Anzac Day

It seems like I haven't been at work for ages. Yesterday was "Community Day" at work, where you can take a day to go and do some work in the community but still be paid. A few people from my team and I decided to join the Conservation Volunteers to spruce up a nature reserve at Chifley. I was picked up at 9:15 and had to swing past a great coffee shop I know on the way at Rosebery.

The day was spent weeding mainly, pruning and using round up to kill the buggers once and for all. The men all made a bee-line for the heavy tools (axe, pick-axe etc) and seemed slightly disappointed there was no heavy machinery involved. The day finished at 3:30, so not quite the 'hard yakka' I had been expecting but a good day none-the-less.

Today is ANZAC Day here in Australia. The term 'ANZAC' comes from the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps soldiers who landed at Gallipoli in Turkey on the 25th April 1915 during the First World War. It's an incredibly important day in Australia and to visit Gallipoli on this day has almost become a rite of passage for young australians.

The mission was to quickly knock out Turkey from the war but they ANZACs were met with fierce resistance by the Turkish defenders and the battle lasted a long eight months, at which time the allied forces were evacuated after suffering massive casualties of about 8000. This year is the first year where there are no more surviving ANZACs to join the parade.

It is also a wet and miserable day in Sydney so we spent the day baking! The 'bake off' consisted of Jo's ANZAC biscuits versus my Rock Cakes :)

The final score:

Anzac biscuits: 7.5/10
Rock Cakes: 8.5/10