More than 80 veterans have come together again to mark the 70th anniversary of New Zealand's involvement in World War II in the Pacific.
They travelled as part of a contingent to New Caledonia and attended a service on Thursday morning.
Veterans' Affairs Minister Michael Woodhouse accompanied the 85 veterans, aged between 88 and 96, and says for many, it is their first and possibly last time in the region since the war.
Mr Woodhouse said of the several thousand New Zealanders who served in the Pacific, more than 900 died.
The minister said it is likely to be another emotional day on Friday, when the veterans view memorials and graves of fellow New Zealanders buried in New Caledonia.