Masterton's Lynette Juno at the town's Cenotaph honouring WWI soldiers, including two of her great-uncles.

Descendants of Gallipoli veterans are disgusted a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to honour them was canned - but the event's Australian organisers are blaming Kiwi apathy.

Organisers of the Camp Gallipoli event at Auckland's Ellerslie Racecourse announced on Wednesday it had been cancelled "due to unforeseen circumstances," offering full refunds.

Billed as "a-once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for all New Zealanders to come together on the 100th anniversary of the landings at Gallipoli to sleep out under the stars as the original Anzacs did", it was to happen alongside events across Australia the night before the traditional dawn service on Anzac Day, April 25.

Tickets ranged from $88 to $100 and covered food, accommodation, parades and entertainment including Kiwi band Evermore, with profits going to returned services organisations.

A Facebook post on Wednesday by Australia-based, not-for-profit Camp Gallipoli Foundation announcing the cancellation was slammed by ticket-holders.

"My father served and was a POW, this was very special to me to attend. The whole thing has been a sham. Look at the Aussies' [Camp Gallipoli] pages, they have got it down [pat] and is going to be a blast, we are also part of the Anzacs. I'm disgusted," wrote Bridget Walters.

Masterton woman Lynette Juno booked tickets to the event with her daughter and her daughter's partner and flights from Wellington, thinking it would be the perfect way to commemorate the centenary of her grandfather, James Juno, fighting at Gallipoli, and to honour his two brothers, who were killed in action. "I just thought it would be something really special and worth remembering."

She was refunded the ticket price but spent $130 on non-refundable airfares.

Camp Gallipoli Foundation chief executive Chris Fox said poor ticket sales meant the Auckland event would have run at a huge loss, with only 102 tickets sold by Wednesday - well short of the targeted 10,000 to 20,000. "Mate, we're gutted."

He conceded a late marketing push didn't help, with the Auckland event launching in December well after the September Australian launch. But a "laconic" Kiwi attitude was the main culprit.

"You [Kiwis] didn't get off your backside . . . laconic is an exaggeration, I'd check your pulses to make sure that you're still breathing."

The events will run annually for four years. With some 100,000 tickets sold for the Australian camp-outs this year, a renewed effort would be made next year to get New Zealanders on board.

No New Zealand contractors would lose money. He invited anyone unable to get airfares refunded to contact him for reimbursement.

The Returned and Services Association supported the Auckland event. Chief executive David Moger said the cancellation was disappointing but disagreed a lack of Kiwi enthusiasm for Anzac Day was behind it.

"Completely the opposite, there's a huge amount of energy and interest."

A proliferation of Anzac events meant many people already had plans when Camp Gallipoli launched, while cultural differences between the Anzac nations were also to blame.

"As Cricket World Cup showed, we are quite different at times in our approaches and our style."