Amy Adams MP

SUNDAY 9 MAY -

Well, its Sunday evening and I'm firmly ensconced in the Royal New Zealand naval base in Devonport ready to begin my placement week as the guinea pig for the new NZDF Parliamentarian scheme.

I'm staying in the Philomel Wardroom while on base which gives me not only the opportunity to be on base 24/7 but also allows me to mix and mingle with a variety of naval personnel.  From our brief drive through the base tonight I'm already I'm very much aware that there is a whole world going on behind base gates that us ordinary civilians never really stop to think much about. Boy have I got a lot to learn this week, which is, after all, the whole idea.

Early start for me tomorrow - up dressed and ready to go by 7 then off to be kitted out in naval uniform. Am hoping that will help me blend in but the reality is that despite the dress, my total lack of defence force background is bound to mark me pretty clearly as an outsider. Luckily everyone so far seems very willing show me the ropes for which I'm very grateful.

Big day tomorrow - can't wait to get into it. 

MONDAY 10 MAY - day one

What a day.

One of the first things you realize on base is that they speak a different dialect in the Navy, thick with acronyms and expressions totally foreign to me which immediately explains the need for an escort officer, whose job is clearly to interpret as well as keep me to time and answer all my dumb questions. Luckily I have an excellent escort in LT (Lieutenant) Wallace who appears, so far, to have endless patience and a very easy manner.

So after getting kitted out in GWD (general working dress) we were off to TTMM (Te Taua Moana Marae) for a moving powhiri and then to off to meet the CO of the FPTO (commanding officer of the Fleet Personnel Training office....  you get the idea).

As the Navy stands or falls on the calibre of its people, much of the morning was focused on the obtain, train & retain section of Navy which led into a fascinating look into the wonders of simulation training.

I am honestly astounded at how advanced and realistic the various simulators were (bridge, warfare systems and engineering).  I'm not too proud in fact to admit to getting quite queasy when the 240 degrees bridge simulation controllers threw in some rough weather. They assure me the floor didn't move but convincing my mind (and stomach) of that was a different matter entirely.  Heaven help me when I get to a real ship!

Later on we took a RHIB (still don't know what that stands for but think big inflatable jet boat) across the harbour to Kauri Point which acts as the munitions store and armoury for the Navy.  Kind of mind-blowing to see all that fire power on one place. Despite my initial qualms they clearly have excellent safety protocols in place so rest easy Aucklanders.

First order of business tomorrow is the fitness test and I've warned all that I don't take well to being laughed at so we'll see how that goes ... I'm realistic about my fitness (or lack of) I just don't want to embarrass myself. Fingers crossed.

TUESDAY 11 MAY - day two

The Mt Everest item of business for today was always going to be sitting the multi stage fitness test which has been on my mind since the programme was first designed. This test has to be completed by all naval personnel every 6 months to stay qualified for promotion or deployment to sea. Avoiding embarrassment was, however, my chief focus. 

Unlike fitness tests in the other services, the naval test makes no allowance for age or gender so everyone has to reach level 7.1 in the dreaded "beep" test and then complete 10 proper press-ups (no girlie ones allowed here). Despite a shocking nights sleep and having tweaked my back somehow yesterday, I'm delighted to say I passed. The reputation of MPs everywhere is preserved for another day. To be fair, press up #10 wasn't the prettiest thing you've ever seen and I was heaving like a cart horse after the run but a pass is a pass - hooray! Definitely a case of sheer bloody mindedness winning out over a lack of actual fitness. 

Having been safely certified as fit to go to sea I heaved a huge sigh of relief and headed off to see the spectacular feat of engineering which is the new fuel installation built inside the Devonport hills. The amount of fuel consumed across the fleet every year is mind blowing and the on site storage facility will provide much better self reliance & internal control than before AND I got to see it before Minister Mapp does the official ribbon cutting. 

After a briefing on fleet support operations, I toured HMNZS Te Mana while she was in dry-dock having some major R&M done. As one of our 2 warships, she is an impressive sight and speaking with her commander and some of the ship's company, its clear our ANZAC class frigates Te Mana and Te Kaha have been fundamental to our international operations. 

Afternoon was navy band, the new museum project and naval reserve & cadet forces all of which were impressive, particularly in what they achieve with the resources available. I could easily have spent more time at any of them. 

One thing's for sure, if I don't get more sleep tonight than last night, tomorrow's drowning simulation might be closer to real than anyone had planned but hey, I'm officially naval fit so bring it on. 

WEDNESDAY 12 MAY - day three 

I used to think I had a pretty fast paced, varied and unusual job until I came here. I guess I do compared to lots of jobs, but you know that TV ad that invites you to "get better work stories?” That could have been written for the Navy. 

"What did you do today dear?" "Oh well, just extinguished 4 or 5 gas and diesel fires, donned emergency escape breathing gear and made my way up and through a ship's hull in total darkness to locate and extinguish a few more fires. Then after lunch blocked off a couple of holes in the hull in the midst of a storm in waist deep water while more water was gushing in. You know, just the usual." 

In this case however all in purpose built training facilities and very well supervised of course but I can promise you the fires, smoke and floods are real - very real. 

All week here people have been asking me if I was doing the damage control training with that look on their faces that leaves you not sure if you should be excited or terrified. Truth is, during the day today I have been both, several times over. 

There is simply no substitute for doing the real thing when it comes to learning and when you think about the, literally, life or death consequences for these guys of not knowing what to do in emergencies, you start to respect defence personnel in a whole new way. Hundreds of miles at sea if there is a fire, the hull is breached or a crucial bit of equipment breaks, you can't rely on anyone but you & your team to sort it and their skills and commitment are incredibly impressive. 

As an aside, I wonder how many of you are like me and have fire extinguishers and fire blankets at home but wouldn't really know the first thing about how and when to use them. Well I'm still no expert, but now I've been shown how to use C02, AFFF and dry powder extinguishers, and I've done it on real fires of different types. I've used a fire blanket to smother a cooking fire too. It's a good feeling to know I can. 

Later in the day I had the chance to visit the naval dive team and the mine counter measures team. Again, not something I'd ever really thought about but mines are a very real threat at sea in many parts of the world. These guys have the job of keeping us safe from that. In addition they have some fantastic capabilities for sea bed mapping and underwater search & rescue. 

Next time someone starts talking about workplace risks though I can guarantee I'll be thinking back to the scale of the risks naval personnel train and prepare for every day. In this organization you learn what you need to do and you follow protocols or there is a very good chance you don't survive. Sobering thought isn't it. 

THURSDAY 13 MAY – day four

Today was all about going to sea. At last! I mean you can't be in the navy and not go to sea, right? 

So having already cleared the fitness test and done at least a small part of what is called the "sea qual." course (that was yesterday's firefighting and leak stopping programme), I was definitely feeling up to the task. 

That however lasted until about 6.30am this morning while we were on route to Tauranga. The plan had been that from Tauranga an RHIB (inflatable) would transport me out to the Inshore Patrol Vessel, the HMNZS Pukaki. However I was then informed that as the seas were so rough in the Bay of Plenty the ship had been forced to come into port herself for the night. Hmmm, a bit worrying me thinks. Worse still, rough seas were expected to continue during the next 24 hours. Not good for your fearless correspondent who is cursed with the weakest of stomachs. 

On arrival though, Tauranga was a picture, sun shining, children playing, a mill pond harbour. Good, I think, weather has clearly improved. I was welcomed aboard, given a quick tour and we were away. 

Within minutes I was asking the medic for sea sickness pills, more in anticipation than anything else, but I can promise you that by the time the pilot vehicle left us I was wondering if there was anything stronger to be had. 

The ships captain Lt McQueen explained that the bridge was the best place to be if I felt a bit dodgy but feeling over confident and keen to be involved in everything I followed the crew down to a briefing below decks - not a good move. Halfway through the briefing I excused myself and returned like a lamb to the bridge. 

Even the promise of the fantastic food the ships' chefs turn out couldn't tempt me to lunch. By then I had taken over the Captain's chair and wasn't keen to move far at all. The wonderfully kind crew took pity on me a bit later and brought me an ice block which, oddly enough, was just the thing. Perked me up no end (maybe the second pill helped too). 

After lunch I watched, deeply impressed from my new-found knowledge base, as the crew carried out full fire drills complete with fake fires and thick, blinding smoke (thanks to a smoke machine). Even more amazing was the speed with which all smoke was able to be cleared from the below decks areas once the 'fire' was out. In seconds you could see well and in a few minutes it was all gone. 

Then out on deck for weaponry practice and yours truly crossed another item off her bucket list by getting to fire a machine gun. Yeeha! Just because it's work for the real sailors doesn't mean I can't enjoy the opportunity. Let's face it, probably won't get another chance. 

Pukaki's real job on this trip though is random fishing vessel inspections and Fisheries Officers are on board for that reason. So once a commercial fisher was spotted, everything started to happen leading to a team being loaded onto one of the RHIBs and lowered via hydraulic arm into the sea. Remember, the sea isn't exactly playing nice and watching the process was daunting enough. I hate to think how it was for those on board. 

The RHIB speeds off, the team board the fishing vessel, all the necessary checks are made and then another hairy mid-air ride to get the whole lot back on Pukaki's decks once more. These guys are slick. 

Am feeling well enough this evening to have scoffed an excellent meal and am now contemplating how best to strap myself into my bunk in an effort to spend more time in bed than on the floor this evening. 

Another exhausting but amazing day in the Navy but tonight while I'm reflecting on all I've seen & done, I'll be sleeping miles off the coast of New Zealand in a warship.