A car lifted and moved by people attending the New Plymouth Anzac Day dawn service was driven away later on Thursday morning by a British backpacker, an organiser of ceremony says.
In an incident that received widespread coverage, including in Australia, people at the ceremony were asked to help move the car that organisers felt was too close to the cenotaph, and was obstructing the event.
The small car was surrounded by people who were able to lift and move it - in several steps - to the next parking space back from the cenotaph.
"It was just in the worst place possible," New Plymouth RSA office manager Vicki Bayly said.
"No way we could have this service with the car in the way."
Efforts were made to track down the owner of the car, but that hadn't worked. So 10 minutes before the ceremony was due to start the call went out on the public address system for people to help move it, Bayly said.
Fortunately, the driver of the car had turned up and driven it away shortly before the civic service at the cenotaph, which started at 10am.
"She just came. She had a backpack on her back, opened the back and put the pack in."
People who spoke to the driver said she was a British backpacker, and had not had any idea there was going to be a ceremony at the cenotaph early Thursday, Bayly said.
The driver said she stayed at a backpacker lodge in New Plymouth, and it had been suggested to her that she park her car near the cenotaph where parking was free.
"Then she drove away," Bayly said.
"She was unaware. It really wasn't her fault."