An Australian Navy ship is returning to her birthplace, sailing into Victorian waters in a homecoming that reunites a crew with family and friends.
HMAS Arunta is making her first visit to her home state in 10 years, sailing into Port Phillip Bay on Friday, 26 years since she was commissioned along the coast in the Williamstown shipyards.
A workhorse of the Australian Navy, Arunta is the second of eight Anzac Class frigates capable of air defence, surface and undersea warfare, surveillance, reconnaissance and on-water policing.
The vessel is fitted with air and surface radars and multi-directional sonars that can counter threats from aircraft, surface vessels and submarines.
Her visit marks an unusual event, as the ship's home port is at Fleet Base East in Sydney, but it's a sweet homecoming for some of the ship's sailors who have been at sea undergoing intense training.
Telecommunications supervisor Madison Price has been with the Navy for nine years and this is the first time she's returned to her home port.
The Geelong-native is responsible for all communications to and from from the ship.
"It's a ship-stopper," she said.
"You can't go anywhere without it, so it's heavily relied upon by the ship."
The sailor is excited to see her parents, sister and two nephews and show them the ship she spends long periods of time on.
For philosophy graduate Gus Coleman, a logistics officer who moonlights as a helicopter control officer and a boarding officer, the diverse nature of the role presents challenges and rewards that offers meaning in a way many jobs don't.
Hailing from Beaumaris, he ensures every sailor has enough chicken nuggets, the ship has enough fuel, works as an accountant one day and is helping the ship's medics the next.
In his side gigs, he lands helicopters on the frigate in rough seas, likening it to parallel parking in pouring rain and commanding ship boarding teams that bust drug smuggling.
"They underwrite my cost of living and pay for me to travel the world and through basic training, they provide you ways to know parts of yourself and meet parts of yourself that you otherwise necessarily wouldn't," Mr Coleman said.
Onboard medic Tegan Williams, who comes from the northern Victorian town of Echuca, has been in the navy for four-and-a-half years and is excited to have her first port visit home.
She and two other medics provide care to the ship's 170 crew after going through gruelling training following moving away from home at a young age.
"I like that I go to work each day with all of my friends. It does make it tricky when your patient is your friend, but I really enjoy this job," she said.
The ship and crew will dock in Victoria for three days for some much-needed rest before returning to sea to continue training.
