Royal Navy officer lauds teamwork in NZDF exercise in Cook Islands

HMNZS Matataua have been recently deployed to Penrhyn in the northern Cook Islands as part of Exercise Tropic Twilight.

Tropic Twilight is an annual New Zealand Defence Force-led, New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade funded Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief series of activities conducted in the South-West Pacific. 

This year more than 50 personnel have deployed to Penrhyn, almost 1400kms north of Rarotonga. 

Hydrographic team tasks have included carrying out survey work in the lagoon to improve understanding of the local maritime environment. Their work supports safer navigation and contributes to a clearer picture of the waters surrounding the island.

For Lieutenant Leslie, the experience has also provided an opportunity to work closely with the RNZN in a different operating environment and to contribute as part of a wider multinational team.

He said the isolation of Penrhyn has required personnel to adapt, but support from the local community had made a significant difference.

“It’s a fairly remote operating environment, but we’ve been able to do a lot of things with the help we’ve had from the local population here.”

One of the most memorable parts of the exercise was experiencing the local community beyond the work itself.

“I think going to church and experiencing how the community live their lives, and the warmth and appreciation they’ve shown to us as guests on this island, has been very memorable.”

Lieutenant Leslie said Tropic Twilight demonstrated the value of bringing people from different backgrounds and services together in support of shared goals.

“Coming together as a team and coming up with different ways to manage those challenges has always been good.”