Gallipoli services 'magical' - visitors

Former Whangarei Boys' High School headmaster Al Kirk captured the crowd during Anzac Day commemorations in Gallipoli on Saturday.

Northlanders who attended the Anzac Day commemorations in Gallipoli spoke highly of the "moving and serene" atmosphere which helped them reflect on what Kiwi soldiers endured 100 years ago.

About a dozen Northlanders made the trip, including former Whangarei Boys' High School headmaster Al Kirk, youth ambassador and Huanui College student Richard Young, Keith and Trish Love, Ross and Theresa Leslie and their daughter Bex, and fitness instructor Corinne Austin and her husband Shane.

"The service was incredible, as was the security. I read about the battle prior, and we all know the names of the places but it is not until you are here you realise just how incredibly difficult the conditions were," Mr Kirk said.

He said 300 men died at the Nek - a space not much bigger than a tennis court which made him feel incredibly sad.

"The services were awesome, and very moving. It was much harder to sing the hymns here, than at home."

Ms Austin said what astounded her was the eerie but somewhat pleasant and appropriate silence, despite there being more than 10,000 in the crowd.

"It was quite serene, and it helped lead us into reflection - reflection of what was happening exactly 100 years ago, what our courageous and duty-bound soldiers endured, and what their families suffered through when they were delivered that fateful telegram or piece of news.

"The service itself was deeply moving, and something I'll never forget. I don't think there was a dry face in the house, and grown men could be seen dabbing at their faces with tissues, and giving the occasional deep-breathed gulp."

From the Maori Karanga, to the speeches given by the noted dignitaries, to the wreath laying, and the playing of The Last Post, she said every piece of the 100th Anzac dawn service cemented its part in history.

From the dawn service, the group she was in hiked 6.5km up hill, towards the Chunuk Bair memorial - the site at which the New Zealand service was held.

"The Chunuk Bair service was undoubtedly special. It touched us all. I had more tears than the dawn service, and I know I wasn't the only one. Extremely proud and respectful of our boys who fought for us and extremely proud to be Kiwi today.

"Words cannot portray the magic of our Gallipoli experience. It was a once-in-a-lifetime event. We will continue to remember," she said.