Foster and Allen.

Last night we headed for Palmerston North for dinner and a show. This is not something we do too often but we couldn't resist this one

The meal at Chinatown with friends Jenny and Robin was a real surprise with a gold card discount for the buffet meals.   Not something we get a lot of use of. We’ll have to go back and try the other side of the buffet next time. There was so much variety but we were unable to sample them all.

Then onto the show, with several buses from Levin, Wanganui and Dannevirke the show was very popular amongst our age group. Singing some of their popular songs such as “Maggie” and the audience joined in with “The Fly.” Unfortunately their version of “Gypsy Rover” was not on the nights programme but never the less a lovely evening was had by all.

Gallipoli the Scale of our War.

Showing at Te Papa Tongarewa (National Museum of New Zealand) One hundred years since the landings on Gallipoli in World War 1 .

The Scale of War.

Marking the centenary Te Papa together with Weta Workshops (of Lord of the Kings Fame) taking you back to Gallipoli.

Te Papa National Museum Wellington.The Horrors of war

New Zealand troops were involved in their first  objective of the First World War during the Allied invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula in April 1915. Hoping to seize control of the  Dardanelles Strait so that the allies had easy access to attack Constantinople (Istanbul), in Turkey. The Turks had sided with Germany in the war.

The Australia and New Zealand Army Corps landed at a small bay (now known as Anzac Cove) on the Gallipoli peninsula on 25 April 1915.

So lifelike the characters showing wartime.Bad news of the death of a brother.

Sir Peter Jackson’s Great War Exhibition.

Pukeahu (Mount Cook), the National War Memorial Park was officially opened on 18th April 2015. Being away up north at the time we took the first opportunity after returning home after our Anzac Weekend club rally, to visit this site.

Pukeahu Park War Memorial Park

Sir Peter Jackson helped to create this $10 million exhibition to mark the centenary of the Gallipoli landings. It is inside the former Dominion Museum building behind the National War Memorial Carillon in Wellington.  It tells the story of World War 1 from 1914  to 1919  honouring the role many Kiwis played.

The Australia memorial commemorates the long and close relationship between the people of Australia and New Zealand.

The wreaths from Anzac Day inside the War Memorial.

Great War Exhibition, old Dominion Museum Building, Wellington.

As you walk into the museum you are in a  "peaceful" Belgium street setting in 1914. As you walk through the exhibition you are shown the experiences of conscription and heading out for war, before viewing the recreations of battle scenes, including life-sized tanks and weapons. (Extremely realistic)

Our tour guide in a replica Belgium Street.Soldiers on the battlefield.

These soldiers were all hand painted by model enthusiasts.

The 51 metre high Carillion in Wellington.

This model of a New Zealander Richard Henderson and his donkey is a memorial to all medics and stretcher bearers and commemorates the 75th anniversary of the landings on Gallipoli.

Much of the exhibits  in the exhibition are from Peter Jackson's private collection and based loosely on the story of his grandad Will, while other pieces were donated from war museums in France and Belgium.

Sir Peter Jackson used the  creative talents of his teams at Wingnut Films and Weta Workshop to create the experience .