period has been a great success in terms 

of beginning to explore the boundaries of HMNZS CANTERBURY’s 

capabilities. It has also allowed the ship’s crew to gain valuable 

lessons in operating the ship. CANTERBURY is now well placed to 

begin the next phase of her introduction into service in the Navy.’ 

AMPHIBIOUS 

FAST CRUISE 

It may seem a relatively simple task to 

embark a couple of hundred people and take 

them and their vehicles from one port to another. 

The Inter-island ferries, for example, do 

it every day! When looked at in further detail, 

however, our job of ferrying people around 

is an altogether different task. A normal 

ferry, for example, sails into an established 

port, drops her stern or side door onto the 

wharf, loads on the passengers and their 

vehicles, then raises her doors and departs 

for the next established port – only a few 

hours away. 

Contrast that with the need to be able to 

undertake this loading or unloading people 

and vehicles in a tactically challenging environment, 

while five miles out to sea, at 

night, and you get closer to imagining what 

CANTERBURY will soon be capable of. 

Given the varied conditions in which we 

may be required to operate, our methods 

of force embarkation may vary: 

• from craning vehicles and equipment onboard 

via our flightdeck hatches, 

• to anchoring some distance out from the 

shore and having our Landing Craft and Heli- 

copters embark personnel, their vehicles and 

equipment - not to mention a large cache of 

weapons and ammunition. 

One of the major tenets of Amphibious 

Sealift operations is that, as much as possible, 

everything must be rehearsed. PHILO- 

MEL kindly helped out, with some 30 members 

of the Naval Personnel Resource Centre 

(NPRC) and a small number of vehicles from 

Navy Transport loaned to us as ‘clockwork 

mice’. In addition, 40 visiting soldiers from 

the NZ Army’s 2nd Logistics Battalion were 

also pressed into service. Everyone was very 

patient as we practised our drills and tried 

out a few ‘what-ifs’. 

Embarking one of the ship’s permanently assigned forklifts; 

these are used for moving palletised loads within the ship. 

The relatively small number of personnel 

allowed us to confirm our procedures for 

embarking to full capacity (250 embarked 

force - plus ship’s company), but on a 

smaller scale and in a benign environment. 

The easy part was getting them onboard, 

providing them with safety briefs and moving 

them into their respective accommodation 

areas. 

More difficult will be how the ship handles 

unexpected emergencies, with the added 

concern of ensuring that those extra personnel 

onboard are adequately accounted and 

cared for. What is second nature to sailors, 

such as “hands muster by messes” in the 

event of a Man overboard, or acting as an 

“initial attack” in the event of a damage control 

emergency, is completely foreign to the 

many Army, Air Force and civilian personnel 

that we can be expected to have onboard at 

any time. Try mustering 450% of your regular 

Ship’s Company in the “Fleet Standard” 

7 minutes! 

Now that the ship has passed the first 

hurdle of welcoming just a few ‘extras’ onboard, 

the next step will be a full embarkation 

of a Motorised Infantry Company of 220 

Army personnel, along with their vehicles 

and equipment. That will happen when CAN- 

TERBURY participates in Exercise Wolf III in 

Napier this month. 

AVIATION 

INTERFACE 

TRIALS 

AUGUST SAW another milestone - Helicopter 

Interface trials. While CANTERBURY’s 

flightdeck is capable of supporting a range 

of different helicopters, the two that we will 

primarily embark (until the NH90 comes online 

around 2010) will be the Navy’s SH-2G 

Super-Seasprite and the RNZAF’s UH-1H 

Iroquois (better known as the Huey). 

The interface trials involved CANTERBURY 

embarking a Seasprite and an Iroquois for a 

day each, with each of those day being dedicated 

to the movement of the respective 

The two cranes in use alongside at DNB 

helicopters in and around the ship’s Storage 

and Maintenance Hangars. We ensured that 

not only do they fit (they do - with room to 

spare!) but also checked that their securing 

arrangements are appropriate. 

CANTERBURY’s Flight Commander, 

LTCDR Wayne Theobald was the first to land 

a Seasprite on the ship - during our inaugural 

visit to Lyttelton in June. At the beginning 

of August he was responsible for the successful 

trial with the Seasprite, then was 

also involved with the Huey Trial on Thursday. 

LTCDR Theobald said ‘It’s impressive 

that in such a short space of time we have 

proven such a good level of interoperability 

between two distinctly different helicopter 

types and CANTERBURY. What will be 

more impressive is CANTERBURY’s aviation 


capability in 12 months time, when it will 

have reached maturity’. Running concurrent 

to the Interface trials was the introduction 

of the Remote Aircraft Mover (RAM). An 

interesting-looking piece of equipment, the 

RAM is used to manoeuvre the helicopter in 

and out of the Hangar without the traditional 

requirement of winching wires. 

Now that CANTERBURY has successfully 

embarked and proven a storage ability for 

the helicopters, the next step in increasing 

our aviation capability will be this November, 

when the ship will spend the month at sea 

further training onboard personnel in all areas 

related to helicopter operations, from Aircraft 

Controllers to Flight Deck Officers, Bridge 

Watch Keepers and all the teams involved in 

any helicopter emergency response. 

Interface trials: LEFT: the Iroquois 

on deck; ABOVE: the Seasprite being 

moved into the hangar. 



NT125SEPTEMBER07 27



NO 6 SQUADRON RNZAF 

SHIP’S AMPHIBIOUS 

LOAD TEAM (SALT) 

BY STAFF SERGEANT SHANE PRETTY 

Working on a warship as a Soldier in the Ship’s Amphibious Load 

Team (SALT) has certainly taken a bit of getting used to! The 

SALT’s primary jobs are: 

•operating the two 60 tonne cranes to launch and recover the 

landing craft 

•and embarking equipment and vehicles from the wharf. 

•managing the movement and storage of cargo within the Cargo 

Deck. 

CANTERBURY’s ship’s company first saw the SALT in action 

when the ship was tasked with bringing back the ANZAC Frigate 

and Project Protector containerised spare parts from Melbourne 

to Auckland. The SALT loaded the 15 twenty-foot containers, and 

25 tonnes of break bulk cargo and pallets in 18 hours. 

As permanent members of CANTERBURY’s ship’s company 

(we make up about 10%) we not only carry out our core, Armyrelated 

work, we also form an integral part of the ship’s Watch 

and Station Bill. We are well represented in the Ship’s Medical 

Emergency Team (SMET), and – since all of us have completed 

the Sea-qualifying NBCD course - we also have personnel in the 

Standing Sea Emergency party, and can provided numbers for 

fire fighting teams. 

Our other Navy-related responsibilities when alongside and at 

sea are varied, from Quartermaster and Bosun’s Mate, to the 

MABEY 

FAMILY 

VISIT 

On Thursday 9 August CANTERBURY took a 

short break during our trials programme to 

extend thanks to a family that have recently 

‘done their bit’ to assist the RNZN. 

Whilst enroute to Auckland from Wellington 

during our Homecoming Voyage in July, CAN- 

TERBURY encountered weather in the Bay of 

Plenty that was anything but welcoming. The 

fight between an unrelenting sea and the sea 

boat in its alcove was won by the sea - the 

rather large fragments of the RHIB that were 

left behind made it clear to us that we had 

said farewell to “Gemini”. 

Several days later and some 100 miles away, 

Scott Mabey, a farmer living on Great Barrier Island, 

saw something bobbing about in the tide. 

His initial thoughts were that it was a whale, or 

some other form of sea life. Nonetheless, Scott 

investigated further, and eventually dragged a 

Navy-grey 7.3m RHIB ashore! It was due to his 

actions and prompt reporting that we were able 

to recover what was left of our sea-boat. 

Subsequently, on the final day of our trials 

and training in the Gulf, the ship was required 

to conduct a trial whilst at anchor. We took 

the opportunity to anchor in Port Abercrombie 

(Great Barrier Island) for the evening, in order 

to host Scott Mabey and his wife Isabelle for 

dinner. The evening began with a tour of the 

Ship. The Mabey’s seemed to be quite comfortable 

onboard, we later found out that Scott and 

SALT training – a truck embarks over the ship’s side ramp. 

Navy’s (most important) job: slushie! We share cabins with our 

Navy counterparts and have enjoyed meeting new people and 

seeing how another Service operates. 

Since we moved onboard at the end of May, ceremonial and 

public relations duties have played a significant part of our lives. 

We have been introduced to the Navy’s ‘Ship Open to Visitors 

Days’ in Lyttelton and Timaru. We soon learned that nothing can 

be taken for granted when the public is onboard. This was highlighted 

when the RNZN Band who, having nearly completed a 

musical set in the ship’s helicopter storage hangar, were drenched 

in foam from the fire-fighting system after a younger member of 

the public asked themselves ‘I wonder what would happen if I 

pressed this button?’ 

Looking towards the future, the SALT’s next focus is towards the 

CANTERBURY’s Introduction into Service (IIS) as part of Exercise 

Wolf III. The exercise will involve the embarkation of a Motorised 

Infantry Company of 220 soldiers complete with LAV’s, LOV’s and 

other military vehicles - a taste of things to come! 

Isabelle had spent 6 months working in Portsmouth, 

UK onboard ‘The Spirit of Portsmouth,’ 

a large P&O ferry! 

Their tour was followed by dinner in the 

Wardroom, for Scott and Isabelle with the CO, 

Heads of Department and Warrant Officers. 

As the night went on, more and more stories 

were told, with Scott and Isabelle spinning 

their fair share of ‘salty dits’. The evening 

ended with CDR Tony Millar presenting Scott 

and Isabelle with a gift on behalf of the Navy 

to show our appreciation for their efforts in 

recovering and returning what was left of our 

RHIB to the RNZN. 

The Officers and Ship’s Company of CAN- 

TERBURY hope that Scott and Isabelle 

enjoyed their time onboard as much as we 

enjoyed hosting them! 

THE SPCA CALLED ON THE NZDF TO SAVE A HUNGRY HERD OF CATTLE 

STRANDED BY FLOODING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WAIKATO RIVER. DAVID 

LLOYD-BARKER, ACTING GENERAL MANAGER OF THE SPCA, REPORTS... 

NAVAL AVIATORS 

TURN TO FARMING! 

WHEN THE SPCA in Auckland learnt of the 

plight of more than 40 hungry cows on an 

island in the middle of the Waikato River 

near Pokeno, SPCA Inspectors Plowright 

and Border began rowing one bale of hay at 

a time across the tricky river to feed the distressed 

animals. It soon became apparent 

that this was not effective, and accordingly 

a call was made to the NZDF. 

Joint HQ volunteered the services of 

the Navy and the Air Force, by supplying 

a Super Seasprite SH-2G Helicopter from 

No. 6 Sqn. 

The helicopter landed at the reserve 

directly opposite the Auckland SPCA site 

in Westney Road, Mangere on Saturday 

11 August, to load the hay bales. Then in 

two sorties, the aircraft transported and 

dropped nearly 30 bales of hay to the SPCA 

Inspector who was waiting on the island to 

receive them 

Chief Executive of the Auckland SPCA, Bob 

Kerridge, commented that ‘This was a wonderful 

initiative on the part of our inspectors 

to instigate an immediate remedy for these 

animals who were clearly neglected and in 

need of urgent assistance. The support of 

the Forces ensured that this could be undertaken 

swiftly, and credit is due to them’ 

As Acting General Manager of the SPCA 

Auckland, I would like to extend my sincere 

thanks to the NZDF for providing this lifesaving 

service especially all the No.6 Squadron 

personnel involved. 

SEASPRITE SUPPORT IN SOUTHLAND 

Under the command of LTCDR James Taylor (from Helensville), one of the Navy’s five Seasprite 

Helicopters landed at Southland Boys’ High School, in Invercargill on Tuesday 21 August. With 

the support of Navy Recruiting Staff, the naval aircrew were bringing the helicopter to the 

school to allow the students to view the aircraft and talk about a career in the Navy. 

The Southland Boys’ High School Head Boy, Ben Maynard and Southland Girls’ High School 

Head Girl, Caitlin Booth, were given a brief ‘air experience’ onboard the Seasprite as it flew 

from Boys’ High to Invercargill Airport. The Seasprite was in Invercargill to provide a static 

display at the Southland Careers Expo on 23-24 August. 

LTCDR Taylor and his crew enjoyed showing off their aircraft and meeting the many of those 

who came to the Careers Expo. 

THE VIEW FROM 

THE COCKPIT 

BY A/LTCDR NORMAN MCDONALD & 

A/LTCDR WAYNE THEOBALD RNZN 

The SPCA contacted the NZDF and 

we got the tasking on the Friday. The 

SPCA also alerted Campbell Live - 

TV3. The hay was situated at the 

SPCA in Mangere and they had no 

way of getting it rapidly to the cows. 

Our concern with the pick-up was 

that it was close to Auckland International 

Airport 

We had full co-operation from Auckland 

air traffic control, whom we had 

talked to the day before, and on the 

day of the flights they had complete 

exposure to what we wanted. We 

conducted two trips – a bit uncertain 

about the weight of the bales we 

loaded 14 bales each time in a net 

suspended below the aircraft. We 

also flew with one SPCA inspector 

who showed us where on the island 

to drop it. 

For unloading at the island we 

touched the load down, landed beside 

the bales and unhooked half of the 

net, then took off and used the aircraft 

to pull the net out from under the hay 

bales. The second drop on a different 

bit of the island had the camera crew 

from Campbell Live filming our approach 

and the drop-off. 

Our total flying time was around 2 

hours, and we took a total of 4 maintenance 

personnel and 4 aircrew. 

One crew drove to Mangere to make 

up the loads in advance. The whole 

evolution proved to be a good training 

opportunity for the whole crew. 

The SPCA subsequently presented 

certificates of appreciation to all involved, 

while the farmer is now being 

taken to court on a wide array of 

charges. [That day was also A/LTCDR 

McDonald’s wedding anniversary!] 



NT125SEPTEMBER07 29

BOOK REVIEWS 



HMNZS RESOLUTION 

BY AET STEVIE WINIKEREI 

ASHORE IN SAMOA 

RESOLUTION ARRIVED in Samoa on Sunday 

29 July after a week of very difficult sea 

conditions. The main purpose of our visit 

was to embark His Excellency the Governor 

General of New Zealand, as well as his 

entourage (nine people) to take them on a 

tour of the Tokelau Islands. 

This meant that we had the opportunity to 

send some of our ship’s company ashore for 

the week to do some aid work in Samoa – 

which also freed some bunks for our visitors. 

The shore party consisted of 11 personnel 

with a wide variety of skills who would 

spend a week with the Samoan Red Cross 

helping out with various tasks. Members of 

the shore party were, LTCDR Bill Spencer 

RNZN, LT Warren Dohnt RNZN, CPOWT 

Wayne Matheson, LHST Dan Bramley, 

AMT ‘Polky’ Polkinghorne, ASCS Waimana 

Anderson, AHSO Josh Hunt, OHSO Brad 

Holland, OHSO Karla Clarke, OHSO Zara 

Powell and myself. Our accommodation for 

the week was in a hotel located not too far 

from the Red Cross and also fairly close to 

central Apia. 

While our bosses went to the Red Cross 

HQ to plan the day ahead, the rest of us 

went to the markets. The Apia markets 

were full of customary Samoan weapons, 

beautiful shell jewellery, and pretty much 

every Samoan souvenir we could imagine. 

We spent the morning buying gifts for their 

families and friends. The NZ dollar is nearly 

double the Samoan Tala, so everything was 

LEFT TO RIGHT: LT Warren Dhont & LHST 

Dan Bramley help out with the umu; AET 

Stevie Winikerei & ASCS Waimana Anderson 

pose with machetes; The volleyball game. 

relatively cheap; we all came away extremely 

satisfied. Then it was time to head to the Red 

Cross to meet the volunteers we would be 

working alongside. 

We were greeted with a traditional Samoan 

welcoming ceremony - many traditional 

songs and dances and of course the 

Ava ceremony (Kava in Fiji). The event was 

enjoyed by all and it was interesting to see 

how similar the Samoan culture is to Maori. 

The Samoans were very friendly and made 

all of us feel very welcome. 

Tuesday, our first full day of work - we 

had been set two tasks. One group was at 

the HQ while another travelled across the 

island carrying out inventory checks on the 

emergency supplies at the Red Cross outposts. 

The group which stayed helped the 

volunteers to dig new gardens and also lay 

foundations for the new water tank that was 

to be put in that week. 

The other group spent most the day travelling 

and saw a lot of the sights Samoa had to 

offer, and also had the opportunity to stop at 

the picturesque Lalo Manu beach for a quick 

spot of snorkelling on the tropical reef. With 

our roles swapped on Wednesday, CPOWT 

Matheson, AMT Polkinghorne, AHSO Hunt, 

and myself got to work at the headquarters 

installing new lights and fixing some of their 

plumbing problems. 

All the Red Cross volunteers were very 

eager to lend a hand in any way they could. 

We were working in conditions quite differ- 

RESOLUTION’s Shore party with the volunteers of the Samoan Red Cross 

ent to NZ’s winter with the temperature at an 

average of 30ºC and it definitely took a while 

to get used to. A lot was achieved and we 

were all ecstatic when the Climate Change 

Officer of the Red Cross commended our 

work and said “you guys have done a lot 

more than the Australian Navy group...’ That 

evening we were all invited to the NZ High 

Commission compound for a BBQ. There are 

five NZ staff and their families who all live 

at the compound. 

Samoa is made up of two main islands, 

Upolu, where the capital, Apia, is, and Savaii 

which is bigger but less populated. On Thursday 

our work for the day entailed travelling 

around the island of Savaii carrying out an 

inventory of the Red Cross emergency supply 

outposts. It took a long ferry trip to get to 

the island. Once we arrived at the outpost it 

was into a good-old Navy huck-out, clearing 

weeds which had surrounded the building 

and cleaning it out. Much to the satisfaction 

of many of the members, we were given 

two machetes to aid us in clearing out the 

PIHA SURF 

TRAINING 

BY OHSO ANDREW GALLAGHER 

Before heading to the warmth of the tropical 

Pacific, a few of RESOLUTION’s company 

travelled to Piha beach for two days of surf 

life saving training. We stayed at the South 

Piha Surf Club which was excellent. Senior 

members from Surf Life Saving HQ in Wellington 

flew up to instruct us and provided a 

tailor-made training plan. 

Surf Life Saving began nearly 100 years 

ago and since that time has prevented over 

830,000 people from drowning. Through a 

team of dedicated lifeguards and a comprehensive 

education program, Surf Life 

Saving is there to prevent the worst happening 

around NZ beaches. There are 75 clubs 

manned by 4000 active volunteer lifeguards 

as well as a large number of permanent 

staff who patrol our beaches and coastlines 

throughout the summer months. 

scrub, which were put to very good use. We very talented Red Cross team. After a hardfought 

game the Red Cross team took it out 

stopped for lunch and a swim before catching 

the ferry back to Upolu. 

by only a couple of points. Special mention 

Our last day in Samoa was comparatively to LT Dohnt and AMT Polkinghorne whose 

relaxed. We were to act as casualties in a exceptional skills kept us in the game! 

terrorist bomb exercise to test the skills of After the feast the Red Cross cultural 

the Samoan Red Cross, in preparation for the group performed an item for us which they 

upcoming South Pacific Games being held had been preparing for the upcoming South 

in Samoa. Some people wore fake wounds Pacific Games. We then said our final goodbyes 

and invited everyone for a tour of the 

and the others acted as concerned friends to 

obstruct the work of the volunteers. It was a ship when it returned. Our whole group 

big event with the local fire brigade attending enjoyed our time in Samoa and were glad 

and also police closing down roads. There that we could be of assistance to the local 

was a lot of newsmedia attention and later Red Cross. 

we all saw our faces on the Samoan news Too soon were we welcoming RESOLUchannel 

that evening! This event proved that TION back to Apia and taking over the duties 

the volunteers were very competent at first so our oppos could also enjoy some of the 

aid, and able to deal with a crisis situation local culture in Apia. Overall it was a brilliant 

if one arose. After the exercise we relaxed experience and I am glad I got the opportunity 

to help out. 

with our new friends and eagerly awaited 

our dinner for the night, an umu (a traditional After re-embarking the naval party from 

Samoan feast similar to a hangi only cooked Apia, RESOLUTION sailed for Raoul Island, 

above ground). We also rallied the courage to uplift 17 Department of Conservation personnel 

and bring them back to NZ. 

to put up a Navy volleyball team against the 

RESOLUTION’s surf crew receiving instruction on the Inflatable 

Our training was divided into: 

the shallows, swimming out to the victim, clipping 

our tube around them then towing them 

• tube rescues, and 

• IRB (inflatable rescue boat) work. 

back in to shore - it was like seeing David 

The training included learning how to read the Hasselhoff in Baywatch all over again! 

beach and surf to identify rips and other hazards. From the training we gained skills and 

This involved deliberately swimming into a rip to knowledge to help keep others safer when 

experience what it feels like (don’t try that yourself!) 

and then practising the techniques we had it was a great team building experience. We 

we work along the beaches. For everyone 

learned in the classroom to escape it (the Navigator 

had to be rescued!) Tube rescues involved the course, they ensured it was a successful 

would like to thank the instructors who took 

running down the beach with our tubes through couple of days. 



NT125SEPTEMBER07 31

BOOK REVIEWS 

HMNZS ENDEAVOUR 



NAVAL PATROL FORCE 

BY ENS KATIE GIBSON RNZN 

‘THE BIG E’ vs THE STORM! 

ON WATCH in the middle of the night in the 

Tasman, I, as a Midshipman, clung to the 

Officer of the Watch chair on the bridge of 

ENDEAVOUR. Below me swells of over 8 

metres and storm force winds thumped the 

ship’s starboard bow. I couldn’t help but feel 

weight of the responsibility pressing down 

on my shoulders as I put into practice my 

training. I was entrusted with the full 138m 

and 9000 tonnes of ENDEAVOUR and our 

ship’s company of 53 and this was one of my 

first watches alone on board - it was certainly 

one to remember. 

We were on our way home from Sydney 

after finishing Op CUTLASS 07 in SE Asia. Before 

we could head for NZ, we had arranged 

to rendezvous with HMS MONMOUTH, 

which was on her way to Wellington from 

Darwin. This venture made the usual 4 day 

passage across the Tasman into a planned 10 

day voyage. But they became 11 epic days! 

After our first week and a successful RAS 

with TE MANA, ENDEAVOUR was making 

good time for the rendevous, so we rewarded 

ourselves with a night at anchor on 

Middleton Reef. Many of our ship’s company 

had not heard of this reef and were surprised 

to learn that it existed in the middle of the 

Tasman Sea. As we nestled among five (!) 

ship wrecks in the reef, little did we know 

about the bad weather we were soon to encounter. 

While we were at anchor, we held 

our customary ‘CO for the day’ draw – won 

this time by LCO Kiwikiwi. 

Having quickly assembled his Command 

Team, at his direction, the ship conducted 

flight deck sports and held a BBQ, cooked 

and served by the new ‘junior rates’ (i.e. the 

Wardroom!). Many of us enjoyed the opportunity 

to explore the local marine life and fresh 

fish was on the menu the next day. 

By this time much of NZ, including Northland, 

Auckland and the Coromandel, were 

suffering from Sou Easterly storm force 

winds and rain. In ENDEAVOUR we started 

to experience the effects of the storm in 

mid-Tasman. 

On meeting up with MONMOUTH, 3 days 

were programmed for personnel exchanges, 

a RAS(L) and manoeuvring exercises as we 

motored into the weather towards NZ. MON- 

MOUTH incidentally won the competition for 

the most impressive sound system – “Rule 

Britannia” could be heard blasting out far 

across the Tasman. 

However, as our passage exercises progressed, 

the swell and wind increased and 

our speed was dramatically reduced – down 

to only 5 knots, meaning that the programme 

with MONMOUTH had to be cut short to al- 

‘CDR’ Kiwikiwi and 

his command team 

low both ships to make port on time. [MON- 

MOUTH, with gas turbines had enough 

power to reach Wellington on schedule, just 

behind the worst of the storm.] 

ENDEAVOUR of course has only two 

speeds – full power or stopped. But at full 

power we still just butted into the wind and 

waves – slowed at every impact. Despite 

our best endeavours…we had to signal a 

delay to our ETA of 24 hours. Frustratingly, 

as the weather eased and we rounded out 

of the worst of it to head south we then 

arrived off Auckland only 6 hours late! But 

due to Customs requirements, we anchored 

for the night off Gulf Harbour, with all on 

board anticipating seeing our families the 

following day. 

When we finally came into Devonport, our 

families were watching patiently on the jetty. 

Our reward was having our families on board 

and speaking to them face-to-face – after a 

4 month absence. 

Those who were in ENDEAVOUR during 

this deployment will always think of this 

Tasman crossing when they hear the word 

‘roughers.’ Although it’s one thing to describe 

it, it’s certainly another to have experienced 

it. Meanwhile, I now have a salty dit to spin, 

which, of course, won’t ever exaggerate in 

each telling! 

HMNZS WAKAKURA 

WAKAKURA, commanded by LT Laymon 

Bakewell RNZN, formerly of Palmerston 

North Boys’ High School, paid a visit to Wellington 

on the 10th of August for four day’s in 

support of the Coke Careers Expo. The IPC 

had just completed a fisheries patrol in the 

Marlborough Sounds. 

Following the Careers Expo and in response 

to Navy Recruiting initiatives, ten 

Year 11-13 high school students and a Careers 

Advisor from Layamon’s old school 

travelled down on 13 August to embark in 

the IPC and undertake a ‘sea experience’ in 

Wellington Harbour. LT Bakewell was keen 

A scene from last summer: IPCs 

in column astern of TE MANA (l 

to r) WAKAKURA, callsign ZMRB, 

MOA, callsign ZMHC, and TE 

MANA, callsign ZMSI; the frigate 

is also flying the guide flag, G. 

to give something back to his school and 

show the students a career with a difference 

that one of their own had embarked on. 

Despite the grey and overcast conditions, 

there was plenty of enthusiasm from the 

students who were all keen to get their first 

exposure to life in the Navy and find out 

what a career in the RNZN really meant. The 

conditions on the water were a bit choppy 

and although rain threatened, it managed to 

stay at-bay for the majority of the time. The 

students experienced a number of activities, 

including: 

• a demonstration fire emergency 

• and a jet-around on WAKAKURA’s RIB. 

A not-too-subtle sign of what the students 

would experience on the RHIB, arrived with 

the provision of foul weather gear. They 

were also shown the ins and outs of the 

bridge, taught some basic navigation skills 

and took the opportunity to ask the crew 

about their careers in the Navy. To complement 

the activities on the water, accounts of 

WAKAKURA’s recent fisheries patrol in the 

Marlborough Sounds were also thrown in to 

illustrate what life on an IPC was like. 

‘We got a really positive reaction from the 

students, and I’m sure the Navy will get at 

least two or three recruits as a result,’ LT 

Bakewell commented after the visit. ‘All the 

students thoroughly enjoyed their time in the 

Sea Boat and their stint on the ship’s wheel, 

however they were not so keen on getting 

into the freezing Wellington water as a volunteer 

for swimmer of the watch!’ 

WAKAKURA had spent the start of August 

on patrol in Cook Strait. The ship had two officers 

from MFISH embarked for the period. 

With the typical Cook Strait swell it was an 

‘interesting’ week for the smallest ship in 

the RNZN. The subsequent week patrolling 

within the Marlborough Sounds was a welcome 

respite. 

Once the IPC returned to Devonport the 

remainder August was spent conducting harbour 

continuation training and maintenance. 

This month the focus is on conducting the 

Officer of the Watch (Basic) course. 

Photo: Trevor Copick (with thanks) 



NT125SEPTEMBER07 33

FLEET 

WON 

PROGRESS 

REPORT 

MANAWANUI’s Dive 

deck as the Army boats 

are hoisted on board. 

DIVING & MCM FORCE 

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2007 

S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 

NAVAL COMBAT FORCE 

OUR NAVAL HERITAGE 

AROUND THE FLEET 

COMPILED BY LCSS(A) J L BROOKE, HQ JFNZ 

NOTE: THIS FORECAST IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE 

S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 

HMNZS MANAWANUI [LTCDR N M LONGSTAFF RNZN] 

BY CPOSCS TOBY MILLS 

HMNZS MANAWANUI 

IT’S BEEN a busy time for MANAWANUI, 

having just completed a three week IMAV 

period where a couple of major upgrades 

were completed. 

• The computer server was moved from the 

MEO’s cabin down two decks to a new home 

next to the engineer’s workshop. 

• The Breathable Air Supply System was 

upgraded so that the new DCBA cylinders 

can be charged to their full capacity of 300 

bar. 

• The dining hall was also given a make over 

and now is complete with a flat screen TV 

and new fridges. It’s a vast improvement on 

the old set up and there is now more room 

for meals and briefings. 

After the completion of the IMAV the 

ship entered a trials period were all the 

new equipment was tested and a few cobwebs 

cleared out from the crew. A Safety 

And Readiness Check (SARC) Harbour was 

conducted on 1 August followed by Sea 

Acceptance Trials the next day, and finally a 

MOET-assessed SARC(Sea) that Friday. This 

was a full-on day with man-over-board drills, 

toxic gases exercises, helicopter vertical 

replenishment operations and concluding 

with a large engine room ‘fire’. The ship’s 

company attacked the day with their usual 

MANAWANUI enthusiasm which was noted 

by MOET staff, the outcome being that the 

ship completed all evolutions to a good 

and safe standard. Of special note was the 

Chefs’ smoked fish pie for lunch, which was 

warmly received by the Green Team and put 

the ships company in good steed for the 

afternoon’s activities. 

The following week MANAWANUI assisted 

an Army unit in an exercise involving parachutists, 

Army and Navy RHIBs, an RNZAF 

C-130 Hercules and a chartered civilian boat. 

As the exercise began it made a very impressive 

sight to see these all at work. Some of 

AMED Chloe Andrews about to be winched down to the ship 

during MANAWANUI’s safety and readiness check. 

The Ship’s Medical Emergency Team 

attend to a ‘casualty’ (l to r) LCH Bowden, 

ACH Davidson, AMED Andrews. 

soldiers had never been on a naval vessel 

before and were impressed to see the way 

we live and work, especially as some of them 

thought they would have to spend their fourhour 

trip on board, outside in the cold! A hot 

meal and a shower certainly changed their 

minds about what the Navy does and how 

we do it. The ship’s company also enjoyed 

the opportunity to be involved in a slightly different 

type of exercise and we look forward 

to working with the Army again. 

For the remainder of August and into this 

month, MANAWANUI returned to its role 

as Diving Tender by assisting with the Leading 

Divers Course. They were embarked for 

a two week period during which time they 

used the ship’s surface-supplied breathing 

equipment and wet diving bell around the 

coast of Great Barrier Island. We are also 

showing our versatility with another period 

on Op ORION this month. 

HMNZS TE MANA [CDR W J TRUMPER RNZN] 

10 - 13 EEZ Patrol 

13 - 17 DNB 

17 - 21 Maintenance preps 

21 - 30 DNB – SRA 

HMNZS TE KAHA [CDR A S GRANT RNZN] 

13 - 23 Passex 

23 - 26 Okinawa 

26 - 28 Passage 

28 - 30 Sasebo 

Naval Support Force 

17 - 19 Sea Training 


21 - 24 DNB 

24 - 28 EEZ patrol 

28 - 30 Napier 

01 - 31 DNB-SRA 

01 - 02 Sasebo 


04 - 08 Kure 


11 - 16 Shanghai 


19 - 22 Zhanjiang 


HMNZS ENDEAVOUR [CDR I J S ROUTLEDGE RNZN] 

HMNZS CANTERBURY [CDR A M MILLAR MNZM RNZN] 




24 - 25 Wellington 


28 - 30 Sydney 

Hydrographic Survey Force 

HMNZS RESOLUTION [CDR M R TUFFIN RNZN] 

11 - 27 Survey Ops 


Diving and MCM Force 

HMNZS KAHU [LT I BRADLEY RNZN] 

10 - 14 G3 OOW training 

14 - 17 Whangarei 

17 - 21 G3 OOW training 

21 - 24 DNB 

24 - 30 PAL 


06 - 09 DNB 

09 - 18 Sea Training / Passage 

18 - 23 Cairns 

23 - 31 Passage to NZ 

01 - 02 Sydney 


08 - 11 Amphibious Training 

11 - 15 Tauranga 


16 - 23 DNB 

23 - 26 Sea training 

26 - 29 DNB 

29 - 31 Harbour Training 


04 - 09 Gisborne 




01 - 08 PAL 


12 - 23 DNB 


26 - 29 DNB 

29 - 31 OOW (A) 


17 - 21 Diver training 

21 - 24 DNB 

24 - 30 DNB -leave period 

Naval Patrol Force 



17 - 21 Sea Training & EEZ patrol 

21 - 24 DNB 


28 - 30 DNB 


05 - 08 DNB 

08 - 12 SMP 

12 - 14 DNB 


20 - 23 Chatham Islands 


26 - 29 DNB 

29 - 31 Sea Training / ODT 

OPERATIONAL DIVING TEAM [LTCDR D TURNER RNZN] 

14 - 16 DNB 

16 - 21 Diver training 

21 - 24 DNB 

24 - 30 DNB - pal 

HMNZS WAKAKURA [LT L J BAKEWELL RNZN] 

HMNZS KIWI [LT J J MCQUEEN RNZN] 




21 - 24 DNB 


28 - 30 DNB 

V I S I T I N G S H I P S 

* Note: HARBIN (pennant no 112 is 

a destroyer, HONGZEHU (881) is a 

replenishment tanker 

01 - 12 Advance Force Training 

12 - 15 DNB 

15 - 22 PAL 

22 - 27 SSBA Work-up Preps 

27 - 29 DNB 

29 - 31 Work-up 


05 - 08 Gisborne 


12 - 15 Picton 


19 - 20 VR Training 

20 - 23 Wellington 


25 - 31 DNB 


05 - 08 Lyttleton 


11 - 13 Dunedin 

13 - 14 VR Sea Training 

14 - 15 Dunedin 




23 - 31 DNB 

CHINESE NAVAL TG 

PLA(N) ships HARBIN & 

HONGZEHU* 

07 - 10 AUCKLAND 

12 - 15 WELLINGTON 

HMAS KANIMBLA 

11 - 15 TAURANGA 

18 - 22 DUNEDIN 



NT125SEPTEMBER07 35

GALLEY SLIDE 

NZDF WINS EEO TRUST 

WORK & LIFE AWARD 

THE EEO TRUST Work & Life Awards were 

presented by Speaker of the House Hon 

Margaret Wilson MP, on 30 August. The EEO 

Trust Work & Life Awards have been awarded 

since 1998 and EEO Trust Chief Executive 

Philippa Reed said they have been instrumental 

in raising awareness of the business 

benefits of work-life balance. 

A Diversity Award was introduced this year 

to mark the 10th anniversary of the EEO Trust 

Work & Life Awards. “The Diversity Award 

recognises organisations that encourage 

and support a diverse workforce through a 

single initiative or broad organisational support,” 

said Philippa Reed. “We received 16 

entries in this category, the largest number 

of entries received in any category since 

the inception of the EEO Trust Work & Life 

Awards. 

DIVERSITY AWARD - 

NEW ZEALAND DEFENCE FORCE 

Public sector winner of the Diversity Award is 

the NZDF for its approach to the integration 

and acceptance of women at all levels of the 

Services. Philippa Reed said this recognition 

of the benefits of diversity was echoed in 

many of the other Diversity Award entries. 

BRIG Anne Campbell 

received the EEO Trust 

award from Speaker 

of the House the Hon 

Margaret Wilson 

THE NZDF ENTRY 

In May the NZDF entry was submitted by 

Personnel Branch, Directorate of HR Policy 

and Capability, to the EEO Trust on ‘The 

Progress of the integration of Uniformed 

Women into the Armed Forces 1998 – Present.’ 

Site visits to NZDF bases were part of 

the assessment 

The steady and substantial progress towards 

integration of women into the armed 

forces has been monitored, initially with the 

Burton Report in 1998 and latterly with the 

Hanson Burns report 2005. All recommendations 

from the Burton Report and many from 

the Hanson Burns Report have been already 

been actioned. 

Initially the focus of integration of women 

into the Defence Force was on sexual harassment 

and other unacceptable behaviour 

as this was seen as an obstacle to women’s 

full participation. 

The focus later shifted to traditional features 

of military life and how these blocked 

the integration and acceptance of women. 

For example, a flexible working policy was 

introduced in 2002 and part-time work has 

become much more prevalent and used at 

all levels, said Senior Manager Directorate 

HR Policy and Capability Laura Gillan. 

• Over the past 10 years, the process of gender 

integration has been a string of phased 

initiatives demonstrating consistent and 

prolonged commitment of leadership, 

training time and resources. 

• NDZF achievements in gender integration 

mirror, and, in many cases, exceed the 

achievements made in organisations of a 

similar size here in NZ or in comparable 

Defence Forces overseas. 

• The NZDF was pro-active regarding the 

integration of women into a broad range 

of military roles and advancement opportunities. 

• The process of integration of women into 

the Services has resulted in: 

- The opportunity of employment of Service 

women across the full spectrum of 

trades and professions 

- A significant increase in the numbers of 

women in higher ranks 

- Active involvement of women in deployments 

- A steady increase in women in combat 

trades 

- An improvement in recruitment and retention 

of women 

The two EEO Trust judges, Dr Phillipa Reed and Alison Thom, with ACPers CDRE Bruce 

Pepperell and NZDF HR Advisers Christine Johnson & Anisiata Pritchard. 

- An acceptance of Service women as 

equals, if competent in the job and professional 

• Service women enjoy working in a demanding 

and rewarding environment. 

• Gender integration has resulted in flow-on 

benefits such as a safer working environment 

for all, a more family friendly organisation, 

a better work-life balance and an 

improvement in the culture. 

• The process has benefited from the leadership 

and commitment of successive 

CDFs. 

• Many Service women were prepared to 

break new ground, to resist the pervasiveness 

of masculinity in the military culture 

and to forge careers in non-traditional and 

combat trades. 

• The progress on the integration of women 

has positioned the NZDF to be responsive 

to the understanding of difference and to 

value diversity, preparing the way for the 

new Diversity Strategy. 

“Gender integration is a capability issue. 

It’s not about attracting more women to 

the military but about attracting the best 

people,” says Laura Gillan. “It’s about how 

the potential contribution of women can be 

fully utilised.” 

CONGRATULATIONS 

ON YOUR PROMOTION 

LTCDR S P Barker RNZN LCSS C O Smith 

LTCDR R K Groube RNZN LDR P J T Smyth 

LTCDR T W Masters RNZN LMT(L) P J Te Whiu 

LTCDR L K Marchant RNZN LWT I A West 

LT D J Barr RNZN 

AET2 T W Abel 

LT M D Collinson RNZN AMA K J Barnett 

LT L V Fitchett RNZN 

ACH E L Brooks 

LT L M Graham RNZN ASCS D G Carmody 

LT N W G Grootscholten RNZN AMA N T Dawson 

LT G F Hahn RNZN 

AET2 A R De Pina 

LT N S Proctor RNZN 

ASCS T P Gordon 

ENS A J C Wells RNZN AET2 M A Hodren 

WOMT(P) E J Kendrick AET2 H J Linn 

A/WOMT(P) D W Rangiwai ASCS L S Makiiti 

CPOWTR F J Carter 

AMT2 D A Mitchley 

CPOEWS J T Cook 

AWTR D C J Murphy 

CPOWTR A W Erridge ACSS S L Retallick 

CPOET C A Flintoff 

AMT2 Q E Russell 

CPODR B K Johnson 

AMA L M Saffill 

CPOYS W J A Wiringi AET2 L J Tuck 

A/CPOWTR N E Rzepecky AET2 V A Wong 

POSA R A Don 

POSCS J D Harrison RNZNVR 

POPTI M W Kennedy 

LT D P Grinlinton RNZNVR 

POWTR Q C U Taurua SLT M J Tolerton RNZNVR 

LMT(L) P J Gibbs 

MAA J D Johnson 

LCSS J L Henderson 

LSEA P Francis 

LMEDIC T K Paitai 

ABSEA I D Grant 

LMUS S F Purllant 

AMTO C B Eligius 

EEO TRUST AWARD WINNERS 

THE LARGE ORGANISATION AWARD: Franklin Kindergarten Association is a not-for-profit 

organisation which runs 25 kindergartens in the South Auckland region. It employs 70 teachers 

and 30 support staff. 

RUNNER-UP IN THE LARGE ORGANISATION CATEGORY: Dunedin-based law firm, Anderson 

Lloyd Lawyers. The firm is represented in Queenstown and Christchurch, while its work 

spans the length and breadth of NZ. It employs 86 lawyers and legal staff and 58 secretarial 

and support staff to provide a full range of legal advice. 

THE SMALL TO MEDIUM ORGANISATION AWARD: Phoenix Inc Supported Employment 

of Palmerston North. 

THE MANAKI TANGATA INNOVATION AWARD: Southern Cross Healthcare for its staff 

health and wellness programme. 

FIRST STEPS AWARD: South Auckland business support agency, Enterprising Manukau 

THE WALK THE TALK AWARD for CEOs or senior managers who exemplify and support 

work-life balance are: 

• Ministry of Research, Science and Technology, Helen Anderson 

• Northern Regional Manager of the ANZ National Bank rural banking team, Matt Pickering 

DIVERSITY AWARD: BECA TRANSPORTATION 

Private sector Diversity Award winner is the Beca Transportation Group, part of Beca Infrastructure. 

Beca Transportation employs 44 people in its Auckland office. Philippa Reed says 

that a range of diversity initiatives introduced by Beca Transportation have proven that cultural 

diversity is both a competitive advantage in professional consulting services and a sustainable 

way to grow and develop a company. 

FAREWELL AND 

THANK YOU FOR 

YOUR SERVICE 

LT C J Macpherson RNZN 

LT H M Waaka RNZN 

MID S J England RNZN 

WOMT(P) D M Craig 

CPOMT(P) R P Campbell 

CPOET D G J Darcy 

CPOMT(P) L M Gallagher 

LMT(P) L W Asplet 

LHST M G Cameron 

LCSS H P F Hartung 

LMT(L) H Hewett 

LCH R M Main 

LMT(P) N R Merrett 

ASA S C Bell 

AMT1(P) M W Boss 

ACO R J Crockett 

ASCS L S Hakaria 

ACH K J Harker 

ACSS W Harris 

AMT2(P) C R Nothnagel 

ODR J Hassell 

OCO S J Ringdahl 

OCH W A Simmonds 

COMPILED BY: 

AWTR NICOLE BROOKS, 

FPTO 

US COASTGUARD EXCHANGE 

THE DEFENCE MINISTER announced in August that the 

RNZN and the US Coast Guard are working together as 

part of a Pacific regional fisheries protection operation. 

“Two RNZN officers have joined the crew of the USCG 

vessel WALNUT in what will become an annual personnel 

exchange which will enhance cooperation between the 

USCG and the RNZN.” 

“The RNZN officers boarded the WALNUT in Honiara, 

Solomon Islands, and will be onboard for almost a month 

as the vessel patrols the Economic Exclusion Zones of 

several Pacific states and territories. The period included 

an annual multi-lateral maritime surveillance operation 

in cooperation with Australia, Tonga, Solomon Islands, 

Vanuatu, Kiribati, Cook Islands and France. 

“During the deployment the RNZN officers worked with 

their USCG colleagues to develop protocols for the sharing 

of vessel sighting information between the RNZN, USCG, 

NZ Maritime Coordination Centre and the Fisheries Forum 

Agency to maximise the detection and identification of 

vessel engaged in illegal activity.” 



NT125SEPTEMBER07 37

SPORT 

BY CDR SHAUN FOGARTY, MNZM RNZN; CHAIRMAN - RNZN RUGBY UNION 

NAVY RUGBY MOVES 

INTO A NEW ERA! 

SPORT PLAYS a big part in our 

lives in the Navy - teamwork 

ABOVE: In February the 

RNZN Rugby Club signed 

rection so that it can be supported 

and sustained in the 

an affiliation agreement 

is fundamental, as it is in so 

annual competitions. That’s 

with North Shore RFC. 

much of everything else we Navy’s RFC is recognised why we have developed a 

do. Sport is where many of the 

behaviours associated with our 

as a Junior Club and is 

affiliated to NS RFC as a 

Strategic Plan, our gameplan 

for the next 6 years and 

Senior Club. Standing (l to 

values come into sharp focus. 

more. Our senior leadership 

r) WOHST Bernie Reihana 

The ‘3 Cs’ all come into their 

(Club Captain), CAPT Clive support the new plan and 

own in some shape or form on 

the sports field. 

Holmes, Mr Chris Tankard 

(North Shore RFC) and Mr 

have demonstrated their 

commitment to Services 

Denis Henderson (North 

Many of the benefits that 

sport within the RNZN. In 

Harbour Rugby Union Club 

come with Services sport are 

Liaison Officer). Seated: fact, CDRE Tony Parr has 

often intangible; Rugby, like 

other sports in the Navy, provides 

Mr John Sarah (Chairman 

North Shore RFC) & 

taken on the role of ‘Champion’ 

of RNZN Rugby. 

an avenue of recreational 

The RNZN Rugby Union 

WOMT(P) Steve White 

(RNZN Club President) 

enjoyment that seeks to realise 

has been revitalised with 

the intangibles such as morale, 

retention, professional work ethics and the 

positive image of the Navy. 

But for rugby to continue to thrive in the 

Navy it needs to have a future view and dia 

robust structure that will 

take us ahead to meet our ambitious programme 

of fixtures. Additionally, the Navy 

Rugby Club is now affiliated to the North 

Shore Rugby Club; recognising our common 

Kia Ora to the Navy! Navy rugby has given me 

some very special memories and fulfilled many 

satisfying moments of my career. Much of this 

was due to the intense rivalry and camaraderie, 

the will to win every time we took the field. 

Many of those wins came from dogged pygmy 

determination of never giving up. 

In the Navy you have the coaches and players 

capable of winning and holding the Lou Smith 

location, Navy’s contribution to the Devonport 

community and the willingness of the 

North Shore club to accommodate RNZN 

rugby players. The appointments of WOPTI 

Grant Simpkins as Premier Coach for 2008 

and LTCDR Chalky Carr as Manager are examples 

of this growing relationship. 

In recent years the Navy’s international 

matches have become more important, 

for example the evolution of the Commonwealth 

Cup played between the RNZN, RAN, 

RN and Sth African Navy; and planned next 

for 2009 (in the UK) and then 2012 (in Australia). 

We are also planning annual tours and 

‘test matches’ against the RAN, as well as 

exposing our U21 Colts team to international 

fixtures on an annual basis. This month (28 

Sep) we plan to field a Navy Barbarians team 

to play the touring Chinese PLA(Navy) team. 

This match will be the curtain raiser to the 

Nth Harbour-Southland NPC match at North 

Harbour stadium. 

One of our key challenges we face as 

a Rugby Union is organising and funding 

our teams to play on the other side of the 

world. The RNZN RU committee is actively 

developing funding initiatives and working 

with corporate partners to overcome these 

challenges. 

We also recognise that Rugby isn’t the only 

sport played within Pussers, and we intend 

that a revitalised RNZN RU will also be supportive 

of other Navy sports. 

In May this year, as CN presented the Lou 

Smith Cup to the Captain of RNZN Premier 

team, he stated ‘when the day comes that 

we can’t be putting a top team on the field to 

play international teams, we’ve lost the plot’. 

The RNZN Rugby Union is now planning for 

the next 6 years and beyond, to ensure that 

no plot is lost, and - more importantly - to 

enhance the proud traditions and reputation 

of Navy Rugby. 

BUCK SHELFORD - NAVY RUGBY’S PATRON 

Cup, NZ Inter-Services tournament and the 

Commonwealth Cup. 

I am proud to be your patron – a role I first enjoyed 

with the Navy’s 2006 tour to South Africa 

to contest the Commonwealth Cup – and I look 

forward to the challenge you are taking on, and 

watching Navy Rugby proudly raise its mana to 

where it belongs – No. 1! 

RNZN COLTS TOUR TO SYDNEY 

Next month the RNZN Rugby Union will send an Under 21 Colts team to Sydney 

to play their RAN counterparts. 

‘This tour is part of our plan to reinvigorate RNZN rugby and grow the base of 

players within the Navy,’ says Deputy Chairman CPOPTI Nigel Hooper. ‘These 

are the young players who will take us through the next two Commonwealth 

Cup tournaments in 2009 and 2012, so it’s a great time to be a young player 

in the Navy.’ 

It was 1976 that the two navies’ Colts sides last played each other for the 

Dowsett Cup. That year the RNZN won the Cup which had been donated by 

Australian Rugby stalwart, CDRE Dowsett RAN. 

Now retired and still involved with ADF refereeing, CDRE Dowsett will be 

on hand to present the Cup at this year’s match in Sydney. 

BY BAS BOLYN, DPRU 

ROYAL MARINES’ 

RUGBY LEAGUE 

A ROYAL MARINE rugby league squad 

toured NZ in July, playing against Army and 

a combined Navy & Air Force team while 

here. Fez Wood, the Administration Manager 

and Vice President of Royal Marines Rugby 

League Association, led the touring squad 

and he explained: 

‘It’s a great game for us Royal Marines, 

because all the lads have got to do is run 

as fast as you can and hit the man hard. It’s 

not technical, not like Union with lineouts 

and all that kind of stuff and it’s quite easy 

for us to pick it up and the lads love it. They 

love the physical contact!’ 

‘We play probably about ten games a 

year. The problem is we don’t play at single- 

Service level, because as part of the RN 

AK 07-0357-02 

we come under Navy for inter-Services in 

the UK.’ 

However, he said, the RM does compete 

at ‘Command’ levels vs. Royal Engineers, 

naval commands. So it was suggested that 

the Marines’ rugby league squad undertake 

a tour to NZ – their first tour anywhere 

outside the UK. They needed to do a lot of 

fundraising to get over here – raffles, selling 

souvenirs, etc. 

In between matches, the team went adventure 

training and had a look around the 

North Island. “We had two and a half days 

in Taupo. We went bungy jumping, bridge 

jumping and on the flying fox. Then we got a 

bit of snowboarding, white water rafting and 

whatever else the lads wanted to do. After 

AK 07-0357-49 

our Auckland game we had a couple of days 

sight-seeing then straight back home.” 

The Royals lost to NZ Army at Trentham 

20-36, then lost the match at Whenuapai 

against the Combined Navy & Air Force 

squads, 16-26. Coach of the Combined team 

SGT Brian Akurangi (Air Force) said it wasn’t 

too hard to gel the combined team together, 

and he purposely made the forwards all Air 

Force and the backs all Navy, to keep the 

combinations going. SGT Akurangi said both 

teams (Navy and Air) are looking forward to 

the Inter-Services competition in Trentham. 

The Navy Coach, WO McKinney, said he was 

pleased with how his squad went. 

Richie Guy, captain of the RM side, commented: 

“None of the lads have been to 

the country before. But everybody’s really 

enjoyed themselves and it’s a privilege to be 

over here. We’re an excitable team and we all 

just wanted to prove to ourselves how good 

we are. Unfortunately too many mistakes 

and we let the NZ sides win the games!’ 



NT125SEPTEMBER07 39

SPORT 

OH 07-0498-07 

shock when Army scored the opening goal 

from a well-worked penalty corner. Army 

came back into the game over the middle 

third of the match, scoring their second goal 

from a hard-hit deflection shot. This spurred 

the Navy on and, following a great individual 

goal from Jan Peterson, the final 15 minutes 

were all Navy. Much to our disappointment, 

Army managed to withstand the pressure. 

Navy were determined that the disappointment 

of the first day would not hold 

them back and this time they were able to 

convert pressure into goals as AWT Jem 

Rees scored the opener. However the experienced 

Air Force team slowly gained 

ascendancy throughout the middle of the 

game. Jan Peterson again provided the spark 

for Navy by scoring and with 15 minutes to 

go and only one goal behind, Navy put Air 

Force under sustained pressure, but they 

too held on to win. 

Whilst our men are still looking for their 

first win at Inter-Service level since NZDF 

hockey was reintroduced, their performance 

at this tournament has provided a belief that 

it is only a matter of time before Navy has 

their name on the winners trophy - bring 

on 2008! 

OH 07-0505-14 

BY LTCDR PHILLIP EAGLE RNZN 

INTER-SERVICE HOCKEY 

OH 07-0498-15 

NZDF SELECTIONS 

Mens: MID Jan Peterson, POSA Randal 

Bartholomew, MID Ambrose O’Halloran, 

AET Harley Kopa, ACO Rodney Jackson 

Womens: ACSS Janette Landers, LCO 

Nyree Morgan, OSEA Charla Edwin 

OH 07-0498-38 

THE 2007 Inter-Service hockey tournament 

was held in Palmerston North in late July. As 

at the inaugural tournament last year, both 

Navy teams finished third this year; however, 

there were some close-fought matches and 

we have high hopes for the future of hockey 

in Navy Blue. 

THE WOMEN’S TEAM 

The Navy Women’s squad had experienced 

some problems with getting key players 

available and a week out from tournament 

had only 7 confirmed players! Some good 

work from the management staff saw the 

team numbers swell to 14 in time for the first 

game and despite missing three or four of 

the ‘stars’ from previous years, the women 

were determined to put up a good showing 

against the defending champions, Army. 

Unfortunately Navy couldn’t keep up with 

the Army as the game progressed 

Navy Women were next comprehensively 

outplayed by a ruthless Air Force team. 

Whilst Navy played a better-structured game, 

they missed a few scoring opportunities. 

Despite some on-the-line saves by OHSO 

Julie Butler, Air Force kept the pressure on 

throughout the match. 

It was a disappointing tournament for the 

Navy women, but it was always going to 

be a tough week with several key players 

unavailable; however, the enthusiasm and 

commitment of our Women’s squad is to 

be commended. 

THE MEN’S TEAM 

After holding the defending champions to 

a draw last year, the strongest Navy men’s 

hockey team in many years approached the 

first game of the tournament full of confidence 

and enthusiasm. The first 10 minutes 

were all Navy, with the Army team clearly 

shell-shocked as they had to withstand a barrage 

from the Navy forwards, led by current 

NZ Men’s player, MID Jan Peterson. With a 

large crowd fully behind Navy, it came as a 

Navy goalkeeper OSEA Charla Edwin leaps high for the balll; at left Nyree Morgan 

& MID Rose Beumelburg (wearing #11) look on. TOP LEFT: ACSS Janette Landers on 

defence against Air Force TOP RIGHT: Vanessa Jones lines up the ball 

OH 07-0498-11 

HOCKEY NOTES 

• An NZDF Hockey Training Camp is to be 

held in Christchurch later this month, in 

conjunction with the NZ National Hockey 

Tournament. 

• MID Jan Peterson, RNZN toured Japan 

last month in the NZ Men’s Hockey 

Team. 

• It is intended to hold an Inter-ship hockey 

competition later this year. A 7-a-side 

format (probably mixed teams) and ships 

are urged to start talking to their PTIs now 

about fielding a team. 

ACO Rodney Jackson accepts his representative tie from 

LTCDR Phil Eagle (OIC of Navy Hockey). 

Navy’s defensive line-up before a penalty corner (l to r): POSA Randal Bartholomew, 

MID Ambrose O’Halloran, MID Jan Peterson, AET Harley Kopa, LTCDR Phil Eagle 

ABOVE: MID Jan Peterson is at full stretch scoring his first goal for Navy 

HOCKEY TEAM - 

FIRST NAVY INTER-SERVICE SPORT TO RECEIVE 

REPRESENTATIVE TIES AND BROACHES 

In order to provide formal recognition of achievement, CN 

has directed that Navy representative ties and broaches are 

to be awarded to those men and women who are selected to 

represent our Navy at Inter-Service level. All members the 

Navy hockey team that participated in the 2007 Inter-Service 

tournament had the honour of receiving a tie or broach - in 

future years, these will also be presented to new caps. 



NT125SEPTEMBER07 41

SPORT 

SPORTS UPDATE 

MAIN FAMILY NOTICE GALLEY & FRIENDS BOARD SLIDE 

MC 07-0334-25 

MC 07-0334-17 

INTER-SERVICE 

NETBALLFINALS 

F421 HMNZS CANTERBURY 

ASSOCIATION 

Tournament at DNB, 27-31 August 

• Demonstration match 

Air (Women) 35 - Navy (Mixed) 20 

• Mixed 

Army 37 - Air 34 

• Women 

Navy 50 - Army 45 

To all former serving members of HMNZS CANTERBURY (F421); 

with the passing of the last of our Leanders and her final sinking 

planned for mid-October, a steering committee has been formed to 

set up a Canterbury Association so the memories can live on. 

All former serving member are invited to attend the Inaugural 

Annual General Meeting being held at the Birkenhead RSA, Rec- 

Winning women – PHILOMEL 

BLACK: LSA Jamiee Colvin, LT 

Kerry Climo, POWTR Quanita 

Tauroa, ENS Anna Biss, ASA Jo 

Leef, CPOWTR Deborah Wareham, 

ASA Kelli Aspin & Mrs Nic 

Charles with the trophy. 

MC 07-0334-01 

Most Improved Player for Mixed: 

LSA Jamiee Colvin (Navy) 

MVP for Women: 

LNP Tayma Houltham (Navy) 

reation Drive, Birkenhead, at 1100 on Sunday 4 November 2007. 

For catering purposes please RSVP to Alex Kildare, Steering 

Committee Chairman, by 22 October 2007. 

Email : ajkildare@xtra.co.nz or Tel 09 444 6705 

BY POPTI PETE HODGE 

INTERSHIP NETBALL 

NAVY’S INTER-SHIP tournament was held 

on 1 August. The tournament started at 

the Netball courts but moved inside to the 

gym because of the weather - eight teams 

entered, including the new CANTERBURY 

(their first Inter-ship tournament). 

With over 100 people involved it was 

good to see so many people getting out 

and showing off their skills. 

The mixed competition was played at a 

fast pace; the level of skill shown by both 

men and women was very high and this 

was shown in the final where TE MANA 

defeated PHILLOMEL Black 14-13 in a 

close match. 

The Womens competition had three teams 

competing, two from PHILOMEL. 

The final was between PHILOMEL Black 

and TE KAHA, with Philly Black winning 

17-5. All the ladies who played in the Women’s 

competition also played in the Mixed, 

so it was a long day for them. 

Many close matches during the round robins 

made it a good day for a lot of people to 

show off their skills before the Inter-Service 

selectors. 

FINAL RESULTS - 

MIXED 

1ST 

2ND 

3RD 

4TH 

5TH 

TE MANA 

PHILOMEL Black 

TE KAHA 

PHILOMEL Blue 

CANTERBURY 

RNZN MOTORCYCLE CLUB: 

Ever miss an open winding road, the thrill of acceleration and find 

yourself hanging out for the weekend so you can go for a ride? 

Well…the RNZN Motorcycle Club has been re-established! The 

RNZN Motorcycle Club’s aims are: 

• To promote recreational riding within the RNZN. 

• Advise members on safety, mechanical and financial aspects 

of their machines. 

• Organise opportunities to take part in all forms of sport and 

recreational motorcycling events. 

• Encourage and promote liaison between other clubs, both at 

home and abroad. 

It costs nothing to join the club and activities will be funded on 

a user pays basis. 

So if you’re keen, email either LT Chris Mills or LT Andrew Jenkins 

to find out more. 

NZ WWII CRUISERS ASSOCIATION: 

ACHILLES, LEANDER, GAMBIA & MONOWAI 

6/7 OCTOBER 2007 

• Luncheon Western Springs 1200 Saturday 6 Oct 

• Combined Church Service St Christopher’s Chapel, 

HMNZS PHILOMEL 1000 Sunday 7 Oct 

Contact: 

Bill Moreland President/Secretary; 6/8 Rugby Road, Birkenhead, 

Auckland; Ph: 09 419 4914; Cell: 027 280-0321 

2008 REUNIONS 

RNZN CRUISERS, LOCH-CLASS FRIGATES & LACHLAN 

COMBINED REUNION TO BE HELD IN DUNEDIN AT 

EASTER WEEKEND 

RNZN SAILING 

CLUB DINGHY 

SAILING: 

Dinghy sailing is conducted at 

the Torpedo Bay Boat Yard on 

Wednesday afternoons, all are 

welcome - those who wish to have 

a go, and those who are skilled 

dinghy sailors. You will get wet! 

Tuition and instruction given as 

required. 

Contact NATC ext 7412 

INTERSHIP 

SOCCER 

BY POPTI PETE HODGE 

In preparation for the Inter-Services Soccer 

tournament, Inter-ship Soccer was played at 

Ngataringa in August: 

PHILOMEL Blue (3) vs New Ship ROTOITI (1) 

It was good to see our new ships starting to 

participate in Inter-ship sports 

PHILOMEL Black (5) vs TE MANA (1) 

Played in difficult windy conditions, the game 

see-sawed and was 1-all at half time. 

Women: Ship (1) vs Shore (5) 

A cold and windy day, but the shore girls were 

too strong for the ship ladies. 

The Men’s final: PHILOMEL Black (2) vs 

PHILOMEL Blue (0) 

CPORS Dave Kaio did an awesome job as 

goalkeeper for Blue, but the pressure took 

its toll as LCH Rez Garrett skidded one past. 

The second half started with Blue putting 

the pressure on but Philly Black struck the 

winning goal late in the half. 

Our thanks to everyone who participated 

and to LTCDR Hester and CPOWF Dyer for 

refereeing. 

DVD: NZSAS: FIRST AMONG EQUALS 

NZSAS: First Among Equals aired recently on TV3 to much 

acclaim. It is a stunning 4-part documentary series on the 

inner-workings of NZ’s elite fighting force. Sony Pictures Home 

Entertainment has now released the DVD on the market: 

Release Date: 

15th August 

RRP: $34.95 

Barcode: 9317731051784 

Cat Number: 

DP06887 

Rating: 

PG No Note 

Genre: 

TV Documentary 

21 – 24 MARCH 2008 

Contact: 

Bill (Shape) Mulhall; PO Box 10-071, Helensburgh; Dunedin 9042. 

Ph [03] 4763054; Fax [03] 4763064; e-mail: wmulhall@hotmail.com 

ANNUAL EX-FAIRMILERS’ CREW REUNION 

WEDNESDAY 12TH MARCH 2008 

Mount Maunganui RSA 

Contact: 

Peter Chappell 

64/60 Maranui Street 

Mount Maunganui 

Tel 07 5722247 



NT125SEPTEMBER07 43

HMNZS KIWI departing from Tauranga. Three 

aspects of NZ’s maritime links are also captured in 

this photo: 

• the Port of Tauranga’s container terminal at 

Sulphur Point indicating NZ’s overseas trade; 

• the crowded yacht marina indicating Kiwis’ 

recreational use of the sea; and in the foreground, 

• the statue of Tangaroa, the God of the Sea, 

who had for 30 years faced into the Port. With 

the blessing of local Kaumatua, Tangaroa has 

been repositioned to face the harbour entrance, 

challenging visitors as they enter, to ensure their 

intentions are friendly. 

Photo: Murray Rhodes, father of OCSS Christopher Rhodes 


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