Military Tales from the Services Area

Come and hear tales from our military history. The Servicemens Cemetery was opened in 1916. It was the first and remains the largest such cemetery to be established in New Zealand. The tour has about 25 brief stops and includes prominent army leaders Major General Sir Howard Karl Kippenberger, Major General Charles William Melvill, Lieutenant-General Sir Leonard Thornton, Major General Sir Keith Lindsay Stewart, and army nurse commander Hestor Maclean.

Each tour is $10 per person (plus non-refundable booking fee). Children under 12 are free.

Our tour has a maximum capacity of about 15 persons. If there are insufficient tickets remaining for your party, please email us at info@friendsofkaroricemetery.co.nz to check if we can accommodate you.

Please note:

If we have to cancel a tour due to inclement weather or sickness, we will notify you on the day 1 hour before the tour starts by email and on our Facebook page. The booking fee is non-refundable.

This tour is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes long.

Please dress appropriately for the conditions. While we do our best to guide you on a safe walking route, during the winter months the ground can become slippery in places.

Some of our walks require a moderate degree of fitness and are not suited for those with limited mobility.

There is only one toilet which is located by the cemetery office at the main entrance.

If you have purchased tickets for other people can you please pass our tour information on to them as well.

Please meet us at the shelter (shown as the Historic Chapel on the map at the main entrance)

We look forward to welcoming you to Karori Cemetery.

Contact the host of Friends of Karori Cemetery: Military Tales from the Services Section (April 2026)