Crowds have been turning out on a cool, clear morning to pay their respects to the fallen at Anzac services around the region.
In Queenstown, barely a breath of wind greeted a crowd estimated by some at about 2000.
The dawn service began at 6.45am, led by Queenstown Returned Services Association president Lyall McGregor and included a reading from Australian High Commission third secretary Emma Goodwin who said it was "heartening'' to see so many people attend the 100th anniversary of the first Anzac Day.
"As we wait for first light 101 years since our troops first landed on the shores of Gallipoli, we remember ...
"The white rows of crosses are a powerful reminder of those who paid the supreme sacrifice.
"Today, we will reflect on how fortunate we are to live in this wonderful country ... the true meaning of mateship [and] ties that bind us across the Tasman."
The Queenstown Anzac Day service will begin with a parade from the Memorial Gates to the Queenstown Memorial Centre at 9.30am, while the Arrowtown RSA civic service will begin at the Athenaeum Hall at 10.30am, followed by a parade to Memorial Hill.
In Wanaka, a crowd of 400-500 assembled at the lakefront for the Dawn Service, while in Hawea, about 350 turned out.
In Oamaru, a crowd of about 700 filled Lower Thames St for a short dawn service at 6.30am.
Kelli Milmine, of Oamaru, spoke briefly of her time with the RNZAF, but said her brief deployment overseas would not have compared to the war her forebears saw a century ago.
Attendance at services throughout Central Otago were generally higher than last year's bumper crowds, RSA officials said. All nine services took place in fine weather.
The first in the district was a dawn parade at Ranfurly, followed by services in Clyde, Omakau, Alexandra, Roxburgh, Millers Flat, Bannnockburn, Cromwell and Waipiata.
The number of families taking part seemed to be on the increase, along with attendance in general.
Additional reporting by Lynda van Kempen and Hamish MacLean
