Between the hammer and the anvil!
I've been upto alot of late. I jsut haven't been posting about it. So allow me to make up for my laziness.
A couple of weeks ago I got to visit HMNZS Te Kaha which was open to the public for veiwing. This was my first visit to an ANZAC Meko 200, {Although I have been on the new Canterbury and also the old Wellington}. I got to see all kinds of cool stuff including the hanger, bridge and the control room {we weren't allowed photos in the last}. I got to handle a steyer, M249 and remmington combat shotgun. It was pretty cool despite having to ignore a young sailor who insisted on telling me basic facts able the weapons which I knew when I was 12! The best parts was getting to make the 'CHICK-CHUCK" sound with the shot gun! Thats one of my lifes ambitions roght there! Also, the VLS Cells for the sea-sparrows behind the funnels were an excellent visual demonstration of the concept 'Fitted for, not with' that was so prevalent at the time of construct. Perhaps nowhere else on the ship is it so obvious {except perphaps the bare B postion between the Bridge and the turret} that our MEKOs are much less well armed as their Greek or Turkish equilvalents.
Last weekend i got to go to the opening of the Army Artist's exhibition at Te Manawa. This was pretty cool and I got to listern to a talk by the artist. But the best part was the static displays. I've seen LAVs, Pinzguars and 105mm before but this time the LAV's turret was open to the public! Previous times it has been classified but it seems they had all the gear powered down so I was free to climb all in the commander and gunners seats and, when no one was looking, pretend to fire the guns! I forgot to ask about some of the kit though. I don't know if they have, or have plans to get, blue force trackers or rear view cameras.
We have also now got a house. We have a shit house in a nice part of town. Its not that shit, just not all flash like the houses that surrond it. Its got alot of space and is only about 10 minutes from the parliment buildings and about 15 from teh Trainport. So there will be rocking parties in the future!
A couple of weeks ago I got to visit HMNZS Te Kaha which was open to the public for veiwing. This was my first visit to an ANZAC Meko 200, {Although I have been on the new Canterbury and also the old Wellington}. I got to see all kinds of cool stuff including the hanger, bridge and the control room {we weren't allowed photos in the last}. I got to handle a steyer, M249 and remmington combat shotgun. It was pretty cool despite having to ignore a young sailor who insisted on telling me basic facts able the weapons which I knew when I was 12! The best parts was getting to make the 'CHICK-CHUCK" sound with the shot gun! Thats one of my lifes ambitions roght there! Also, the VLS Cells for the sea-sparrows behind the funnels were an excellent visual demonstration of the concept 'Fitted for, not with' that was so prevalent at the time of construct. Perhaps nowhere else on the ship is it so obvious {except perphaps the bare B postion between the Bridge and the turret} that our MEKOs are much less well armed as their Greek or Turkish equilvalents.
Last weekend i got to go to the opening of the Army Artist's exhibition at Te Manawa. This was pretty cool and I got to listern to a talk by the artist. But the best part was the static displays. I've seen LAVs, Pinzguars and 105mm before but this time the LAV's turret was open to the public! Previous times it has been classified but it seems they had all the gear powered down so I was free to climb all in the commander and gunners seats and, when no one was looking, pretend to fire the guns! I forgot to ask about some of the kit though. I don't know if they have, or have plans to get, blue force trackers or rear view cameras.
We have also now got a house. We have a shit house in a nice part of town. Its not that shit, just not all flash like the houses that surrond it. Its got alot of space and is only about 10 minutes from the parliment buildings and about 15 from teh Trainport. So there will be rocking parties in the future!