Hopes ‘Otago’ crew will be home for Christmas
THE crew of HMNZS Otago hopefully will be back at home in time for Christmas.
The Royal New Zealand Navy vessel is due to leave Dunedin today after docking earlier in the week.
The 71 crew, who have spent the past few months monitoring the chilly seas of the Antarctic, are looking forward to arriving in their next destination — home port Auckland in time for Christmas.
But one member is staying behind.
Able Chef Rianna Palmer, originally of Mosgiel, left her comrades in Dunedin to spend time with her family.
The rest of the crew will celebrate the festive season tonight while on board the HMNZS Otago.
AC Palmer was disappointed to miss the celebrations.
‘‘We’re doing Secret Santa and I won’t get my present,’’ she said.
Cooking on board Otago was a different experience.
It was her first trip to the Antarctic and she did not know what to expect.
‘‘You hear stories.’’ However, she said experiencing it firsthand was better than hearing about it from other people.
‘‘The hardest thing is cooking in the rough seas . . . making sure you don’t lose food,’’ the naval cook said.
Being one of the chefs was also important for keeping those on board happy.
‘‘You’re like the morale of the ship. If the food’s not so good then morale is not so good.’’
Otago commanding officer Lieutenantcommander Lorna Gray said she was excited about returning home for Christmas.
‘‘My mum’s a really good cook. I’m quite excited to see what she will create.’’
She also looked forward to the festive feast tonight.
Tinsel and Christmas lights adorned the walls of some of the ship’s interior to make sure everybody felt festive.
If all went to plan, Otago would be back a few days before Christmas.
The ship was in Antarctic waters to ensure vessels there were adhering to international fishing conventions.