Rotorua Anzac Day services

This year's Anzac Day Civic Memorial Service to honour New Zealand's servicemen and women promises to be an entertaining, yet respectful, commemoration for Rotorua people of all ages to enjoy.

The day will begin with a dawn service at Ohinemutu's Muruika Urupa on the shores of Lake Rotorua. A parade will begin at 5.40am from Te Papaiouru Marae, heading to the neighbouring urupa about 5.45am.

Reverend Tom Poata and Father Peter Card will officiate at the dawn ceremony, where guest speaker Major General (retired) Kenneth Gordon CVE will address those attending.

The civic service, commemorating the 97th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings by New Zealand and Australian combined military forces, will follow in the Rotorua Convention Centre's Civic Theatre at 9.30am on Wednesday, April 25, and relayed to a large screen in the Banquet Room.

Rotorua District Council events co-ordinator Amanda Hohneck said the council's Events & Venues team received positive feedback after last year's Anzac service, which featured a heartfelt opening song by a local school student and other performances.

"Last year, we introduced some lighter entertainment to make it a memorable but not so sombre occasion. We got a lot of feedback, with people saying it was the best Anzac service they had ever been to, so we decided to go with a similar programme format this year."

The service will open with a ballad from a yet-to-be-named local singer, while Events & Venues' technical & safety manager Ray Philpot will perform a guitar solo during the service, with the Evelyn Falconer Jazz Quartet finishing proceedings. Rotorua Brass and City of Rotorua Highland Pipe Band, and accompanist Daphne Christophers, will provide music to hymns throughout the service.

Slideshows of past and present New Zealand troops will be played throughout the service and during the entertainment.

The key address will be given by Bay of Plenty district commander Superintendent Glenn Dunbier of New Zealand police and Reverend Tom Poata will be the officiating minister.

The day will start with a parade of service personnel, school parties, cadet corps and local community groups assembling at the Lakefront at the intersection of Whakaue and Fenton Sts at 8.50am before marching, via Government Gardens and arriving at the Convention Centre at 9.20am ready for the service to begin at 9.30am.