Sailors from Royal Australian Navy's HMAS Sydney and Royal New Zealand Navy's HMNZS Te Mana conducted a cross-deck exercise in the South Pacific Ocean during the transit to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Sydney and HMNZ Ships Aotearoa and Te Mana are sailing in company as an Anzac Task Group to Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC).
Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) Able Seaman Charlotte Brown, from Blenheim in New Zealand, said she enjoyed meeting the Aussie crew and comparing notes on how they work.
"Sydney is a very modern ship. It was interesting to tour the ship and meet the crew," Able Seaman Brown said.
RNZN seamanship combat specialist Able Seaman Brooke Teklenburg, from Coromandel, said it was a worthwhile experience comparing and contrasting work spaces and routines.
"Most things are similar. Little things like names and titles are a little different. I would be called a boatswain's mate in the Australian Navy," she said.
"The people were lovely and the food at lunch was great. We had the fish - barramundi."
Lieutenant Commander Corline Theron said Te Mana's crew was looking forward to taking part in a Five Eyes EW Exercise at RIMPAC, live weapon firings and continuing to practise interoperability with key partners.
Executive Officer Sydney Lieutenant Commander Matthew Stobo said it was an excellent opportunity to be sailing in company with Aotearoa and Te Mana to Hawaii for Exercise RIMPAC.
"Cross-decks are a fantastic opportunity to practise our small-boat drills and compare how our partner nations conduct business at sea, contributing to and improving our interoperability in the maritime domain," Lieutenant Commander Stobo said.
