March relives Rimutaka Hill crossing

HIGH POINT: At the hill summit the New Zealand flag is lowered, then raised to the Last Post.

Hidden in the fog, invisible to straining eyes, the Regimental Sergeant-Major's voice is easily audible as he calls the pace for the final stint to the summit.

Tidy, regimented and showing no sign of the effects of a four-hour slog, the 250 marchers recreating the effort of thousands of WWI soldiers a century ago reached the summit of Rimutaka Hill Rd exactly on 7am yesterday.

Among them were 30 soldiers in WWI replica uniforms and weapons supplied by WingNut Films, plus a squad of soldiers from 1 Brigade, Linton Army Camp.

The parade had begun at 3am in Featherston under clear night skies and no wind, with police, military police and New Zealand Transport Agency personnel keeping a tight eye on the procession as it headed up SH2.

The Rimutaka Crossing Re-enactment Group chair Robert "Tweet" Bird, dressed as an army major, led the procession, with Masterton's Jack Hayes keeping a close watch as the RSM.

A Masterton busload of supporters, some dressed in period costume, were on hand to greet the marchers and get breakfast and hot drinks ready, with the help of 1 Brigade, but formalities came first. With the marchers formed up within the summit carpark, Masterton's Mike Kawana led a karakia, before South Wairarapa mayor Adrienne Staples addressed the gathering.

At the summit of the Rimutaka Hill Rd early yesterday, South Wairarapa Mayor Adrienne Staples, who had marched from Featherston, acknowledged the presence of Upper Hutt Mayor Wayne Guppy, saying she was technically on his ground, and praised the 18 months of planning that led to the march.

"We have made it, we are here at the summit, just as many thousands of men have been.

"For many, it would have been their last journey.

"Taking part in this march is honouring the sacrifice they made."

Guest speaker Lieutenant General Rhys Jones, former Chief of Defence Force, asked the audience why the army has a habit of early morning starts.

"Most physical hardships can be overcome by physical determination," he said.

"To march from camp, that was to show we can do it.

"No physical challenge was not surmountable.

"It demonstrates the challenge that nations often have to overcome."

The ceremony's high point was the unveiling of a 3-metre high monument in stone and ironwork, dedicated to the soldiers who endured the crossing - and the war.

Beside the memorial, with a catafalque guard from the 2nd Engineer Regiment, a flag was lowered and raised again to a bugler's Last Post and the Ode.

"We will remember them," was firmly declared.

The memorial was designed by the re-enactment group and brought to life by artist Niko Thomsen, stonemason Mike Dunn and engineer Michael Hewison.

Group member Solitaire Robertson said Mr Dunn donated his time free, using river rocks donated from Higgins Construction.

She said she "teared up" when she saw the marchers approaching the summit.

"After 18 months of work, it's actually happening."

Jack Hayes, as RSM, said the marchers had got up "a decent sweat".

"Those old buggers in front, they set the pace, and we had to keep slowing them down."

He said it was special to hear the conversations among the marchers, as they compared notes on their relatives.

"There were a lot of people who shared - that's why we do this."

Masterton Sergeant Chris Megaw was among a small group of police officers dressed in World War I uniform.

He said his feet were "sore, I'm not going to lie about that".

"And I'm cold, but it was just perfect conditions."

NZ First MP Ron Mark did the walk in red tab gumboots.

"The hard part was when we would stop and we'd get cold," he said.

After the formalities, the marchers had a breakfast of sandwiches and a hot drink, before forming up for the downhill march to Kaitoke.

From there, the marchers were bussed to Upper Hutt for a street parade and formalities at Trentham Army Camp.