Far North woman part of something bigger after joining NZ Navy

Ordinary Writer Manaia Dodds, from Kaitāia, is loving life in the NZ Navy after graduation at Devonport Naval Base, above

Travelling and getting paid to do it were some of the pluses for Kaitāia’s Manaia Dodds when joining the NZ Navy, but the main reason was that she wanted to be part of something far bigger than herself.

Dodds has graduated as an Ordinary Writer after 15 weeks of training in the Royal New Zealand Navy at the Devonport Naval Base along with 70 other new sailors.

She joined the Navy after finishing at Kaitāia High School because she felt there would be lots of pluses, including travel and getting paid to do it.

“I could see there were a lot of perks and experiences to be had with this career choice. But the main reason I joined, and the ‘why’ that got me through basic training, is I wanted to be part of something bigger than myself,” Dodds said.

“When I was younger, there were influences that nudged me towards this path, and when I explored this career, I thought it was a community that I wanted to be part of.”

Those influences were being part of the Kaitāia College services academy and being an Air Cadet.

“The academy gave me a small glimpse of what life in the military could look like, and Air Cadets helped me with confidence in marching and parade drills,” she said.

A particular highlight was Sea Week aboard the Navy’s multi-role vessel HMNZS Canterbury in the Hauraki Gulf.

“That week really bonded our training division and left us with a lot of unforgettable experiences. But the biggest highlight for me would be when our division, Achilles, was announced as the winners of the Efficiency Cup, as well as my class winning at general drills.”

Dodds said the camaraderie among her fellow sailors had a big impact.

“A little over 15 weeks ago we were all strangers. But after a couple of weeks of getting to know one another, connections were made. There were three sailors who shared their snacks, plaited my hair when I couldn’t and lifted my morale when it was low. They constantly pushed me to better myself and pursue excellence. They are now really good friends, and I can’t wait to serve alongside them.”

It was a challenge being away from friends or family. She also had to push through fatigue with early starts and days full of activities.

“I was put on the spot after being chosen to be ‘IC’ – In Charge – for my class, which is a long way out of my comfort zone. There were physical and mental challenges being on the hills doing lots of equipment carries, where you learn to work as a team without getting angry with each other.”

Dodds reckons her family will see a few changes in her after her training and graduation.

“I’m much more motivated and involved and certainly extra punctual. Something I hope they’ll notice is that I’m far more in control of my emotions now.”

Her advice to others wanting to join is to come fit and bring the right attitude.

“It makes training a whole lot easier. Come in with a strong mindset about why you want to be here. The training is absolutely achievable with the right mindset; your attitude and effort really dictates how enjoyable training will be for you.”

Ordinary Writer Dodds will progress to Basic Branch Training next year to qualify as a Writer or Operational Administrator. As part of the Support Branch of the Navy, Writers provide high-quality administrative and payroll support to ships at sea and serving personnel.