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Meterosideros excelsa

NZ Christmas tree

Hibiscus syriacus

No one had a go at identifying this plant. Admittedly the photo does not clearly show the leaves which may have helped.

Hibiscus syriacus 

This is a hardy hibiscus which does very well in cool temperate climates. It is deciduous loosing all its leaves in winter.  It is particularly attractive  when in full flower when it covers itself in hundreds of flowers about 75mm across. There are about 300 cultivars in the world. Colours range from pure white to dark purple. Flower shaper is from single open flowers to large multi double flowers as shown.

This is a great versatile plant that would grace any garden.

ANZAC DAY IN NZ

ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) DAY is a day of Remembrance for those NZ Servicemen and women who have died in the various wars. The first ANZAC Day was held in Turkey one year after the fateful landing of troops into Turkey in the Dardanelle Straits on World War I. This landing and subsequent fighting took many NZ, Australian and Turkish lives.

New Zealanders and Australians commemorate this in  all the large cities and small towns as well as at ANZAC Cove in Turkey. This year about 7000 New Zealander's Australians and Turks took part in the Dawn Service there.

This photo is of the local war Memorial in Kaiapoi, near Christchurch, about 1 hour after the ceremony finished.