Whakatāne sailor home for Christmas after eight-month deployment
A Whakatāne sailor is returning home in time for Christmas, after eight months at sea on Royal New Zealand Navy ship HMNZS Aotearoa.
12 December, 2025
Officer of the Watch Lieutenant Hannah Van der Horst, 26, arrived back at Auckland’s Devonport Naval Base, on board the maritime replenishment vessel on Friday.
It marked the conclusion of a demanding operational year for the Navy’s maritime replenishment vessel and its 80-strong ship’s company, who have been deployed since late March.
The ship spent 307 days away from home and sailed more than 31,000 nautical miles as it conducted exercises and operations.
HMNZS Aotearoa and its 80-strong ship’s company were welcomed back to Auckland’s Devonport Naval Base after a lengthy deployment.
Lieutenant Van der Horst, who posted to HMNZS Aotearoa in June 2024, says it’s been an amazing year onboard the fifth ship she has served on since joining the Navy in 2020.
“Going down to Antarctica at the beginning of 2025 was really cool, getting up close and personal with some icebergs and seeing penguins and seals,” she said.
“I got to visit McMurdo Station and Scott Base. The 24-hour daylight took a bit of getting used to as a watchkeeper.”
This year, HMNZS Aotearoa completed a three-month Indo-Pacific deployment which included defence engagements and exercises with key countries and partners, including port visits to Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam.
The vessel also carried out enforcement of United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korea, undertaking surveillance and deterrence activities in the international waters of the East China and Yellow Seas during November.
A Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft overflies HMNZS Aotearoa during surveillance and deterrence activities.
The ship was shadowed at different points in time by seven different People’s Liberation Army (Navy) warships from a distance.
Lieutenant Van der Horst joined the Navy because she “caught the travel bug”.
“Before joining I went on exchange and lived in France for a year, travelling all over.
“I wanted something a bit different than being behind a desk all day. I didn’t know exactly what trade I wanted in the Navy but there being such a variety of options was part of the appeal.”
Her latest deployment had plenty of variety but also some challenges, particularly when operating with foreign ships whose crew’s first language isn’t English.
“Being away from home for such a long time on deployment can be a bit difficult sometimes, but international travel and coming alongside new and exciting ports more than make up for it.”