Tuesday, December 3, 2024 – 16:28 – Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand
Flag Portrait of LMT(L) Joe Mataele, T1051577
Royal New Zealand Navy 2024 Sailor of the Year, Joe Mataele. Photo: RNZN.
Joe Mataele, a Leading Marine Technician (LMT) who grew up in Tonga, was named the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) 2024 Sailor of the Year.
LMT Mataele “is a highly respected engineer known for his motivation, problem-solving abilities, and a steadfast commitment to safety and continuous professional growth,” RNZN stated.
He is also a Basic Common Training instructor for RNZN newest aspiring sailors.
“LMT Mataele is an inspiring leader who lays a strong foundation in discipline, accountability, and teamwork, ensuring our recruits are prepared to meet the demands of naval service with confidence and resilience.”
“His guidance goes beyond technical skills, fostering a warrior mind-set and deep understanding of our core values. His professionalism, resilience, and unwavering dedication sets a very high benchmark for others to follow,” RNZN added.
HMNZS Tutira re-fuelling from Bellona in Tasman Sea, 1949
Ordered during World War II, she saw service instead with the Royal Canadian Navy in the Battle of the Atlantic. She was named for Loch Morlich in Scotland. After the war she was returned to the Royal Navy and she was sold to the Royal New Zealand Navy and renamed Tutira. Loch Morlich which was ordered from Swan Hunter on 13 February 1943. She was laid down 15 July 1943 and launched 25 January 1944. Upon completion she was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy and commissioned on 17 July 1944, at Wallsend-on-Tyne https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Loch_Morlich_(K517)
HMNZS Manawanui had been under the command of ex-Royal Navy officer Commander Yvonne Gray (Picture: New Zealand Navy Today)
A former Royal Navy officer who now serves in the Royal New Zealand Navy has been praised for her decision to evacuate everyone aboard the stricken HMNZS Manawanui.
Commander Yvonne Gray gave the order for all hands to abandon ship when it ran aground and caught fire off the coast of Samoa – it then listed heavily and 12 hours later was entirely submerged
Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral Garin Golding, said she made the “right decision” to evacuate the 75 people aboard, which “saved lives”.
He added: “Evacuating a ship at night is an incredibly complex and dangerous task.”
Defence Minister Judith Collins says a Court of Inquiry will establish how the Navy ship crashed into a reef.
She called the evacuation “something of a triumph, frankly”, given the difficult conditions.
The decision of Cdr Gray to abandon ship has been praised as all 75 crew and passengers were rescued (Picture: Samoa Fire and Emergency Services Authority)
Originally from Harrogate in Yorkshire, Cdr Gray took the helm of the RNZN’s dive, hydrographic and salvage vessel HMNZS Manawanui in December 2022.
Her career began in the Royal Navy when she joined in 1993, after spending university holidays at a Sea Cadet facility in the Lake District.
She spent most of her junior career at sea, including on the aircraft carrier HMS Invincible and the minehunters Walney, Bridport and Cromer, after specialising as a Mine Warfare Officer.
After completing the Principal Warfare Officer course in 2004, she joined HMS Westminster as the PWO (Underwater) and Operations Officer, with operational experience in West Africa, Northern Europe and the Gulf.
Cdr Gray said taking command of HMNZS Manawanui in December 2022 ‘was that opportunity that made my eyes light up’ (Picture: Royal New Zealand Navy)
Following a posting to the Maritime Warfare Centre in Portsmouth, she took the opportunity in 2009 to work with the Royal Australian Navy at HMAS Watson, Sydney.
Cdr Gray then moved to New Zealand in 2012 after a campervan holiday where she and her wife fell in love with the country.
Speaking to New Zealand’s Navy Today magazine in 2022, she said: “How do we get to live here, we asked ourselves,” adding: “The most obvious thing was to apply to join the Royal New Zealand Navy.”
On taking command of HMNZS Manawanui, Cdr Gray said: “It was that opportunity that made my eyes light up.”
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ship JS Sazanami sails behind Royal New Zealand Navy ship HMNZS Aotearoa while conducting a Dual-Replenishment at Sea with HMAS Sydney and USS Howard during a Maritime Cooperative Activity in the South China Sea on Sept. 28, 2024. Royal Australian Navy Photo
MANILA, PHILIPPINES — The Philippines held a joint patrol in the South China Sea that included forces from Japan, Australia, the U.S. and New Zealand on Saturday.
The joint patrol was the fourth multilateral maritime cooperative activity held to date. Participants included BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151) , BRP Emilio Jacinto (PS-35) USS Howard (DDG-83), HMAS Sydney (DDG-42) , JS Sazanami (DD-113) and HMNZS Aotearoa (A-11). Naval aviation, including three helicopters and one Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, also joined the exercise. Activities, which included drills in maritime domain awareness, replenishment at sea and contact reporting, were held near the vicinity of the Philippine exclusive economic zone off Luzon.
Executive Officer HMAS Sydney, Lieutenant Commander Simone Macintosh, RAN takes a bearing as the ship approaches Royal New Zealand Navy ship HMNZS Aotearoa to conduct a Replenishment at Sea on Sept. 28, 2024. RAN Photo
“The conduct of the [patrol] manifests the AFP’s dedication to strengthening partnerships and enhancing collective capabilities with like-minded nations to address emerging maritime security challenges,” reads the Philippine military press release.
On the same day of the Philippines’ joint patrol, China announced its own drills around Scarborough Shoal, which Beijing gained de facto control of following a standoff with Manila in 2012.
This joint patrol comes amid the conclusion of a standoff at Sabina Shoal, which saw Philippine Coast Guard flagship BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701) withdraw from the contested maritime feature earlier this month. According to the Philippines, the patrol ship had to depart Sabina due to low supplies, damage from a Chinese ramming incident and bad weather conditions. Despite claims from the Philippine military and Coast Guard that the shoal hasn’t been lost, it is unclear if Manila has managed to get another vessel to maintain the country’s presence at the shoal. AIS data reveals a near constant presence of Chinese forces around and within Sabina.
A brief respite occurred this week when Manila revealed that a resupply mission reached the Marine outpost onboard BRP Sierra Madre (LT-57) at Second Thomas Shoal on Thursday. Philippine forces utilized MV Lapu-Lapu, a civilian boat reinforced against water cannon attacks contracted by the Navy for resupply missions, for the mission. This was the second publicly reported resupply mission since Manila and Beijing hashed out a provisional agreement regarding the resupply and personnel rotation of Philippine forces from the disputed maritime feature following a violent skirmish with Chinese Coastguardmen on June 17.
Intricate knife skills, specialised cooking techniques and refined plating skills were on display at the annual 47th Roy Smith Memorial Trophy Competition last week.
02 October, 2024
Five teams from the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN), New Zealand Army, and teams from the Australian Defence Force competed in the two-day fine dining competition at Devonport Naval Base, which aims to foster catering excellence in the New Zealand Defence Force and across the ditch.
Chefs, or caterers as they are known in the NZ Army, are responsible for delivering nutritious meals whether at home on exercises or away on operations, on ships, or in a tented field kitchen. The competition gives soldiers and sailors an opportunity to learn from each other and strengthen their trade, so they can support personnel to carry out their vital work.
The RNZN team took out the coveted Roy Smith Trophy and Able Chef Jaimee McGahey says she’s ‘over the moon’ to have been part of the winning team.
“I always wanted to be a chef and when I joined the Navy straight from school, I listed chef, chef and chef as my options for what trade I was going to enter,” said the 21-year-old from Papamoa.
“I was most excited about my dessert, which was a blood orange and chocolate bavarois. It was my first time making it so I practised for about a week leading up to the competition. The biggest challenge is you have a clock running in the background which puts the pressure on while you’re competing, but I just thought, it’s just a timer, it’s not like a bomb is going to go off,” she says.
Warrant Officer First Class (WO1) Manu Ferguson, from the Defence Catering School, is the competition controller and says it’s an honour to be part of the historic competition.
“The competition started in 1977, so it’s been a running a long time. I started off in the catering school when I first joined the Army, going from student to now being the chief instructor is an honour and it feels like coming full circle. For me, it’s more than just a cooking competition, it’s a way of life. It teaches our people about team work, work ethic, commitment, and it gives our young soldiers and sailors a chance to be a part of history,” he says.
Each team is made up of two chefs, a front of house steward, a coach and a manager. Over the two days, the front of house is tested on stewarding, serving, setting tables, making cocktails and mocktails and the communication skills between themselves and the chefs.
“There’s one round that focuses on kitchen work, including health and safety around food preparation, team work in the kitchen and the serving of plated up meals. The competition culminates with an eight-course meal, blind-judged by the Defence Force Catering School instructors and also served to diners,” WO1 Ferguson said.
Able Seaman Maritime Logistics Support Operator Harley Seckold, Personal Staff to the Australian Governor-General says he had a positive experience taking part in the competition.
“This is the second time that an ADF tri-service team has participated but it’s my first time in New Zealand and participating in the competition. It’s been great, working with foreign military teams, seeing how everyone does things, having fun, building camaraderie and international naval relations. It’s good watching how the RNZN teams work and bringing any pointers from the winning back to Australia so we can be stronger competitors next year.”
Warrant Officer Ferguson said working with our Anzac partners across the Tasman was vital for international engagement.
“We work with them in operations and field exercise, both land and sea and this is another way we can enhance our relationship,” he said.
Lance Corporal Storm Van Zyl from 2nd Combat Service Support Battalion (2CSSB) at Linton Military Camp competed as a chef in last year’s winning team and this year she’s trying her hand at front of house.
“It’s great seeing everyone’s ideas and learning how other people work. It’s really cool working with Australia as well. I competed at an Australia Defence catering competition called Exercise Golden Plate competition last year in Brisbane. It was a competition based in the field rather than fine dining; more like adventure dining, shooting, going on big walks and then cooking, but it was great learning. This year I’m more nervous about serving coffee in front of house in case it spills over anyone.”
The following teams participated in the 2024 competition:
Royal New Zealand Navy team
2nd Combat Service Support Battalion, New Zealand Army, Linton Military Camp
3rd Combat Service Support Battalion, New Zealand Army, Burnham Military Camp
Australian Army 17th Sustainment Brigade team
Australian Defence Force Combined team
The category winners for 2024:
1st year Chef – Private Taygon Jean-Louise
2nd Year Chef – Lance Corporal Emily Chamberlin
Quizzene Cup – RNZN
Murray Ross – 2CSSB
Harvey Bourne – 17th Sustainment Brigade – Australian Army
Dave Murray – Leading Hospitality Specialist Andre’a Falchi
Fretwell Downing – RNZN
Roy Smith – RNZN
Te Ope Katua O Aotearoa – 17th Sustainment Brigade – Australian Army
