A 25 member crew of the HMNZS Hawea were officially farewelled by the Fiji Navy on September, 1 2017 at the Republic of Fiji Naval base in Walu bay, Suva.

The outgoing crew had completed the first rotation for Operation Wasawasa that lasted four months,

During his address, Deputy Commander Brigadier-General Mohammed Aziz said the outgoing crew members had forged a solid bond with the Fiji Navy.

“You have made our waterways safe; you are no longer visitors to Fiji. This is a temporary parting as you go back home. We hope to see you all in Fiji again,” he said.

“On behalf of the Commander and the people of Fiji, we thank you and your families for letting you assist us and we wish you a safe journey.”

The outgoing crew departed for New Zealand yesterday and the 28 incoming crew that had initially arrived in the country last Thursday will be in the Fiji until November.

Throughout the first rotation of Operation Wasawasa , crew of the HMNZS Hawea have boarded over 370 vessels in over eight patrols alongside Fijian counterparts; The Republic of Fiji Navy, Ministry of Fisheries and the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service

Outgoing HMNZS Hawea Commander, Lieutenant Dave Luhrs said the mutual training and camaraderie between the HMNZS crew and the Fijian Navy was a testament of the hard work of both parties.

“It is with great pride and excitement that we hand over an excellent ship to the oncoming crew of Hawea and I am confident that we leave Hawea in great hands,” he said.

“For us it has been an immense challenge to achieve what we have this year. Our deployment has seen us grow and bond as a team. It has placed us outside our comfort zones on a number of occasions.”

Outgoing officer Michael Wise said the crew appreciated the Fijian hospitality.

“It’s been a fantastic four months for us here to feel at home in a country where most of us have not been before,” he said.

“The incoming team have been through the same training that we have and we’ve left some good contacts with the Fiji organisations and I think that they will do an absolutely fantastic job and carry on what we have been doing.”

Edited by Mohammed Ali

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