Originally Posted by
HPSOV L
The USA requested a visit by this ship in 1984 but refused to confirm whether or not it had nuclear armament. This was intended as a test of NZ's nuclear free policy resolve. Unfortunately this left the NZ Govt no room to manoeuvre given the high domestic approval of the policy and they had to refuse the visit. The US then angrily shut the door on it's old ally.
And US/NZ relations weren't helped when, the following year, the US refused to condemn the bombing of Rainbow Warrior in Auckland Harbour by France's intelligence services.