NZ Navy revisits Tauranga waters

The HMNZS Canterbury has arrived at the Port of Tauranga. Photo / Zoe Hunter

A second Royal New Zealand Navy ship has docked at the Port of Tauranga in less than a week.

The HMNZS Canterbury cruised into the Tauranga Harbour today and will stay for the weekend before leaving on May 27.

The 9000-tonne military vessel follows the Tauranga arrival of HMNZS Wellington, which arrived on May 17.

Mount Maunganui College students Ella Carlsen, 17, Saffron O'Donnell, 16, and Hayley Thomas, 18, and Tauranga Girls' College student Sarah-Jane Stone, 15, were invited on board this morning.

More than 150 crewmen and women are onboard the HMNZS Canterbury, which is captained by Martin Walker was made Commanding Officer of the ship just three weeks ago.

Walker joined the Royal New Zealand Navy in 1989 as a midshipman and undertook common and professional training at HMNZS Tamaki before posting to sea at the beginning of 1990.

"Tauranga was my first port on the HMNZS Tui," he said.

"It is beautiful. It is awesome to be back again."

Specifications
Displacement: 9000 tonnes
Beam: 23.4 metres
Draught: 5.4 metres
Length: 131 metres
Speed: 20 knots
Range: 6,000+ nautical miles at 18 knots
Complement: 78 (core crew), 10 (flight personnel), 4 (Govt. agencies), 7 (Army ship's staff), 24 (trainees), 243 (embarked force) Total 366
Two medium landing craft (23 metres/60 tonnes)