A New Zealand Royal Navy protector-fleet offshore patrol ship is taking a week long break in Rarotonga as its crew of about 80 get out and about to look at the island.

The ship welcomed members of the public aboard on Saturday to have a look around.

The HMNZS Wellington docked on Friday after delivering Pfizer vaccinations to Palmerston Island.

The 76-member crew of the HMNZS Wellington underwent weeks of training to ensure strict safety protocols were in place to protect the islands from Covid-19.

As Palmerston is only accessible by sea, the vaccines were delivered to the remote island on Thursday last week.

The Navy left the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine in Palmerston.

The vaccines are stored in a freezer supplied by Te Marae Ora Ministry of Health (TMO) and will be unlocked on August 12 by TMO staff returning to administer the shots.

HMNZS Wellington is one of the NZ Navy’s two offshore patrol vessels.

The ships are designed for maritime surveillance, supply and support, and patrol missions around New Zealand’s 15,000-kilometre coast, the Southern Ocean and into the Pacific.

It has a displacement of 1900 tonnes, a range of 6000 nautical miles and is 85 metres in length.