8th November 2009
This morning at 6am I donned the welsh jersey for a trip to the pub to watch the All Blacks play Wales in Cardiff. It seemed really strange to be in a pub that early (and felt a little too early for a beer, so we settled for a cooked breakfast and coffee instead). I sang the anthem, albeit quietly since I was the only Welsh supporter in the place and got very excited when I saw the goat! The match was excellent, a really exciting game from start to finish with Wales really taking it to the Blacks and playing with immense passion right up until the final whistle. I think on reflection a beer would have helped calm me down instead of the 2 cups of strong coffee which only fuelled my nerves - I felt truly exhausted by the end.
We headed back to the hostel and after a brief chat with Fiona about it we headed off to Cambridge. Cambridge is a small town 20kms south of Hamilton and we had heard about a Rememberance Day parade with army vehicles and a market that was happening there today. We arrived just in time to see the start of the parade, with the Cambridge Pipe Band leading off a line of privately owned military vehicles.
After the parade, there was an armistice day service in the main square in front of the town hall. This is not usual practice over here, they commemorate Anzac Day insead. However, the pastor explained that the town of Cambridge has strong links with Le Quesnoy in France due to one of the last battles in World War One being fought there by New Zealand troops, so they celebrate Armistice Day in Cambridge as they do in France, then the French celebrate Anzac Day as they do in New Zealand.
There was a short service in Maori to welcome the VIPs and dignitaries which was followed by the raising of six flags (New Zealand, Australia, France, Italy, UK and American) and the singing of all these national anthems, representing the nations that fought in WW1. So for the second time that day, I sang a national anthem. After this there was the usual service and 2 minute silence followed by the last post and the laying of wreaths by representatives from all those nations and the New Zealand armed services.
This was followed by the hymn, “Bread of Heaven”, so although I hadn’t been able to sing it this morning, I did at least get a verse in during the service!! (They were definitely singing it in Cardiff though - we could hear them!).
As we continued on our way to our base for tonight, Turangi, the landscape of rolling pastures gradually gave way to the snow peaked volcanic mountains in the distance (featured in Lord of the Rings) and the massive caldera which is Lake Taupo, reputedly bigger than Singapore.
