Two Wakatipu High School pupils say they're "honoured'' to be selected to speak at this year's Anzac Day commemorations.
Katie Hensman (17) will speak at the Queenstown service and Hugh Taylor (15) at Arrowtown, having been placed first and second respectively in last weeks' ANZ RSA Cyril Bassett VC Speech Competition.
Katie will also represent Wakatipu at the regional finals, being held in Balclutha on March 13.
The winner will compete at the national final and the overall winner will head to Gallipoli for Anzac Day.
For the 17-year-old granddaughter of the late Hylton Hensman, the pioneer behind Skyline's gondola, it was second time lucky, having entered the last year's competition, which was won by former pupil Victoria Boult.
Her speech started by first researching all the Queenstown men killed during World War 1, ultimately focusing on shepherd-turned-rifleman Thomas Alexander Hope, son of Rees Valley Station's Thomas Hope.
Thomas Alexander Hope was killed in action at Le Quesnoy, France, on November 4, 1918.
She then came across Lawrence "Curly'' Blyth - the subject of the documentary Our Oldest Soldier, directed by his grandson, David Blyth - who hailed from Leeston, Canterbury and volunteered for World War 1 despite being under age.
In the final weeks of the war he helped liberate Le Quesnoy from German forces, later winning a French Legion of Honour for his efforts.
After she began writing her speech, focusing on the two men and their experience in Le Quesnoy, her parents told her a story about an encounter they had with a woman while visiting the French town.
"This lady came up to them while they were on the street, realising they were New Zealanders.
"She was touching my mum, hugging her, inviting them to her house. She was almost in tears. It was just super emotional.''
Hugh's speech was inspired by conversations he had with his aunty and was based on the story of his great-great uncle, Gordon Darcy McKenzie.
"The majority of my speech came from my aunty. She was born in New Zealand but lives in England and she'd done a lot of research into the family history."
For both pupils the opportunity to speak at this year's Anzac Day services is an honour.
"I remember going to Anzac Day commemorations when I was tiny and listening to those speeches. They were always so huge [and] so inspiring, so to think I'm one of those people ... it's pretty crazy,'' Katie said.
Hugh said he was inspired to take up public speaking after attending an Anzac service in Auckland, where the former head boy of King's College spoke.
"I feel quite honoured I have the chance to do that in front of my own community,'' he said.
