New Zealand Pilgrimage Trust

07/06/2026

𝓡𝓲𝓭𝓰𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝓡𝓮𝓶𝓮𝓶𝓫𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮

A strong spring wind swept across the New Zealand Memorial this morning, yet the warmth of those gathered rose above it. 109 years after the mines shook the earth awake at dawn, we stood in stillness, listening to the past breathe through the grass and the stones.

While wreaths were laid by Deputy Ambassador Te Aniwa Setters and Defence Attaché Navy Captain James Barnes of the New Zealand Embassy in Belgium, mayor of Mesen - Messines Sandy Evrard and Elizabeth Wratislav and Jacob Siermans, our dear friends of New Zealand Liberation Museum - Le Quesnoy, remembrance felt simple and strong: a shared warmth and the quiet promise that memory endures where people choose to stand together and to remember.

📸: Eric Compernolle

04/06/2026

𝓐 𝓶𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓷𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓻𝓮𝓶𝓮𝓶𝓫𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮. 𝓐 𝓳𝓸𝓾𝓻𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓸 𝓱𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓻𝔂.

109 years ago allied tunnellers placed enormous charges deep beneath the German lines. At dawn on 𝟕 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟏𝟗𝟏𝟕 nineteen pillars of fire tore through the landscape. At that time, the largest man-made explosion in history. British, Irish, Australian, and New Zealand troops advanced together as the Battle of Messines began.

Together with the New Zealand Embassy in Belgium we pause to reflect as we gather in Mesen - Messines this Sunday (Nieuw-Zeelandersstraat) at 11:00 to remember one of the most powerful moments of the First World War. The ceremony is open to the public and anyone is welcome to attend and lay a wreath.

If you want to explore the story of this battle, visit several German bunkers and experience living history brought to life by The Salient Remembrance Detachment, you can join one of the guided tours led by Genootschap Passchendaele Society 1917 on the same day. Registration is not required.

11/05/2026

Last Friday, on VE Day, a date that still echoes across Europe as the symbol of the end of war in 1945, our Trust had the honour of welcoming visitors from New Zealand to Ypres and the surrounding fields of remembrance.

For the 𝓜𝓪𝓬𝓒𝓸𝓻𝓶𝓲𝓬𝓴 𝓯𝓪𝓶𝓲𝓵𝔂 from Auckland, this was far more than a journey across continents. It was a pilgrimage through memory itself. Following the traces of their father, who served with the New Zealand Medical Corps in the Passchendaele area during the First World War, Murray, Alistair and Raewyn stood beneath the same skies where history and family memory still quietly meet. Their voyage of remembrance had already brought them to Gallipoli, Cassino, Le Quesnoy and Arras, names forever carved into the story of New Zealand sacrifice, courage and loss. And now, here in Flanders Fields, another deeply personal chapter of that story found its way home.

That same evening, Brian, Christopher and Terry Boyle of 𝓡𝓢𝓐 𝓟𝓪𝓹𝓪𝓷𝓾𝓲 (Christchurch) joined the daily Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate.

There's something deeply humbling about seeing people return to these landscapes of memory. Their journeys remind us that remembrance is not frozen in the past. It continues to live through gratitude and through the enduring human need to remember those who gave so much.

27/04/2026

⭐️ Proud Moment Alert ⭐️
On this Anzac Day we paused to honour the past while looking to the future of our shared legacy.

It’s therefor with deep pride and gratitude that we welcome Youri Van Miegroet, ceremonial assistant of the Last Post Ieper, as a new member of our trust. His commitment, warmth and genuine dedication reflect the spirit we strive to uphold.

In the spirit of 𝓴𝓪𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓪𝓴𝓲 (guardianship) he will help us protect and honour New Zealand’s story on the Western Front. Through his involvement, the voices of those who served, the sacrifices they made and the enduring ties between our nations will continue to resonate across generations.

Moments like these remind us that remembrance is not only about looking back, but about carrying memory forward, together.

📸 Would you like to relive some of the moving moments from last weekend’s Anzac commemorations? Be sure to check the page of the one and only Eric Compernolle.

22/04/2026

Last December our Trust was able to support the Homegrown TV team, led by Jude Dobson, while filming in Flanders, following the story of Dave Gallaher, captain of New Zealand’s 1905 ‘Originals’ All Black team, who died on the 4th of October 1917 and is buried at Nine Elms British Cemetery in Poperinge.

In the lead-up to Anzac Day we are very proud to announce that the documentary ‘𝓕𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓕𝓲𝓮𝓵𝓭 𝓣𝓸 𝓕𝓻𝓸𝓷𝓽’ will be broadcast on Saturday April 25th on TVNZ and TVNZ+ around midday. The documentary has been made in association with Auckland RSA with the support of a family of funders.

Considered the ‘father of the All Blacks’, Dave was not only a leader on the rugby field, but also on the battlefield. It was the later role that prematurely took his life in World War I. Presented by former All Blacks captain Sean Fitzpatrick, ‘𝓕𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓕𝓲𝓮𝓵𝓭 𝓣𝓸 𝓕𝓻𝓸𝓷𝓽’ explores the two defining parts of Dave Gallaher’s life, and more, through a global soil exchange between New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland and Belgium.

This docu is so much more than a tribute. It gives a soul not only to Dave’s story as a former All Black captain, but to every New Zealander who never returned home. Therefore we are deeply grateful to have played a part in this meaningful weaving of past and present.

🙏 New Zealand Embassy in Belgium - Commonwealth War Graves Commission - Last Post Ieper - Passchendaele Museum - All Blacks

14/04/2026

This week our Trust had the privilege of welcoming the McIver family from Christchurch for a deeply meaningful visit that brought personal history and shared remembrance vividly to life. Grant, Jeannette and Connor McIver carry remarkable connections to our common wartime heritage.

We were able to accompany them to Ypres Reservoir Cemetery, to the final resting place of Jeannette’s forebear, 𝓛𝓲𝓮𝓾𝓽𝓮𝓷𝓪𝓷𝓽 𝓒𝓸𝓵𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓵 𝓖𝓮𝓸𝓻𝓰𝓮 𝓐𝓾𝓰𝓾𝓼𝓽𝓾𝓼 𝓚𝓲𝓷𝓰. He served as the first Commanding Officer of the New Zealand (Māori) Pioneer Battalion and was later posted to command the 1st Battalion, Canterbury Regiment. His service came to a tragic end on 12 October 1917, when he was killed by British artillery fire.

For Grant, this journey also carried a newly discovered family story.
Through his mother Evelyn, he recently uncovered his link to 𝓟𝓻𝓲𝓿𝓪𝓽𝓮 𝓙𝓸𝓱𝓷 𝓦𝓪𝓻𝓭𝓵𝓪𝔀 𝓢𝓽𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓷𝓼, whose final resting place lies at Tyne Cot Cemetery. This was not the first time John’s story reached across the world. Nearly ten years ago, our Trust President Marijke established a connection with John’s family in Invercargill, beginning a chain of remembrance that continues to grow and resonate today.

Moments like these remind us why these journeys matter so profoundly. They are not only visits to graves or historical sites, they are acts of reconnection. They transform distant history into lived emotion. They ensure that lives once interrupted by war are once again spoken of, shared, and honoured.

We are very grateful to the McIver family for allowing us to share in their journey.



📸 Grant McIver & Marijke Vandevyvere

10/04/2026

This selection of photos reflect the warmth and sincerity with which people gathered to mark the 109th anniversary of the Battle of Arras near Carrière Wellington. They capture not just a dawn ceremony, but a moment of shared remembrance and connection, one we felt truly privileged to witness up close.

What made this ceremony stand out was the deeply personal thread woven throughout: diary extracts, stories and songs brought history closer, making the past feel present in a powerful and intimate way.

A particularly moving moment was the presence of a delegation from Pukekohe High School of Auckland. Mr. Tipene Frearson-Kirkwood delivered an emotional opening speech inspired by the pōwhiri, setting a tone of respect, unity and remembrance that resonated throughout the entire ceremony.

Already we look ahead to 9th of April 2027, when the 110th anniversary will mark a truly unique and memorable occasion. For more information, we encourage you to visit the official website: https://arras.fr/110ans-bataille-arras

These are just a few impressions, more photos can be viewed on Eric's page.

Ville d'Arras - Carrière Wellington - Ambassade de Nouvelle-Zelande en France - New Zealand Embassy, Paris

30/03/2026

There is always something profoundly moving about welcoming students from New Zealand to a place as symbolic and solemn as the Menin Gate for the daily Last Post Ieper.

Since 2017, when Marijke Vandevyvere, President of our Trust, first met one of the teachers of Southland Girls' High School, a meaningful tradition has grown: both their school and James Hargest College now include Flanders in their biennial journey to France and the former battlefields of the Western Front.

These visits carry a special significance. They bridge vast distances, bringing young people from the uttermost ends of the world to landscapes where so many of their ancestors once stood, fought, and fell. The New Zealand story on the Western Front is too often overlooked, yet here it quietly lives on, in fields, in names, in silence.

By walking these grounds, students connect with a past that is both distant and deeply their own, ensuring that remembrance is not confined to history books but felt, understood, and carried forward.

Until we meet again! 🌺

📸 Eric Compernolle

25/02/2026

We’re happy to share a wonderful activity organized by our friends at New Zealand Liberation Museum - Le Quesnoy! If you’re looking for an enriching outing, this is definitely one to add to your calendar. Check out the details 👇👇👇and join in!
We highly recommend it!

🇫🇷 Rejoignez-nous à Le Quesnoy pour les commémorations et célébrations de l’Anzac Day à Te Arawhata ! Les billets sont en vente dès maintenant ici : https://nzliberationmuseum.com/fr/anzac-day-au-quesnoy-2026/

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🇳🇿 Join us in Le Quesnoy for Anzac Day commemorations and celebrations at Te Arawhata! Tickets on sale now: https://nzliberationmuseum.com/anzac-day-2026/

24/02/2026

𝓚𝓸𝓷𝓻𝓪𝓭-𝓐𝓭𝓮𝓷𝓪𝓾𝓮𝓻-𝓢𝓽𝓲𝓯𝓽𝓾𝓷𝓰

Last Sunday the Last Post Ieper was privileged to welcome H.E. Simon Draper, New Zealand Ambassador and Head of Mission to the EU and NATO at the New Zealand Embassy in Belgium. He was accompanied by two Members of Parliament (Tim van de Molen MP and Catherine Wedd MP) and H.E. Angus Campbell of the Australian Embassy to Belgium and Luxembourg and Mission to the EU and NATO.

In this Anzac spirit they paid tribute to the fallen in a place that remains one of the most powerful symbols of remembrance and sacrifice. The daily ceremony continues to remind us of the courage of so many who gave their lives for our freedom.

This moment of reflection took place in the framework of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, a political foundation committed to promoting democracy, the rule of law, European integration, and transatlantic cooperation. Through dialogue and international engagement, the foundation seeks to strengthen shared values and mutual understanding across nations.

A heartfelt thank you to all who joined in this meaningful act of remembrance.

📸 Eric Compernolle