"I'm so coming back to this place"
What is it about Anzac Cove that leaves such a lasting impression on those who visit?
The Anzac 2002 group first visited Anzac Cove on the morning of 23 April, as part of a two day exploration of Gallipoli before Anzac Day.
What does it feel like to walk that sacred beach? The students say it all ……
"My first time standing on the beach was so weird … the strangest feeling you will ever know; walking along the beach at Anzac Cove, the silence, the stillness and peacefulness. I was a bit sceptical to start with, I saw the photos and videos in class but it just didn’t sink in. You have to experience this place for yourself ….
Samantha Willes – journal 23/4/02
"I felt as if I wasn’t even there, something just came over me, something I have never felt before in my life, it was hard to explain."
Todd - journal 23/4/02
"I bent down to put my hand in the water and for a moment the ice water seemed to give me a warm feeling all over. To think of how many men lost their lives there, before even getting to touch Turkish soil gave me an eerie feeling which I will never forget."
Tracey – journal entry 23/4/02
"Someone put a small Australian flag they had brought with them into the sand. The wind caught it and for a moment it was at full mast. It was a wonderful gesture I thought and so symbolic. Almost as if we had just claimed the ground, even though it was, for some of us, our great grandparents who had done so."
Katie – journal 23/4/02
For more quotes, stories & photos, see "Lesson of a Lifetime"