The Royal New Zealand Navy's HMNZS Resolution is making its final voyage on Tuesday after 14 years of service.
The vessel is returning from Gisborne to the Devonport naval base in Auckland in preparation for decommissioning on Friday.
During her service, Resolution travelled more than 300,000 nautical miles and visited 40 ports in 12 countries.
Commanding officer Lieutenant Commander Matt Wray says the ship has made a significant contribution to New Zealand.
This included a survey of Lyttleton Harbour following the February earthquake in Canterbury in 2011 and the recent search for the Easy Rider fishing vessel.
