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For the first time since the delivery of ASRV Nuyina an official visit to Australia could take place. The country recently opened its borders to European visitors and Commercial Director Roland Briene visited the head office of the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) in Hobart, Tasmania. Here he presented a photograph of the Nuyina off the coast of Zeeland to AAD Director Kim Ellis, General Manager Assets and Infrastructure Rob Bryson and Project Manager Nick Browne.
“For the past two years we were unable to go to Australia, but at the beginning of May we were finally able to visit the end customer the AAD in Hobart,” says Roland. “There have been lots of great photos of the Nuyina, but when I saw this photo, I loved it. You have the character of the Nuyina with that heavy bow combined with something so typical of Walcheren: the wooden groynes on the beach.”
Representatives of Serco were presented with the Zeeland photo at the Indo-Pacific Fair in Sydney. From left to right: Serco Group CEO Rupert Soames, Serco Managing Director Defence Clint Thomas, Roland Briene and Serco CEO Asia Pacific Peter Welling.
A day after the visit, the Indo-Pacific fair in Sydney started and there was a visit to Serco Asia Pacific, the main contractor of the project. Serco is the party responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Nuyina. Roland: “We also handed over the photo to them and told them the story behind it. The photo will be given a nice spot at their head office in Sydney.”
The photo was taken by Electrical & Automation Engineer Pieter de Korte, who was involved in the design and commissioning of the bridge, radio communication equipment, IT network and other technical systems on board. On 8 March 2021, the icebreaker was on its way back to Vlissingen after maintenance work in Schiedam. “Together with two other Damen Naval colleagues, I went to the beach at Dishoek to see the ship sail past,” Pieter recalls.
"It’s a nice combination to capture these two things in one photo: the ice breaker next to the wave breaker.” Pieter de Korte
“I often come to the beach to photograph portraits, ships and sunsets; or just to enjoy the place. At one point, the ship came ‘around the corner’ at Westkapelle. It was a beautiful sight to see the ship that we had been working on for a long time arrive. Because the ship approached at high speed, I had to take up position quickly. After a few beautiful shots, I had to run to be able to take the photo with the groynes.”
The groynes are typical of Zeeland and have the important function of breakwaters to prevent erosion of the beach by wave action, explains Pieter. “I thought it was a nice link to the bow of the Nuyina, which is designed to break ice. It’s a nice combination to capture these two things in one photo: the ice breaker next to the wave breaker.”