Twenty-nine men died underground in the foothills of the Paparoa Range when the mine exploded at 3.44pm on November 19, 2010.
Only two of those underground at the time survived the blast.
The days that followed were filled by false hope, then despair. The Pike River Coal Company went into liquidation, and was later sold to the former State-owned miner Solid Energy, which rejected a re-entry proposal and started to seal off the mine.
After families led by Anna Osborne occupied the road to the mine, the Labour-Green coalition Government agreed to a re-entry — a $51 million taxpayer-funded exercise which is due to draw to a close at the end of this year.
For the 10th anniversary, some families will mark the day in Wellington, and others quietly with a visit to the mine site away from the attentions of the media.
The public will have the chance to attend the annual service at 5.30pm at Blackball, Mrs Osborne said.
Paul Maunder, for the Blackball organisers, said they had asked that one of the victims’ children speak at the service.
Greymouth Mayor Tania Gibson will be in Wellington on November 19 for a day of meetings, and she will attend the service there.
West Coast-Tasman MP Damien O'Connor said he had not yet decided if he would attend the Wellington or Blackball event.
He described the decade since the tragedy as a "long and torturous process" for the families.
Former mayor Tony Kokshoorn said the 10th anniversary was a defining moment.
"Ten years later, we are about to finalise the re-entry. Everyone is agreeing now, we can't go past the big rockfall. That will be final. The 29 men are all behind that, and together. A lot of the families are ready to accept they will be together in the mine."
It had been a difficult decade, with nobody held to account, he said.
