She's the "oldest lady" in the fleet, but the workhorse warship of the Australian Navy has seen plenty of action and can finally put her feet up.
After sailing more than one million nautical miles around the globe over 33 years, HMAS Darwin farewelled her namesake city for the last time on Wednesday.
Following deployments to the Middle East, Timor-Leste and the Solomon Islands, the warship will be decommissioned in Sydney next month.
"This ship's seen a lot of action," HMAS Darwin Commanding Officer Phillip Henry said.
Last year the vessel was sent to New Zealand for disaster relief following the Kaikoura earthquake, and made her seventh trip to the Middle East targeting terrorism and smuggling.
While there, the ship seized almost 2000 AK-47 assault rifles, rocket launchers and just under a tonne of heroin, Commander Henry said.
The guided missile frigate took part in a gun salute upon entry into Darwin Harbour before an Air Force flyover on Wednesday, and was greeted by the Royal Australian Navy Band as she docked.
Indigenous sailors paired traditional body paint with camouflage uniforms and combat boots as they performed a dance to the sounds of the didgeridoo on board the ship.
Almost 5000 people have called the ship home over the past three decades, some for stints of up to nine months.
Commanding Officer Henry said being stuck on a 138 metre-long vessel for months on end fosters strong camaraderie, saying the crew are "like a family".
Leading Seaman Mitchell Blundell's father first commissioned the ship in 1984.
The 25-year-old electronic technician says after his dad passed away, he wanted to carry on the tradition.
"I pushed to get on here because of that family history, and I've lived in Darwin pretty much my whole life," he said.
Able Seaman Melissa Van Der Lay and her younger brother, Seaman Chris Van Der Lay, have been serving together on the ship since April.
Ms Van Der Lay says it's good to have a familiar face on board after a tough day, but is happy they're no longer bunking together like their childhood days.
"We try to keep it professional," she said.
After an illustrious career, it's unknown whether HMAS Darwin will be cut up for scrap or even become a reef, but a decision is likely to be made on her fate in the next year.
HMAS DARWIN
- Sailed more than one million nautical miles around the globe over 33 years.
- Travelled around the world more than 50 times, chewing up around 90 Olympic swimming pools of fuel along the way, and despite her age can still go up to 30 knots.
- Deployed 61 times, including seven trips to the Middle East and operations in East Timor and the Solomon Islands.
- Fired more than 9000 rounds of large calibre ammunition, 37 missiles and 56 torpedoes, but only as "warning shots" or as practice drills.
