Coonalpyn, South Australia (population: 193) is the perfect setting for our ANZAC Day celebrations. It’s one of those occasional towns in the plains that sweep up to Adelaide.
We eat lunch in the shade of an enormous grain silo, its mural depicting a couple’s farming life.
Its camp ground and caravan park is next to the war memorial.
So close that we could decently attend the dawn service from our sleeping bags.
We arrive at about 12 o’clock the day before with nothing much to do. The swimming pool says it opens at 4 pm on school days.
Only it doesn’t, because the temperature is below 25 degrees.
Corellas are everywhere – a great flock shattering the afternoon’s stillness and destroying any chance of a nap.
The RSL (Returned and Services League) website says the Coonalpyn dawn service timings are 6.20 am for a 6.30 start. Nap-less and bleary-eyed, we dutifully reveille for the allotted time. It’s a well-organised service by the local Pastor, who comes to chat. About quarter of the population show up. Afterwards, breakfast of barbequed eggs and bacon at the Coonalpyn Bowls Club. “Where are you going, next?’, asks the Pastor, as we prepare to depart. ‘A vineyard’. He laughs. ‘Well, God Bless!’
He – or someone – does. We find ‘God’s Hill’ in an exquisite spot overlooking the Barossa Valley.
Run by Charlie, of Italian heritage, aside from wine, it does a superb three-course Italian lunch.
The young maitre d’ seizes on our military vehicles, wonders at our ‘Old Crocks’ endeavour and, on ANZAC Day, thanks us for our service and offers us free winetasting.
We have to accept, of course.
It would be rude not to.
Afterwards, very carefully, with the knowledge of more to come, we set up camp.
Lunch is superb. Antipasto, spaghetti, pizza and, for dessert, the chef’s speciality; apple crumble pizza. You have to have tried it to understand how good.
There is nothing memorable to write about the afternoon.
In fact, just nothing.
Doing nothing is not an option, though, for the charities we’re supporting. Their work to help young people and former service personnel and their families touches a chord with all of us. We hope it does with you, and that, after Australia’s national commemoration of ANZAC Day, you can share the story and the gofundme page so that our contribution keeps growing.
I’m very glad that the UK contingent got to experience an ANZAC Day service.
They are a quintessential part of Australia and well aligned with the chosen charites.