Simpson Prize 2015 Day 6 and 7
Day 6
We started off the day by visiting the twelve tree copse cemetry, where Lucy's ancestor was buried. It was raining at the beginning but the sky soon cleared up and it was a pleasant day to have a look around. After laying a poppy and a bush of rosemary, we visited the V Beach, where the British had landed on 25 April. I discovered that the majority of the soldiers - apart from the Turks - who took part in the Gallipoli campaign were actually British and French, not Australians. This was surprising because in Australia, we tend to focus on the Anzac's achievements and the sacrifices of other nationalities are often left out. For the rest of the morning, we visited the French and Turkish memorials and cemeteries.
After a quick lunch back at our hotel, we attended the rehearsal for the Lone Pine service on Anzac day. Adam, Bianca, Daniel, Lucy and Max practised reading out their epitaphs and poems while the rest of us watched them and admired the beautiful scenery. Halfway through the rehearsal however, it started pouring down with rain and we had to evacuate to a nearby tent, where we waited, freezing in the cold, for the next half an hour. Sadly, the rehearsal was cancelled but I'm sure all of us will read well on the day of the ceremony, despite the lack of rehearsals. In the evening, back in the hotel, we had a chance to talk to the other tourist groups about our experiences of writing and winning the Simpsons Prize as well as the spectacular experiences that this trip provided us.
- Winnie Lee (New South Wales)
Day 7
We began the day with a beautiful cruise on the ocean, being constantly stalked by the coast guard. We followed the shoreline of Gallipoli absorbing the beautiful scenic view of our previously ventured locations. These included the Nek, Plugge's Plateau, the arena on north beach and many others. Following this we went to the arena to practice our readings for the dawn service. After this we walked along the beach spotting many artefact, the greatest being the skeletal frame of a landing boat protruding from the waves. We then hiked through Shrapnel Valley and Monash Valley to the top of the cliff near the Sphinx. The view in all directions was mesmerising. This ended another great day in Turkey.
- Max Claessens (Australian Capital Territory)
Towards the end the day, our group witnessed a fleet of Turkish and Australian navy ships sail by the peninsula, lining up in formation. Second in line was HMAS Anzac. It was indeed a sight to behold. Alongside them were a number of smaller coast guard vessels. While these ships were smaller, they too were interesting to look at.
-Daniel Nguyen (South Australia)