This was our first tour with AHQ and not sure what to expect. My husband and I arrived at the appointed place and time somewhat damp as it rained all the way from our overnight stay in a Macleay Street Hotel. We didn’t want to chance delays on either the M1 or rail network. (or get up at 0400)

After meeting the AHQ group at check in and identities verified and passes issued we followed SBLT SJ and our tour guides through to the ship. Our group consisted of 7 sewers and 3 partners.

Our first impression was…. WOW it’s big. We boarded the ship without mishap and were ushered to a lounge area where morning tea had been set up and we had the opportunity to speak briefly to some of our tour guides.

Commander McPherson welcomed us in person. It was immediately obvious how proud he is of his ship and its family (crew) and by extension their families which included supporters such as ourselves. He went on to say how much they appreciated the support AHQ extends to all ADF personnel, and presented Bel with a cheque, and flowers, moneys collected from the crew to help support us in a small way.

Before we left for our tour of the ship I had the honour and privilege of personally presenting SJ with the laundry bag I had made in appreciation for his service and all the work he had done in organising the tour for us.

The tour began with the attendees being divided into two groups. We then followed our respective leaders, in turn followed by other crew members to answer our questions and make sure we didn’t become lost. We passed through many confusing passageways including this one.

One hopes they were joking?Two crew members part of our escort group were only new to the ship and confessed to having been lost on more than one occasion. They pointed out small plaques attached to the walls which indicate one’s precise location on the ship. The only problem was you needed to know how to dissect the code- a series of numbers indicating level, forward or aft etc, etc.

We were shown crew quarters (cabins) which come in 6, 4, or 2 bunks depending on rank or seniority. The ‘big brass’ are in single bed quarters. The cabins could hardly be described as spacious, but compared to days of old (very old) are luxurious when crew would sleep swinging in a hammock. Luckily these days bathroom facilities are included in the cabins.

One 6 berth, complete with one of our quilts, note the ladder to access the top bunk.

Crew can enjoy some down time in designated lounge areas, including TV.

Another cabin 4 berth, again Quilts and LB’s proudly on display

Standard issue laundry bag – BORING and very impersonal, no wonder everyone wants something a bit more substantial and colourful.

Boot rack – I just had to take a photo – how many times did you tell your kids to put their shoes away????

Next stop was the Galley-almost as important as the engine room.

I’ll bet this fellow on potato duty is glad he has a tumbling machine to peel all those spuds, somehow, I doubt the old knife or potato peeler would make the grade these days.The smell from the galley certainly made my taste buds stand up to take notice. One young lady setting up hamburger buns for lunch could teach those kids at Maccas a thing or two about prep work. Chef says they also cater for vegetarians and other dietary needs as required.

We saw the walk-in refrigeration & freezers, ovens, and what looked like giant pressure cookers, deep fryers (can’t have fish without the chips) I can’t imagine having to decide on menus weeks/months ahead of time let alone how much of everything to order and then store.

The Officers’ Mess Dining Room.

Padded walls? – Curious- No not padded cells, although I think my husband would like to have one of those here at home for when he wants to listen to HIS music uninterrupted. The reasons were…. 1- to help prevent injury in rough seas, 2- Fire retardant, 3- insulation, not necessarily in that order.

All hand on deck- so to speak- the rain had eased off enough to let us up on deck. A big change in temperature, our deck guide says he loves being on deck and with the view on display today I don’t blame him even if it isn’t it’s usually sparkly self-see photo # 21

Note, no skiing, skateboarding or diving from the ski ramp. Designed for jet aeroplane take off. The aeroplanes are kept at a land base when the ship is in dock.

Sydney Skyline

On deck tour

Helicopter lift- 6 will fit on deck, not a lot of room for error- these guys really know their business.

Safety Net- Watch your step. The message one hears on UK train stations comes to memory (Mind the Gap) There is not much of a barrier between the deck and the briny if you lose your footing. The wearing of a harness attached to the deck is obligatory for deck hands, especially when the turbulence of a chopper’s blades is strong enough to blow a person off their feet!

Back below deck and to our starting point to collect our gear, by this time the elves had unpacked all the Laundry Bags we had brought for distribution

Some of the 152 Laundry Bags on display. These were claimed by those who had put in a request for one. They could choose one to their liking and then sign off that it had been collected. A few we spoke to said they had missed out this time but would be sure to get in early next time the opportunity arose.

Some had already collected their bags and were eager to show them off.

One of these young men was very excited about his new bag and was eager to explain why he had chosen that particular bag. He then proudly showed me a photo of a beautiful rug his partner was crocheting for him. I said – “WOW you’re a lucky fellow” and he replied “Yes I sure am” the look on his face said it all.As our tour progressed I can’t tell you how many times we passed crew members who all were very courteous and thanked us for the time and effort we put into the sewing we do for them.

Here is another comment made by a crew member… “It’s kind of understood that our family and friends support us, but when people like you who don’t know us and may never meet us, go to so much trouble to make these things for us really blows me away!” You know that feeling when your heart swells so much it makes your eyes leak.

Usually when I make a LB or Quilt, I try to add some gum leaves, the reason is that during WW1 care packages from home to Australian troops often included eucalyptus leaves to remind the boys of home and family. I read that returning troops could smell the eucalyptus miles from shore. SJ confirmed this as true saying… “Yes you always know when you’re getting close to home -the smell is unmistakable”.

One thing that struck me was the constant noise, the hum of air conditioning, the sound of people constantly on the move, the murmur of voices. One can only imagine that once at sea the noise level will increase with the added sounds of the engines and of life in general.

The mind boggles at the amount of metal, cabling, electronics, mechanics and all that other stuff we didn’t see. But the heart, well that’s the people who make up her crew and turns all that stuff into a ship.

What a wonderful experience we have been afforded.

Thank You HMAS Canberra and AHQ

Bennie & Ken