Our ANZAC Day

    Rain and wind scared us off from attending Dawn Services, but Marg's sister Jane did go to her local services with a friend.

     Down by the beach with bagpipes playing in the background, names of locals who had given the ultimate sacrifice were read. Jane's description: "A spectacular ANZAC dawn service on Currumbin Beach. Flags were flown and bagpipes, didgeridoo n bugle played on top of an enormous rock. The sound and sight of the waves provided an eerie back drop. It was truly the best I’ve ever been to".

   We headed to the local RSL Club for a roast lamb lunch.  The Returned Sevice League is a social club that raises money to support the needs of Australian veterans and their families. It was packed. There were active military present in uniform and others in suits displaying military medals. Medals worn on the right side were earned by forebears.  Medals worn on the left were earned by the veteran.

     The most interesting part of the visit was watching a large, cheering crowd play Two Up on the patio. Two Up is an illegal gambling game that originated in England and was brought to Australia by convicts. It became very popular with Australian soldiers during World War I.  It is illegal 364 days of the year as it is a form of unregulated gambling. In honor of Australian soldiers, it is allowed on ANZAC Day. It is a simple game...you bet on two or three coins that are tossed in the air....do they land heads or tails? To make a bet simply hold up your money for someone to bet with. We saw 5s, 10s, 20s and even 50s waving in the air. People side bet, cheer or groan at the outcome, and exchange lots and lots of cash. Jack won and lost $10 in the rounds he played. It was great fun.

Our final stop was a walk to and from the Surf Club to watch the surfers before sunset and to have a drink. The afternoon football game (Collingwood vs Essendon) was about to start, and people were positioning themselves near televisions. An Australian soldier at the match began playing The Last Post on his bugle (the equivalent of Taps). The entire Surf Club  went quiet and people stood up and remained silent until he finished. This reverence continued through the singing of both the New Zealand and Australian national anthems, and then the crowd applauded loudly as the game began. It was one of the most amazing demonstrations of respect we have ever seen. Then Collingwood bested Essendon 90 to 77.