Prime Minister John Key invites descendants of those who fought in the Gallipoli campaign to attend the centenary celebrations at the Cenotaph in London.
Each year, New Zealand and Australia host three commemorative services at Gallipoli on Anzac Day.
On April 25th, the ANZAC landings on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey will be commemorated, but due to the limited capacity of the Anzac Commemorative Site on the peninsula, those interested in attending were to submit applications.
The ballot deadline ended on January 15. The Australian, New Zealand and Turkish governments had agreed to allow 10,500 people at the 25 April 2015 commemorations. New Zealand were allocated 2000 places and Australia 8000.
This morning's announcement from Prime Minister John Key now gives another option for those who have missed out on attending Gallipoli.
“So this gives us the opportunity to make sure they can take part in the commemorations even if they can’t be on the Gallipoli peninsula,” says Prime Minister John Key.
But some Kiwis may not be too keen to spend their money on travelling to London instead.
Returned soldier Richard Shepherd says, “We can remember them here at home. The battle didn't happen there (in London) so I doubt if our people would want to travel there instead.”
It's important, irrespective of where you are on ANZAC Day, to remember those who fought in the war and made the ultimate sacrifice.
For more information, visit the official Gallipoli Govt website here, or follow our Māori Television ANZAC page for updates.
You can also place a poppy on our Virtual Cenotaph here.