HMNZS Endeavour, the New Zealand Navy's replenishment tanker, spent the weekend in her home port of New Plymouth after spending the last month deployed on exercise with two frigates off the coast of Australia.
For one crew member, Leading Medic (LMED) Catriona Linders from Hawera, the time in port has also come with the opportunity to see some family as her parents were invited to join local dignitaries, including mayor Harry Duynhoven, for "dinner on the flight deck" on Friday night. The meal was catered by the ship's chefs and stewards as well as five local students.
LMED Linders says that serving in the navy is a family tradition as her father served in the navy 20 years ago. "I just wanted to experience what he had been boasting about, the life experiences, camaraderie, and doing something for our country." Having joined up when she was 17, LMED Linders says that the past six years have been a great experience, "I love that every day in the navy is different, and I am always learning something new". LMED Linders has completed her Bachelor of Health Science while serving with the navy, and has already had what she describes as a varied career which has seen her participate in the Samoan tsunami clean up in 2009.
While visiting the ship's home port, the crew visited the IHC unit at Waitara where they helped out with a raised garden project as well as donating money collected while they were ashore in Sydney.
HMNZS Endeavour is a replenishment tanker able to carry 5500 tonnes of fuel in her four tanks and is able to refuel ships while they are at sea as well as in port. The tanker is also able to "hot" refuel helicopters while the helicopter hovers over the flight deck.