Te Tuinga Whānau staff Rangi Ahipene, Tommy Kapai and Te Arahi Bryers at the gathering. Photo / Supplied
Te Tuinga Whānau staff Rangi Ahipene, Tommy Kapai and Te Arahi Bryers at the gathering. Photo / Supplied
Community members have come together in Tauranga today to honour New Zealand's fallen soldiers.
The thousands of Kiwis who were killed or injured in World War I were remembered at events across New Zealand - although services in Auckland were limited by Covid-19 restrictions.
Te Tuinga Whānau Support Services Trustlaid down a wreath at 11.11 at Sulphur Point today to commemorate Armistice Day.
Te Tuinga Whānau staff Rangi Ahipene, Tommy Kapai and Te Arahi Bryers at the gathering. Photo / Supplied
Te Tuinga Whānau Support Services Trust director Tommy Wilson said they wanted to remember the 9000 New Zealand lives lost in World War I - 338 of whom were Māori.
Wilson said a second wreath was laid down to acknowledge the 8600 Kiwis that lost their lives to the Spanish Flu.
"During these two short months in November and December of 1918 Māori lost 3,800 lives, ten times what we lost at war and five times our population percentage."
He said this served as a reminder to be thankful for the "lifeline of vaccination".
