Auckland landmarks will be lit up in red tomorrow as the country celebrates its first Anzac Day in lockdown.
The Sky Tower, Light Path, Harbour Bridge and Auckland Museum will all be lit up red to mark the day.
The usual dawn services across the nation will not take place, but Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said the day still has a way of bringing people together.
"I hope that Aucklanders will at this hour reflect on the sacrifice of those on whose shoulders we stand whom we owe so much to," Mr Goff told TVNZ 1's Breakfast.
To commemorate the day, Kiwis are being asked to "stand at dawn" by the New Zealand Returned Services Association, whether that be in their home, at their door or on their driveway.
"If you want to lay a poppy, there will be a virtual cenotaph at aucklandmuseum.com ," Mr Goff said.
During today's Breakfast interview Mr Goff was wearing a badge to remember his nephew, who was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2005.
"I think one of the most important days of the year is Anzac Day, it's the day that really brings all of us together as New Zealanders," he said.
"We not only celebrate out nationhood but we do commemorate the people of our fathers' and our grandfathers' generation who went away to fight in a war to make a better future for all of us.
"I hope that people will heed that call, get up a little bit early tomorrow morning.
"The life that we have today, with all of the problems we've got with Covid-19, is still a great life built on the efforts of those who served their country in the first war, the second war and the other conflicts that New Zealand has been involved in."
Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel said it would be an unusual day for her city.
Lianne Dalziel says most people will understand that the isolation is for a good cause.
A service will be held by the interim Christchurch Transitional Cathedral, and will be available online here from 10am Saturday.
Ms Dalziel said the flu outbreak following World War I was a lesson New Zealand could learn from.
"We can learn our lessons from history - when people came together in the streets to celebrate the armistice at the end of the war, people from Canterbury just flooded into Christchurch - so we had show weekend then we had Armistice Day - 11th November - and those two occasions spread the flu - 450 odd people died in Christchurch here alone," she said.
"Given that extent of the knowledge of the damage - we know we're doing the right thing."
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