HMAS Toowoomba Visits Amazing Aqaba, Jordan
19 October 2009
To be the first RAN ship to berth in Aqaba, Jordan, in more than 15 years was an amazing experience and a deployment highlight for the Ship's Company of HMAS Toowoomba (CMDR Ivan Ingham).
As the location for a six-day port visit for rest and relaxation, Aqaba was the gateway to visit spectacular scenery, ancient wonders and a fascinating culture in a very hospitable country.
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is home to approximately 6.3 million people. Geographically, the nation lies in the centre of the Levant, an area of great interest and significant strategic importance. This is because Jordan shares its borders with Syria in the North, Iraq to the North East, Saudi Arabia to the South East, the Gulf of Aqaba in the Red Sea to the South West, and Israel and the West Bank to the West.
In the Gulf of Aqaba, just 12 nautical miles separates the coasts of Egypt and Israel to the West and Saudi Arabia and Jordan in the East. This was the backdrop as HMAS Toowoomba berthed at the Royal Jordanian Naval Base, Aqaba. The impressive scenery comprises towering escarpments and a rugged coastline with beautiful sandy beaches and crystal clear blue seas. The climate is perfect.
Twenty-four hours prior to arriving in Aqaba, HMAS Toowoomba hosted two special guests; Commander Joint Task Force 633 MAJGEN Mark Kelly AO and the Australian Ambassador to Jordan, His Excellency Mr Glenn White. Both arrived by helo and spent a rare night at sea.
For the Australian Ambassador, it was his first visit to a MFU. He and MAJGEN Kelly, enjoyed the opportunity to be hosted for meals in each of the messes. Breakfast in the Junior Sailor's Café was the highlight.
The arrival in Aqaba coincided with HMAS Toowoomba's fourth birthday. Built in Williamstown, VIC and Commissioned on 8 October 2005 in Brisbane, QLD, HMAS Toowoomba has travelled more than 135,000 nautical miles during 12,551 hours underway.
A magnificent birthday cake, prepared by ABCK Thomas Hood was cut by the youngest sailor ABCK Barton, with the Commanding Officer. Toowoomba's birthday was also celebrated at an Official Reception held onboard the same night.
Guests attending the reception included the Australian Ambassador, Deputy Chief of the Jordanian Navy, BRIG GEN Al Karim Al Fdoul, the Defence Attache to Jordan GPCAPT Murray Gordon and a large contingent of Embassy Staff and members from the Royal Jordanian Navy.
Toowoomba shared her birthday with six-year-old Aisha Grace. The Grace family, originally from Australia, now reside in Jordan as dad Steve is the Director of Water Sports for The Jordanian Royal Household. CMDR Ingham presented a Ship's ball cap to Aisha as a birthday gift.
After the official duties were completed, the Ship's Company embraced the opportunity to explore Aqaba and surrounding areas including Petra, the Dead Sea, Wadi Rum and Bethany Beyond Jordan.
The most popular destination was the ancient city of Petra. Probably best known for a scene in the film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade when Indiana enters a monstrous column-clad building carved into the rock-face in search of the chalice of immortality. More stunning visually in real life than on screen, Petra did not disappoint Toowoomba's sailors.
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and proclaimed in 2007 to be one of the "New Seven Wonders of the World". Petra boasts phenomenal architecture and statues which are cut into the side of sheer rock faces some two thousand years ago. The area was originally built by the Nabataeans, but came under the rule of the Romans, the Byzantines and the Umayyads before disappearing from Western civilisation until rediscovered in 1816.
Two of the more significant sites were the Treasury (Khazneh) where the Nabataean empire kept its wealth and riches, mainly food and grain, and the Monastery (Deir) which sits 50 metres wide and 40 metres long at the top of 800 steps.
Whist some took the opportunity to ride by camel or donkey through the Siq, the creviced entrance to the ancient Nabataean city, most were happy to wander along on foot, listening to the insights of the tour guide.
Visiting the Dead Sea was a unique experience for those who chose to travel the four hours drive North of Aqaba. At 422 metres below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest place on the Earth's surface. Its salinity is ten times that of an ocean and therefore enables swimmers to easily float.
Visitors relished the opportunity to cover themselves in thick black mud which is highly regarded and sought after globally for its beauty and health enriching properties.
LSCIS Glenn Willats said that swimming in the Dead Sea was a remarkable sensation.
"I was quite sceptical of the Dead Sea 'experience', though I now firmly believe that it should not be missed" LSCIS Willats said.
"The chance to cover head to toe in mud and then to float so effortlessly on the ocean was awesome and amazing."
Tours to the Dead Sea also included the chance to visit Bethany, the historically significant biblical site where Jesus was believed to have been baptised by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. The site featured five church ruins at differing stages of excavation and indicates the geographical separation of two countries – just three metres between the countries of Jordan and Israel at some points.
Another area which displayed an almost mythical beauty was the area of Wadi Rum, a desert area known as the "Valley of the Moon" located in the Southern part of Jordan. It gains its name from Wadi (one of the dry valleys) and Jebel Rum (the highest mountain in Jordan) and is home to local Bedouin people.
What makes this geographical wonder so special are unusual rock forms of granite and sandstone, and the vast desert which casts an array of colours at different times of the day. There are also more than 4,000 ancient inscriptions to be found on the rock faces throughout the area.
Wadi Rum is perhaps best known in the modern era for its connection with T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) and his part during the Arab Revolt. It was also the site for filming of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen in 2008.
The Ship's Company enjoyed their time in Aqaba, making the most of the coastline by swimming and snorkelling.
ABCD Leigh Wetton said the snorkelling and diving was some of the best he has ever seen.
"After years of civilian and military diving, I rate the visibility of the sea in Jordan as absolutely perfect," ABCD Wetton said.
"In conditions of visibility exceeding 25 metres and with the perfect water temperature, Jordan was easily one of the highlights of my diving career. As well as unbelievable diving conditions the abundance of beautiful fish and coral made for spectacular snorkelling."
Aqaba also offered an excellent range of local market places offering local handicrafts including silver, semi-precious jewellery and Dead Sea salts and beauty products.
The visit to Jordan was enjoyed as much that many of Toowoomba's people hope they will get the opportunity to return again either with work or on personal holidays.
HMAS Toowoomba is now back on patrols in the Middle East Area of Operations, contributing to Maritime Security Operations, Counter-Piracy and Counter-Terrorist activities in the Gulf of Aden and off the Horn of Africa. HMAS Toowoomba is due to return to her home port of Fleet Base West in Western Australia in early December.
