Marton continues traditional Anzac Day dawn parade; other RSAs scale back events

A lone piper plays at Mt View Cemetery on Anzac Day. Photo / NZME

It's going to be a scaled-back Anzac Day across the region - with the Whanganui event one of the most scaled back of all.

In Whanganui the service and parade are cancelled, with people instead asked to stand at their gates at 6am to listen to the Stand at Dawn broadcast on RNZ, and to take wreaths to the cenotaph when they choose during the day.

Whanganui Returned and Services Association (RSA) president Rod Hart has had some pushback about that decision, which was made to protect the health of elderly people during the Omicron peak.

Some of those who were disappointed may go to Marton to celebrate Anzac Day, its RSA president Alan Buckendahl said.

People are invited to gather for the dawn parade outside BJW Motors in Wellington Rd at 5.30am, fall in at 5.40am and march to the newly refurbished Marton RSA and Citizens' Memorial Hall.

There could be more than 500 people, Buckendahl said. He was not sure what the Covid-19 effect would be, but said people could wear masks and stay distanced from each other.

There will be a service outside the hall, then a catered cuppa and traditional coffee for a maximum of 200 inside.

After that, those who have paraded can get a free breakfast at Cook's Bar & Cafe in Broadway from 8am.

Some will likely go to Mt View Cemetery as well, where the Marton and District Pipe Band usually plays.

Whanganui was "out on a limb" in having such a reduced occasion, Buckendahl said. RSAs nationally had been directed to keep Anzac Day commemorations as close to usual as possible - with the exception that acting service personnel had been asked not to attend.

However, another Rangitīkei town has scaled down its commemoration.

Taihape made an early decision not to hold a dawn parade, public service and breakfast, RSA president Colin Mower said.

Instead a small group of members will livestream a service from the cenotaph at 6am. Others will stand at their gates instead of attending.

"We very much regret this, but we have to protect our elderly members," Mower said.

Bulls would have a short dawn parade, moving from the RSA rooms at 5.45am to the cenotaph, Bulls president Alistair Stewart said.

There would be shorter than usual service there, before a maximum of 120 people returned to the RSA rooms for breakfast.

In Pātea people would gather in Chester St at 6.30am for an informal walk to the cenotaph and outdoor service, RSA president Tom Matiaha said. There would be no refreshments, but some people would go on to the war graves at Pātea Cemetery.

In Waverley people would gather at the cenotaph at 9am for wreath laying, a short speech and a rendition of the Last Post, RSA president Brian Rook said. It would be very informal, with no morning tea or indoor service.

Anzac Day would be a centennial occasion at Alton, Pātea Historical Society president Jacq Dwyer said. There would be a standard service at 11am, with a sausage sizzle to follow if the weather was fine.