A life less ordinary lived in Navy

Nineteen-year-old Tyler (Simmy) Simeon has travelled far, literally and figuratively, since she was a student at Kaitaia College.

Among the teenager's most memorable moments (so far) in her career in the Royal New Zealand Navy was watching the sun rise over Ho Chi Minh City from the deck of HMNZS Te Mana on Anzac Day. Not that it was her first foreign spectacle.

Ordinary communications operator (OCO) Simeon has only been in the Navy for 10 months, but has already been to nine countries, including Vietnam.

"I love travelling the world, and being able to visit parts of the world that I never imagined possible," she said.

"There are so many opportunities, and a great life to be experienced, if you join the Navy."

OCO Simeon joined the Navy in June last year. After finishing her able communications course she was posted to HMNZS Te Mana, and is now on a four-month deployment to South and North-East Asia.

Her role includes communicating between ships using voice, flags and morse code, and dealing with messages from other ships and Devonport Naval Base.

In her spare time she enjoys waka ama, swimming, gym work, netball and kapa haka, having developed the art of juggling those interests around her work commitments ashore, or when deployed on Te Mana.

She also participates in the Maori cultural group on board, and enjoys performing when the opportunity arises.

She acknowledges that family connections made her feel at home, whether at sea or alongside.

"Since May 2012 I have lived with my aunty, who is a medic in the Navy and has served 11 years. I find it awesome living with her because she has a lot of experience and knowledge," she said.

"I get lots of satisfaction from being in the Navy. I have made some good friends, I travel, I am getting good qualifications and have a stable career. I am able to work in many different environments, and overall I am having a life less ordinary."