"Sir, I could sit here all day"
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“Today was indescribable. I was so afraid that I would feel nothing at all standing there on the beach, just like it was another beach ..... When we first drove there, and I got that first glimpse, my first thought was that it is so beautiful. And it is ...... I continued to walk up the beach trying to just take in everything, but then I just sat down and I was completely overwhelmed by what I felt. One part was the realisation that no matter how many times I visit this place I don't think I could feel exactly as I did at that moment ..... I came here to try and understand. Do I understand now? I don't know. I know that since being here, I have never been more proud to be Australian. Never have I been so proud to tell people who I am and where I come from ..... Has it met up to my expectations? It has exceeded them. I had no idea what I would feel, but I did not expect to feel what I did." Anzac 2002 Tour |
What is it about ......
Anzac Cove
One particular point that has been common to all four tours is the effect that being at Anzac Cove has had on the students (as the quote above indicates).
The students visit so many special and important places on the tours and are genuinally moved by all of their experiences, yet Anzac Cove seems to have a hold on them - from the moment they walk onto the beach. Why is this? It's best to let them try to explain:
Here are some reflections from different tours:
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“I took a moment to sit and to take it all in. It’s so difficult to explain just how good it felt to be there. I felt privileged, saddened and most of all proud to be there.” Spirit of Anzac Tour 2006 |
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“It was hard to imagine that the beautiful blue water in front of me was once stained with the blood of Australian soldiers ... I doubt I will ever be able to describe fully the sensation I had at that sacred site" Anzac 2002 Tour |
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| “Today has to be one of the most spiritual experiences of my life. There are no words to explain Anzac Cove - actually sitting on the beach was mind blowing. It took a while for where we were to sink in, but once it had it was incredible. To sit, to stand, to walk, to wade in the waters of Anzac Cove. It was a very personal experience that I don't think I will ever be able to describe to anyone else." " Debt of Honour Tour 2004 |
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| “No-one who hasn't been to Anzac Cove could ever understand how it feels. When I stood there the text books closed and the reality of the campaign hit me. The only word that came to mind was ‘enchanting'.” Debt of Honour Tour 2004 |
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"I felt like I belonged"
Spirit of Anzac Tour 2006
Photos of some of the personal reflective moments experienced by the students at Anzac Cove on the Spirit of Anzac Tour
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More reflections
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“All I can say is that Anzac Cove is the most amazing place in the world. Anything I had envisioned or learned about the place was blown out of the water, it's so much greater thatn pictures or words." Anzac 2002 Tour |
"It's ironic how one place has the potential to refocus your life and teach you to not take anything for granted. I think Anzac Cove especially for young people is a place where you can really clear your mind & re-identify with the things that really are important in life." Debt of Honour Tour 2004 |
"Walking along the beach at Anzac Cove was amazing - so much history and so much significance to Australia and our way of life." Lest We Forget Tour 1999 |
Images of Anzac Cove
Click on photo for larger image
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Looking north with the glow of the setting sun |
A low angle looking north |
Looking south towards Hell Spit and Gaba Tepe in the background (note the new roadworks and the erosion on the left) |
The sound of fishing boats plying along the cove is a constant reminder that the area still has economic significance to the locals |
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Looking north again and taking in the famous sign at the southern end of the cove |
A place that really makes you feel your "Australianism" |
Looking down from 1st Ridge towards Ari Burnu point at the northern end of the cove |
The sound of the gentle lapping of the 'waves' on the rocks adds to the peaceful nature of the cove |
Lest We Forget 1999 |
Anzac 2002 |
Debt of Honour 2004 |
Spirit of Anzac 2006 |
