Navy Warship on the way home to port of Tauranga

Navy Warship HMNZS TE MANA has left the Devonport Naval Base enroute to her homeport of Tauranga, berthing at 10:00 am on Thursday 26 March 2009.

Commanding Officer of TE MANA, Commander Blair Gerritsen says, “The Ships Company is very much looking to this weekend’s visit to Tauranga which offers TE MANA the opportunity to reconnect with our home port and indeed the broader Bay of Plenty/Waikato region. Heavy international commitments over the last few years mean this will be the ship’s first visit since Dec 06, so it’s truly a long overdue homecoming. Indeed, over the last twelve months alone TE MANA has travelled vast distances to exercises and operations in South East Asia, India and the Middle East - yet it is always the visits to New Zealand ports where we get the warmest welcome and no more so than when TE MANA visits Tauranga."

Commander Gerritsen and his crew of 173 men and women warmly invite members of the public to visit the ship and take a tour when the ship is open to the public from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm on Saturday 28 March.

TE MANA will depart Tauranga at 10:00 am on Monday 30 March and return home to the Devonport Naval Base to commence preparations for her next deployment.

Early April 2009 will see TE MANA, in company with tanker HMNZS ENDEAVOUR, depart for China and South East Asia. The aim of the deployment is to build on the emergent relationship with China and reinforce the NZDF commitment to the South East Asian region through participation in regional exercise activity under the Five Power Defence Arrangement and other regional bilateral and multi-lateral defence agreements.

TE MANA and ENDEAVOUR will also participate in a Chinese Fleet Naval Review in Quingdao in late April.

Particulars

HMNZS TE MANA – F111
Homeport - Tauranga
Commanding Officer – Commander Blair Gerritsen (Nelson)
Executive Officer – Lieutenant Commander Jon Beadsmoore (Warkworth)
Complement – 173 Officers and Sailors