My alarm was one of many students' that went off at 4.30am or earlier across Northland yesterday morning.
I stood among hundreds at the Whangarei RSA before the Anzac dawn parade, and I was one of thousands who attended the dawn service.
Students from schools across the Whangarei District and young Scouts and cadets all made the early morning effort and filled Laurie Hall Park to its edges.
Read more: Northlanders asked on Anzac Day to help war vets
Not all wounds bleed: Northlanders support Poppy Appeal so we never forget veterans' service and their families
It has been more than a century since Anzac Day was first commemorated and students today still appreciate the sacrifices made for the freedom we enjoy.