Anzac Day
-
RSA saying thousands fewer attended ANZAC services in Akl this year.
I guess the fact that Easter and ANZAC Day coupled with school holidays meant some people took the opportunity to take a long break but in 2018 there were 84 commemorations in Auckland but only 26 yesterday. It took more effort to attend and I guess a lot of folks found it too hard or were put off by the fear-mongering. Very disappointing
-
For any one interested that photo was taken at the Messine Ridge Memorial at Mesen.
If anyone is doing a battlefield tour or just visiting the area, I really recommend Mesen as a stop for Kiwis. Way more connected to us than to others so can be overlooked in organised tours. Do a little research first as there are a few sites in a small area and stuff there that you could easily miss.
The Nga Tapuwae trails app is a must https://ngatapuwae.govt.nz -
@Crucial I was wondering what prompted you posting that photo. I never went to Mesen but did visit Tyne Cot, Buttes, Polygon Wood and Nine Elms. There were a few other NZ-related memorials in the Passchendale region. I took plenty of photos.
Edit: I assume because of Armistice Day.
-
@Crucial I was wondering what prompted you posting that photo. I never went to Mesen but did visit Tyne Cot, Buttes, Polygon Wood and Nine Elms. There were a few other NZ-related memorials in the Passchendale region. I took plenty of photos.
Edit: I assume because of Armistice Day.
Yeah, was Armistice day related (posted at the 11th hour....). I am still in Europe mode so AD is more prevalent than it is in NZ where we tend to lump everything in with ANZAC Day.
The missus had been taken on a bit of an 'official' tour of the region and then the two of us went back to do it ourselves. The locals that took her party had picked out a lot of relevant NZ stuff to see.
Based ourselves in Ypres and did Mesen, Passchendaele, Tyne Cot, Nine Elms, Polygon, Ypres then fitted in Les Quesnoy back over the border.
All easily doable in a weekend (we drove over on Friday evening, back Sunday) so if anyone is doing a UK trip it is not that difficult to squeeze in f you are interested in this stuff. Well worth it. -
-
@Crucial I was wondering what prompted you posting that photo. I never went to Mesen but did visit Tyne Cot, Buttes, Polygon Wood and Nine Elms. There were a few other NZ-related memorials in the Passchendale region. I took plenty of photos.
Edit: I assume because of Armistice Day.
Yeah, was Armistice day related (posted at the 11th hour....). I am still in Europe mode so AD is more prevalent than it is in NZ where we tend to lump everything in with ANZAC Day.
Not a huge turn out in Whangarei, but still a hundred or so. Quite few attendees spaced around the edge of the green. A large number of Vietnam Vets there.
-
@Machpants Where is that shot taken? I can't picture where it is.
-
@JC Laurie Hall Carpark (to the left is the waterfall that isnt falling with water) that Statue used to be on Rose St (at bottom of Bank Street) but was moved 5 or 6 years back when they did that memorial.
-
@taniwharugby said in Anzac Day:
@JC Laurie Hall Carpark, that Statue used to be on Rose St, but was moved 5 or 6 years back
Ah, OK, that makes sense. I thought the statue looked like the one from down by the Grand Hotel. Glad they finally found something worthy to do with that area. Do you remember the embarrassment that was the glass fountain?
-
-
@taniwharugby It was a 3 metre tall thing with a couple of fin shaped glass things on the side. Water sometimes trickled down it. But not much and not very often. A hose with a finger over the end is much more spectacular.
Edit, found a picture. It was even more underwhelming in real life.
-
@JC haha no I dont recall that, was that in laurie Hall carpark too? Early 70s maybe? Building looks familiar and Parihaka in background?
-
@taniwharugby said in Anzac Day:
@JC haha no I dont recall that, was that in laurie Hall carpark too? Early 70s maybe? Building looks familiar and Parihaka in background?
I don't recall it from my time in Whangarei either (1988-98)
This pic is the current location. The plaque is still there apparently
-
@taniwharugby said in Anzac Day:
@JC haha no I dont recall that, was that in laurie Hall carpark too? Early 70s maybe? Building looks familiar and Parihaka in background?
Yeah right in that crappy corner at the western end. It must have been built in the early 70s at a guess to general derision. We may have been a town full of bogans but we knew shit when we saw it.
