Canterbury Belle's final tour

HMNZS Canterbury in Akaroa Harbour this week during the farewell tour of her home province. Picture / Simon Baker

"She's temperamental. Like an old car on a winter's day, she can take a while to get going. Then you don't know what might break down."

Peter Kempster, commanding officer of New Zealand's longest serving frigate, HMNZS Canterbury, is realistic about his ship's abilities.

And on her final trip around the province that gave her a name, the "Canterbury Belle" was acting true to form.

In the space of a few minutes yesterday, Commander Kempster got two calls from his officers. A pin had popped out of a navigational instrument and the lights had all gone out in the boiler room.

Several miles out to sea off Banks Peninsula, the Canterbury ground to a halt so the problems could be fixed.

"But it's no biggie. Ten minutes and we'll be back on course. It's the beauty of being on the training ship - everyone knows how to fix everything anyway."

Since being commissioned into the Royal New Zealand Navy, the Canterbury has played an important role serving her country. She was christened by Princess Anne, in Glasgow in 1970 and arrived in Auckland in July 1972.

She has served in war zones - most recently in East Timor - but never went to war on behalf of New Zealand.

She will be decommissioned in Auckland in two weeks but her future is still undecided. Commander Kempster says the options are to sell her for scrap metal or sink her as a diving attraction. She will go up for tender.

Working on the Canterbury during her final "tour of duty" has been emotional for some crew, mainly because their own futures are uncertain.

Able electronics technician John Laughton will go to "a place they call Resource where I suspect I'll need to buy an Xbox".

He and many crewmates will spend the next few months working at the Devonport base until a new place can be found for them.

A handful of people turned out at Lyttelton Harbour last night to watch the Canterbury arrive at the port for the last time.

Justine Hair was waiting for her partner Dwayne Williams, whom she hadn't seen for several weeks. He was the one with the biggest surprise, however, getting down on bended knee to propose to her on the wharf. She said yes "of course. How could I refuse"?

The Canterbury will leave Lyttelton on Monday to return to Auckland.