Military vehicles, including bren gun carriers, Dodge command cars, jeeps and transporters are invading Waihi to commemorate 100 years since the start of WWI.

More than 50 military vehicles are scheduled to take a tour around Waihi before taking the motorcade to Martha Mine, where a couple of military planes will fly past.

Military vehicles taking a tour around Waihi. Photo: Daniel Hines.

The New Zealand Military Vehicle Collectors Club event is part of events commemorating 100 years since World War I.

Newmont Gold spokesperson Kit Wilson says each vehicle is displaying the name of a Martha Mine worker who left New Zealand a century ago to join the NZ Tunnelling Company and mine under German lines in France and Belgium.

'Some of the vehicles are also be carrying direct descendants of the Tunnellers.”

Kit says some of the comments they got from Tunnelling Company descendants were awesome.

'Wow that is amazing. I am sitting at my desk at work in tears (not a good look) am totally overwhelmed by this. Thank you so very much,” one person said.

'I spent last night on the phone ringing family to tell them this exciting news, and they were all very interested,” another responded.

'As we approach ANZAC Day 2014 and the centenary of WW1 this is just one small thing that we can do,” says Kit.