There were emotional scenes at Al Noor mosque on Tuesday, three years after the country's worst terrorist attack took place there.
Victims wanted to reclaim the day and the two mosques attacked and are still hopeful of more changes to come from it.
It was the last steps of a gruelling 360km journey for a man shot nine times. And at the exact time the terrorist loaded his guns outside three years ago, Temel Atacocugu bowed down to reclaim it. Then the emotion took over.
"Remember the 51 people lost here, so we have to remember them," Atacocugu said.
Inside Al Noor survivors, mourners and relatives gathered to pray, their backs to the door just as they were three years ago when terror was unleashed there.
While Atacocugu came home, Aya Al Umari and her family packed up to move to Auckland and away from painful memories.
"Everywhere we go here, it reminds us of Hussein," Al Umari says.
Her brother Hussein left for prayer just before noon on March 15. Not long later he was shot dead while bravely trying to save others.
He was among the 51 men, women and children - one just three years old - murdered in the two mosques that day.
"Still have the urge to call and text my brother, it does still feel a bit raw," Al Umari says.
Much has been said, written and examined since but Al Umari has spent three years trying to get answers, and she still is.
"I never expected it to be this hard, I never expected to be navigating the justice system as much as I have in the past three years," she said. "Simple questions like what time did Hussein die."
Many of the Royal Commission's recommendations haven't yet been implemented.
"It's not just a day to remember, we have obligations as a Cabinet, as a Government to keep fulfilling all our commitments made to the community on that day and in the days after," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.
But critics say they're moving far too slowly.
"There were 44 great recommendations there, we've only implemented six of them so far and we really need to get on with them. Particularly I'd really like to see a Minister appointed for counter-terrorism," National Party leader Christopher Luxon says.
However, today everyone remembers those that were lost.
Temel with his pilgrimage of peace.
"My life is a miracle and I believe I have a reason why I survived," Atacocugu says.
Aya Al Umari seeking her own peace in Auckland.
"Temel has inspired me to reclaim March 15, so I might just go for a walk that day, like he's doing, walk for peace, just reclaim that dark day," she says.
A dark day that's shined a light on these brave survivors inspiring all New Zealanders with their profound ways of peace.
