Many of Sir Robert Gillies good friends are not here today.
He is the last surviving member of the 28th Māori Battalion. Yesterday at Rotorua's Anzac Day dawn service he described the atmosphere as "very remembering".
"You always think about your mates ... some of my good mates are not here with us today.
"Then I thought about the world, and I think the world's worse now than when they came home."
That was because peace was "missing" and people were still being killed, he said.
"War won't cure anything. We should try and make a better world through their sacrifice.
"This morning, they really remembered them. And it was good to see a lot of young people there."
People "as far as the eye could see" descended upon Ōhinemutu in Rotorua yesterday for the Anzac Day dawn service.
And while it was a day to reflect on the past, it was also a chance to look at how Anzac relates to the present day.
Te Arawa Māori Returned Services League hosted the service, which started with a short parade past the Muruika Soldiers' Cemetery.
The service was one of many across the Bay of Plenty to commemorate people who have served their country.
Anzac Day marks New Zealand's first major engagement of World War I at Gallipoli, Turkey. While it was a terrible defeat, it has gone on to become a legend of sacrifice.
Rotorua police area commander Inspector and guest speaker at the dawn service Phil Taikato said that on April 25, 1915, more than 3000 New Zealanders landed in Gallipoli to a "baptism of fire".
"Let us remember those women and men who left our shores for the different battlefields never to return.
"Let us acknowledge their sacrifice. But also acknowledge the true tragedy of war where the innocent become the victims.
"As we remember these poor young souls, let us turn our minds to our own wars being fought on our own shores."
Taikato referred to the "availability and lethality" of illegal drugs, rising suicide rates and misinformation - challenges which were compounded by Covid-19.
"Let us acknowledge our emergency services, nurses, doctors, police, ambulance services, our hauora services and defence forces who have been tirelessly united in this unique counter-offensive to limit the destruction caused.
"The frontline soldiers of then and the frontline workers of today I salute you, we salute you."
Rotorua RSA president Jason Ramsay was at the dawn service in Ōhinemutu and the civic memorial service at the Cenotaph. Both had a "very good turnout", he said.
People at the dawn service were "as far as the eye could see".
"It's a service for a very poignant moment in history so remembering a lot of the fallen and also what's going on around the world at this point in time."
This included the conflict in Ukraine and the Covid-19 pandemic, he said.
Ramsay said the dawn service ended with the laying of the wreaths, and the New Zealand national anthem in te reo Māori and English, and, for the first time, the Australian national anthem in an Indigenous language as well as English, he said.
Tony Todd and his wife, Kateryna Fisiuk, were invited to the Anzac Day service at Whakarewarewa to lay a wreath to acknowledge the conflict in Ukraine.
Todd said it was "quite special" and Fisiuk said she was "very happy" to do something on behalf of Ukraine, her home country.
Todd, from Rotorua, started travelling to Ukraine regularly eight years ago. There, he met Fisiuk and they got married five years ago. They now live in Rotorua with their 16-month old son and 15-year-old stepdaughter.
Fisiuk is from a town called Zaporizhia which was "right on the new conflict line of Ukraine", Todd said.
"We've got a lot of family and friends that are now affected by the invasion."
Todd's grandfather served in World War II and his father was part of the New Zealand Air Force.
"It's [Anzac Day's] got a lot of memories for me as well. I haven't been in the armed services but I have spent time with our armed services and it's got personal meaning."
Steve Chadwick spoke at the Anzac Day Civic Service for the last time as mayor before she stands down at the next election. She acknowledged those who had made the "ultimate sacrifice".
In Whakatāne, a dawn service was held at Wairaka Marae.
Whakatāne RSA president Victor Hape said there was a "really strong showing" from the Whakatāne community at the dawn service.
"Every year we obviously get a year away from that main event in 1915.
"Sometimes if we don't keep these traditions alive, if we don't keep these stories alive, these things can just drop off the face of the earth as such.
"It's just a poignant reminder to our community that these things remain special because it actually gave us the freedom to do what we can do today.
"I just hope our community keeps on supporting these events as the years roll over."
Hape also acknowledged the civic commemoration service at the Whakatāne War Memorial Hall yesterday.
Guest speaker Te Kani Kingi, who is also an adviser to New Zealand's Veterans' Health Committee, said the service was "very respectful and sombre".
There was "a lot of people, young and old" and it was "fantastic to see good numbers", he said.
He said the service was an opportunity for people to take the time to "acknowledge" the significance of Anzac Day and for veterans to "come together and to reflect".
In his speech, he spoke about veterans' health and wellbeing, particularly mental health.
"Mental health is a major issue for our community ... but there are particular stresses and strains that veterans are likely to have experienced due to their time in the defence force, which can have a particularly negative impact on their mental health and wellbeing."
Kingi said the service was conducted with dignity and respect, but also "where appropriate, with a good sense of humour".
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