June 09 - HMNZS CANTERBURY completes humanitarian mission on Pukapuka
HMNZS CANTERBURY, with 60 extra personnel embarked, arrived in Pukapuka in the northern Cook Islands on 2 June, to commence Exercise TROPIC TWILIGHT. The aim of the exercise was to test the NZDF's ability to provide aid in the event of a natural disaster in the Pacific. The exercise involved our Navy, Army and Air Force working together to deliver people and equipment in support of a NZAID-led humanitarian mission.
Image top right: HMNZS Canterbury participating in Exercise Tropic Twilight 09, the disaster relief operation.
CANTERBURY, under the command of CDR Jim Gilmour, arrived in Samoa’s capital Apia on 29 May. There, our amphibious support ship embarked Health and Engineering teams from the NZ Army, together with civilian medical and dental personnel, who had flown up by RNZAF B757. While alongside in Apia, Canterbury’s ship’s company and deployed soldiers joined Samoa’s Independence Day celebrations on 1 June by marching in the street parade.
CANTERBURY sailed from Apia on 1 June (after the Parade) and at 1000 the following morning, with the islands of Pukapuka only 30 nm away, the ship launched one of the two embarked Seasprite helicopters for a recce of the intended landing sites and to deliver the first personnel, four Cook Island officials including the local MP and Ministry of Health personnel, ashore. Pukapuka is surrounded by a reef, and the sea passage that exists is difficult to negotiate - the only landing place is reached by narrow passages through the reef on the western side of Motu Wale.
On first landing the Seasprite was enthusiastically greeted by a large number of local children, excited to see a helicopter land so close to their school. With the recce complete, the Seasprite returned to CANTERBURY with Cook Island customs and health inspectors, who were required to conduct the clearances to land NZ personnel from the ship. With clearances granted, the remaining Cook Island officials, NZ Army medical staff, Commander Amphibious Task Force (CDR Gilmour) and Commander Land Forces, (MAJ Paul Hayward, NZ Army) were transported via helicopter to Motu Wale, the main island of Pukapuka. (The southern island is Motu Ko.)
A welcoming ceremony was conducted by the people of Pukapuka - a colourful display of dancing and singing prior to the party being treated to some traditional island food. On completion of the ceremony it was down to business, starting with the mammoth task of transporting the embarked land force and equipment from ship to shore.
The two Seasprites flew continuously over the next 4½ hours between the ship and Motu Wale landing 40 medical and engineering personnel, three water tanks, numerous pallets of cargo, a generator, medical stores and a dental chair. The shallow reef and swift currents surrounding the island prevent supplies being landed by boat so this deployment was the first time that two helicopters had been embarked operationally in CANTERBURY.
Image above: CDR Gilmour is welcomed to the Cook Islands by local Pukapuka children during Exercise Tropic Twilight.
On completion of the initial tasking, MAJ Paul Hayward assumed control of the land mission ashore, organising the accommodation of the medical, dental and engineering personnel, food, water and equipment and ensuring communications back to the ship were well established. For the subsequent 12 days that the Defence Force team were on Pukapuka, the Regular and Territorial Force soldiers delivered health and engineering services to the island's residents.
The personnel of the Ship’s Amphibious Load Team worked tirelessly with the riggers ashore to ensure the correct loads made it to the flight deck for each sortie, then were quickly cleared from the landing zone on Pukapuka. 
The main task for Canterbury over the remainder of the NZAID mission to Pukapuka was to support the personnel ashore including a daily resupply of food and fresh water. Canterbury hosted 15 leaders from the island of Pukapuka for a ship tour on 11 June. CDR Jim Gilmour said “It was an opportunity for the local leaders to get an appreciation of CANTERBURY’s contribution to the humanitarian mission as previously they had only been able to witness the activities on the ground.
"All of our guests very much enjoyed their visit which concluded with lunch shared with members of my Ship’s Company before being returned to the island via Seasprite helicopter early in the afternoon.”
Image above right: Medic PTE Woodman doing a medical check on a local child during Exercise Tropic Twilight.
"Exercise Tropic Twilight is an excellent example of the three Services working together to support each other with their range of capabilities, while assisting other Government agencies and one of our neighbouring Pacific nations.
The practical skills gained throughout this exercise will be useful in a disaster relief scenario, where humanitarian aid will need to be moved and distributed following a regional disaster," said Commander Joint Forces, AVM Peter Stockwell. CANTERBURY returned to Apia on 17 June to disembark personnel, then undertook the passage (and a brief EEZ patrol) back to Auckland, arriving on 23 June.
See Image Gallery for more Tropic Twilight photos