Monday, April 27, 2015

Chunuk Bair

This  was the highest point the NZ soldiers got to during WW1 and is a hilltop from where you can see the Aegean Sea and the Dardenelles. NZ soldiers only held it for five minutes, but it is heaps higher than the Aussies highest point...not that it's a competition.....

We had allocated seating for the NZ commemorative ceremony and we were in the C stand.  As it turned out, C stood for
Crappy
Can't see anything
and- Considered leaving!

You know I am not one to moan, but the cenotaph stood in the middle and all the mics, seating, dignitaries etc were all on the other side of the brick column and we in the C stand could see bugger all!

When Prince Charles and Harry arrived with our own John Key, much laughter and excitement was happening and we were not even connected to it!  In fact our whole stand failed to clap with the collective at one point because we had NO idea what was going on.  It didn't help our cause when, lacking stimulation, many of us proceeded to fall asleep during the service and a few loud snores escaped from those disconnected throats.

I pondered the layout and I have to consider that their priority may have been security from a potential sniper, as we were almost the highest point, but the screens and stands made it impossible to get a shot into the area.  So we were the price it takes to keep those people safe.  I'm ok with that.


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