Anzac Day: Service times and locations, trading hours and weather

Thousands have gathered at dawn ceremonies around the country to commemorate Kiwis who have given their service - and for many, their lives - in military campaigns around the world.

Military veterans joined those still serving and the public at cenotaphs from the Far North to the Deep South this Anzac Day.

The day of remembrance falls on the anniversary of the landing on the now Turkish peninsula of Gallipoli by New Zealand and Australian troops in 1915, part of an ultimately unsuccessful military campaign for the Allies which cost 130,000 lives over 10 months, among them 2779 Kiwis

But the national commemoration is to acknowledge all who have served in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations.

In our largest city, the Anzac Day Dawn Service began at 6am at the Auckland War Memorial Museum in the Auckland Domain, while Vector lights on the Auckland Harbour Bridge were lit in poppy-red.

A Field of Remembrance outside the museum honours our fallen soldiers from all wars and conflicts between 1845 and 2012.

Free remembrance tours would be open to the public until 5pm, and those looking to the sky today might spot the New Zealand Warbirds Association doing a flyover with their trademark billowing smoke.

Settled weather is expected across the city today, where dozens of Anzac Day events are planned, with cloud expected to clear to sunshine by this afternoon, and temperatures ranging from a low of 14C to a high of 20C.

Similar conditions are expected across the North Island, but MetService said rain would dominate further south in Queenstown and Invercargill.

Conditions were changeable in other main centres, with Wellington tipped for isolated showers in the morning and a high of 17C. Christchurch should see a mainly fine day with a high of 22C and Dunedin should start with some cloud and a high of 18C.

Around the middle of the country; in Wellington, Kāpiti Coast, Marlborough, and exposed parts of inland Otago, Southland and the Canterbury High Country, gales were forecast with several wind watches and warnings in place.

By RNZ

The traditional commemorations will take place at Laurie Hall Park from 6am. The public is also welcome to join the Te Kamo community Anzac service at 10am, which includes wreath-laying and morning tea.

Later in the day, BHP Functional Fitness is offering a free Anzac Day workout as part of the day’s commemorations. The Bring a Cobber: Anzac Day workout event is an opportunity to do a hero workout and reflect on the sacrifices of the fallen. It gets underway at the fitness centre from 9am and you do not need to be a member to head along - everyone is welcome.

Both Dawn and Civic Anzac Day memorial services take place at the Cenotaph in Memorial Park from 6am. There will be big screens in the park that will show the ceremonies, meaning people can see and hear both services from further back. Following the Civic Service, the Hamilton Brass Band and the Hamilton Gospel Choir will perform.

On the corner of Memorial Drive and Anzac Parade, more than 5000 poppies and 350 white crosses have been installed to acknowledge the Hamiltonians lost in the conflict.

The Tauranga Dawn Service begins at 5.45am at Tauranga RSA Cenotaph on Cameron Road. Free park-and-ride buses will be running throughout the day.

The Dawn Service starts at Lawson Field Theatre at 5.15am and will be followed by a march to the Cenotaph, where the ceremony will take place. It concludes with a procession march to the Gisborne RSA.

A 6am Dawn Service will be held at Napier Soundshell and Lone Pine Cemetery, while a 6.30am Dawn Service will be held at Hastings Civic Square Cenotaph.

The Whanganui War Memorial Centre commemoration service begins at 7am. It is preceded by a parade from Pukenamu Queen’s Park.

At 11am, there is a 28th Māori Battalion Anzac service at Moutoa Gardens.

Celebrate the spirit of the Anzacs with an afternoon of music at the New Plymouth Methodist Church on Sunday, April 28 from 2-4pm.

A 6am Dawn Service will be held in Te Marae o Hine/The Square, followed by a Civic Commemoration Service at 9am.

The Dawn Service at Pukeahu National War Memorial begins at 6am and the National Commemoration Service takes place at 11am.

At 9am, there will be a Wellington citizens’ wreath-laying opportunity at the Cenotaph Precinct. A national commemoration will also be hosted at the Ataturk memorial in Strathmore at 2.30pm.

The evening before Anzac Day, the US Marine Corps Forces Pacific Band is presenting a dusk performance in front of the Australian Memorial at Pukeahu on Wednesday at 5pm.

The Dawn Service at Anzac Park begins at 5.30am and will commence at 7am. The Nelson Christ Church Cathedral is also holding a ticketed Anzac Day concert at 2.30pm, where the Nelson Male Voice choir will perform alongside pianist Louis Lucas-Perry.

For the second time since the 2011 earthquakes, the Christchurch City Dawn Service will return to Cathedral Square under the newly reinstated Citizens’ War Memorial. The service starts at 6.30am and will go on until 8am.

Later in the day, Bealey Quarter is offering their traditional Anzac Day all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet from 7am-10.30am, which includes a cooked English breakfast section and continental options.

The day’s events begin with a 6am Dawn Service at the Cenotaph. This will be followed by a parade and marches past the Field of Remembrance, and a Civic Service featuring a flyover, haka, hymns, wreath-laying, and a blank firing of a WWII-era 25-pound field gun.

The Otago University Students Association is holding an Anzac Day service outside the University Staff Club at 1pm. At the same time, the public is welcome to join the city’s main service at Upper Junction War Memorial.

Later in the day, Otago Museum is holding an Anzac Day performance, with the Cantores Choir commemorating stories of war, peace, suffering and hope through song at 2pm.

A 7am Dawn Service will be held at the War Memorial on Dee Street, at which time the Royal New Zealand Air Force will also conduct a fly-past en route to Mid Canterbury and Blenheim.

Later, a formal civic service will be held at the Invercargill Working Men’s Club at 7.45am, followed by morning tea.

By Kymberlee Gomes of RNZ

On Anzac Day, most shops need to stay shut until 1pm.

There are just 3½ days a year on which the Shop Trading Hours Act 1990 prevents most shopping: Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Christmas Day and the first half of Anzac Day.

What’s open?

Exemptions apply to a few places, which are allowed to open:

Shops without exemptions must stay closed during the first half of April 25.

Mondayisation does not affect shop trading restrictions because they apply only to the calendar date of Anzac Day.

Retailers can be fined up to $1000 if they open illegally.

Some bars, cafes and restaurants can sell alcohol, as long as it is accompanied by a meal.

Cafes and restaurants can choose to add a surcharge for opening on the morning of Anzac Day.

The surcharge covered the additional cost of wages on a public holiday, Restaurant Association chief executive Marisa Bidois said.

“Typically, surcharges range from 10-15 per cent.

“Some businesses incorporate the extra costs of operating on public holidays into their annual operating expenses. This approach allows them to spread the recovery of these costs over the course of the year, rather than imposing a surcharge specifically on public holidays,” Bidois said.

Whether cafes opened on Anzac Day morning would depend on their location and customer habits.

“To avoid surprises, diners should confirm whether a surcharge applies either ahead of time or upon arrival. Most establishments will inform customers of any additional fees through visible signage.”

The Commerce Commission has also said establishments must make it well-known to customers that a surcharge will be payable before they decide to buy or engage the service.

“It must be clearly disclosed, for example, by adding information to their website for online sales or placing a sign outside,” the commission says on its website.

“In addition, the reason for any surcharge must be accurately described and must not be capable of misleading consumers. The surcharge should not exceed those costs, and the costs should actually be incurred by the business.”