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National | ANZAC

Major turnout at ANZAC services across the country

The sacrifices of more than 300,000 servicemen and women are being honoured at events around the country today.

An estimated 50,000 people gathered at the dawn service held at Auckland War Memorial Museum.

A highlight of the morning was the different generations of people attending including grandparents, parents, youth and young children.

Some students told Te Kāea they felt a deep sense of responsibility to attend and pay tribute today, despite dwindling numbers of veterans remaining from the major conflicts of the twentieth century.

Wellington

Meanwhile, more than 500 locals attended a Wellington dawn service at Pukeahu National War Memorial.

Te Kāea reporter Moana Makepelu-Lee says tributes flowed throughout the hour-long service to World War I and World War II soldiers.

Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant Tim Keating delivered the ANZAC address followed by a poem Hoki Mai by Tayi Tibble of Te Whānau a Apanui and Ngāti Porou.

Whangarei

An estimated 8,500 residents in Whangarei took part in the dawn service in Whangarei and Minister of Regional Development Shane Jones told Te Kāea he was overwhelmed with the turnout.

Meanwhile, different marae in the region are hosting their own commemorations throughout the day.

This year marks 103 years since the landing at Gallipoli of Australian and New Zealand Army Corps troops.  In all, around 30,000 New Zealanders have died in service.

Viewers can tune into the Rereātea and Te Kāea bulletins at 12pm, 3:30pm and 5:30pm on Māori Television for the latest news coming from our reporters scattered around the country.