Nearly 500 soldiers are about to descend on Gore — and residents shouldn't be startled by what they hear.
Exercise Tauwharenīkau 2026, the New Zealand Army Reserve Force's largest warfighting exercise, kicks off this Saturday and runs through July 26. Around 450 New Zealand Army Reserve personnel will be joined by 50 Australian Army Reserve soldiers from 5th Brigade, operating out of a base near Gore across the Hokonui Hills and Waikaia area.
The exercise is led by the 2nd/4th Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment, and is being described as the largest Reserve Force-led activity conducted in the South Island in decades.
Locals can expect to hear simulated gunfire and explosions, and may see soldiers carrying blank-firing weapons, military vehicles moving through the area, and Royal New Zealand Air Force aircraft overhead — including a C-130J Hercules transporting troops in and out of Invercargill and NH90 helicopters. No live ammunition will be used.
Exercise Director Lieutenant Colonel Gareth Seeds said the scale of the exercise reflects what modern soldiering demands.
"Exercise Tauwharenīkau reflects the scale, complexity and uncertainty of the contemporary security environment our soldiers must be prepared to operate in," Seeds said.
"It is designed to strengthen combat readiness, enhance interoperability with our Australian counterparts, and ensure our Reserve Force can integrate rapidly and effectively with the Regular Force to deliver increased combat capability, force protection, and operational effectiveness.
"We also look forward to further strengthening our longstanding defence relationship with Australia throughout the exercise."
Seeds said Southland's varied terrain makes it well suited for this kind of training, enabling soldiers to operate across a range of conditions that produce realistic military outcomes.
The New Zealand Defence Force says it has worked closely with local authorities and landowners to minimise disruption. Training areas will be sign-posted.
Reserve Force soldiers train for a minimum of 20 days a year alongside civilian jobs, study, and family life. During the exercise, employers of those personnel will be invited to visit the operating base to see first-hand what their employees do.
The army said it appreciates the continued support of the Gore, Waikaia, and wider Southland communities.