Four members of the Gurkhas B (Sari Bair) Company based in Brunei will be representing their battalion in Hawke's Bay for the first time this Anzac Day.
They are from the Royal Gurkhas Rifles and their commanding officer, Captain James Harryman, said they were looking forward to attending Anzac services in Napier and Hastings as well as take part in school visits today.
Captain Harryman is chief information officer with the Queen's Gurkha Signals and has been part of that historic army unit for 10 years - the past nine months has seen him stationed in Brunei.
"We have been out here in New Zealand for three weeks and carried out 67 engagements, so we have been fairly busy," he said.
There are 55 Gurkha troops in the country at present and 35 will attend South Island Anzac events and 20 will take part in North Island services.
Every couple of years the Brunei-based troops come to New Zealand for joint exercises but this year, at the Government's invitation, troops were invited to take part in the Anzac 100-year commemoration events as well as take part in various defence force engagements.
It is also 200 years since the Gurkhas were formed.
Captain Harryman said the Gallipoli commemorations were very special to the Gurkhas as they had fought on the Turkish peninsula a century ago as well.
At least four regiments served there and took part in the initial landings through to the final allies withdrawal during the winter of 1915/16.
The Gurkha battalions fought with distinction but it was the initial Gurkha unit to land, the 1st Battalion, 6th Gurkha Rifles, who came to the fore.
Within two weeks of landing they had captured a Turkish machine-gun position at the peak of a 100m high near-vertical slope.
The post had been assaulted a number of times by other British battalions who had always been beaten back, but the Gurkhas took it swiftly and with minimal casualties.
The site was renamed "Gurkha Bluff" in their honour.
Gurkhas first fought for the British Army in 1815 following a war between the East India Trading Company and the Kingdom of Nepal, and have since then traditionally been recruited from the hill villages of Nepal.
Each year thousands of boys compete in a gruelling selection for the chance to become soldiers in the British Army.
Gurkha soldiers are world-renowned for their fitness, discipline, courage and the curved "kukri" knives which they carry.
The regiment's motto is "It is better to die than to be a coward" and they have won 26 Victoria Crosses.
"This is my first time to New Zealand and it is so beautiful I don't want to leave," Captain Harryman said.
Two of the visitors are being hosted by the Hastings RSA, and two by the Taradale RSA.
They will be visiting Napier Boys' High School, Taradale High School, Hastings Boys' High School, Hastings Girls' High School and St Josephs at various times today.