The Kiwi soldiers who died in the Sinai-Palestine campaign have been remembered with their own World War One Memorial Forest in Paunaui.

As part of the Thames-Coromandel District Council's memorial forest project, six kauri and two pohutukawa signature trees were planted by a group of enthusiastic volunteers last Saturday.

Deputy Mayor Peter French celebrates the unveiling of the Sinai-Palestine Memorial Forest sign with, from left: Hikaui School's Matt Batten, Dannielle Sholson and Donelle Steer, along with RSA representative Gerry Gaston. Photo: TCDC

Turning out for the ceremony were representatives from the RSA, council staff and members of the Tairua-Pauanui Community Board, plus students from Hikuai School.

This season will see another 200 native trees planted along the walkway heading south towards Hikuai this season, while the remaining 440 trees will be planted in coming years.

During the ceremony, 13-year-old Hikuai School student Donelle Steer gave a moving and well-researched speech on the significance of the Sinai-Palestine campaign and the personal cost of the soldiers who served.

'The signature trees we are planting here today commemorate 640 of our fallen soldiers who fought in the Sinai and Palestine campaigns,” she said.

'The Sinai campaign is less famous than some others; however it was significant in strategy. The troops included an 1800-strong NZ Mounted Rifle Brigade, and they suffered terrible conditions trying to fight in the dreadful desert.”

Donelle highlighted that during WWI, New Zealand's population was 1.1 million, while more than 100,000 Kiwis served overseas – 'So about 1 in 11 of us went away to war during this time.”

This had an enormous effect on the country and as a community. In Donelle's own family, they lost five men in the Great War, which lasted four years and four months.

That's a long time to wait for someone you love, she said.

'I personally struggle to imagine how life would be for me if I had to say goodbye to my dad and not see him again until I am 17 – with there still the chance that he wouldn't come home at all.

'It's an impossible thing to appreciate 100 years later – the suffering of these men and their family. Yet we do so today, respectfully and with hope for the future.”

RSA representative Gerry Gaston also paid tribute to those who sacrificed their lives, and made special mention of soldiers who had links to the Hikaui area, such as Trooper Donald Buckland Gorrie and Corporal Arthur Pierce.

The Tangitarori Lane memorial forest was officially opened by Thames-Coromandel deputy mayor Peter French, who unveiled the engraved kauri sign commemorating the Sinai-Palestine campaign with RSA representative Gerry Gaston.

The sign and the forest will now form part of the Hikuai Trust walkway along the harbour.

The Tangitarori Lane site is the seventh planting to be undertaken on the Peninsula, and means that every community board area now has at least one memorial forest site.