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SEATIME ON HMNZS CANTERBURY
Were off to see the Canterbury, the wonderful Canterbury of. Well not quite, but that was the bent-up excitement I was feeling as I got out of the car and walked to the entrance of the railway station on a cold Saturday morning to catch a bus. Yes I know what youre thinking, catching a bus at a railway station? But thats what myself and 7 other cadets from T.S. Nimrod and T.S. Waireka along with one young (?) cadet officer Lt. Stephen Perry (that should help with my promotion). After a quick pose for the local paper and compulsory hug for mum we were off on the bus.
We got to Christchurch about 1200 with only a stop in Oamaru and 3 stops for one cadet to empty a part of her stomach onto the side of the road. We were met in Christchurch by CPO Spence in a cadet forces van and were taken to Wigram Airforce Museum for lunch then it was on the road again |  | | |
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By the time we got to Blenhiem there were 4 more small piles of stomach contacts on the verge of the road. At the service station in Blenhiem CPO Spence filled the diesel tank with petrol (*%#@). So we had tea at Mc Donalds. An hour later a couple of nice men from RNZAF Woodbourne came with a van, they got out, we got in and went to Woodbourne. They pumped the tank of the first van and we were off again. When we finally got to the ship about 2300 a lot happened in about half an hour, so briefly. We got out, went up, got on, climbed down, sat down, stood up, got gear, got bed, got in, sleep!
Our first day on board, or should I say our first morning because we left the ship and it was off to T.S. Talisman to drop off some boxes for chief Spence. We were looking around their drill hall trying to figure out what the flags dangling from the beams of the hall. Back to the ship for Lunch and then to the T.S. Talisman boatshed to rig a crown. But in my true style I try to get out of doing anything like work for |
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the first of many times on this trip. My height played against me and I found myself in the middle of it. After getting back to the ship we said hello to two cadets from T.S. Cornwell and goodbye to CPO Spence.
With Nelson fading into the distance our four day trip began, bringing with it seasickness and menial tasks which show the true life at sea. We were doing exercises in the Marlbourgh sounds/ Cook Strait area, anchoring for a night in Wellington. With Fridays dawn we realised we can see Tairoa heads. We berthed in Dunedin at about 1000 and got off the ship, after an interview with another local paper. After saying goodbye to all my new made friends on and off the ship, its into the car and off home to bed.
P S I had sea legs for the next few days, great fun.
By cadet Mc Felin
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