Wellington  - Thousands of New Zealanders turned out to honour the country's war dead at dawn services throughout the country on Saturday, the 94th anniversary of a disastrous First World War landing by troops at Gallipoli in Turkey.

The troops were part of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) and April 25 is a public holiday of remembrance in both countries.

Nearly 14,000 New Zealanders served at Gallipoli during the eight-month campaign, which failed in its objective of giving the British Navy command of the Turkish-held Dardanelles. More than 2,700 died and nearly 5,000 were injured.

"It has been described as a coming of age for New Zealand, a trial by fire in which a small Dominion of Great Britain discovered its own mettle, sowing the seeds of a distinct national identity," the Governor-General, Sir Anand Satyanand, said in a message marking Anzac Day.

Dirk Cardoen, mayor of Zonnebeke-Passendale, Belgium, where one of the most devastating conflicts of the First World War was fought, attended Anzac Day services in Canterbury province, where his district is twinned with Waimakariri.

He launched a touring exhibition, Passchendaele: The Belgians Have Not Forgotten, in Christchurch on April 21.

Anzac Day services were also being held in other countries, including Afghanistan, East Timor, Korea, the Sudan and the Solomon Islands, where more than 680 New Zealand forces are serving, mainly on United Nations peacekeeping missions. (dpa)