Stories of forgiveness, trauma, gratitude and appreciation flowed on April 25 as the town came to together to commemorate Anzac Day.
Among the speakers at the Lake Wānaka Centre civic service on Anzac Day were the four school leaders from Mount Aspiring College.
They challenged their listeners to build a better world, and never forget the debt of gratitude owed to those who suffered the consequences of war.
Zavier Taylor talked about his great-great uncle, who was treated decently by an Italian guard while a prisoner of war.
Later in life his relative was among New Zealand prisoners who reunited with the guard — both in New Zealand and in Italy — and were able to retrieve their haul of buried cash from the prison.
Daisy Sanders spoke of her relative who served in Europe in World War 1 and was injured from a single shot to his chest.
Lottie Hunt said her great grandfather also returned to New Zealand an injured, changed man, after serving in the Burma campaign.
She described how trauma could become a catalyst for separation and shame, and reminded listeners that suffering the invisible wounds of war was a sacrifice.
Tom Sides said the legacies of war went beyond the battlefield to those who were left at home, dealing with rationing and fear of Japanese attack.
He related a tale his neighbour had told him about a returned serviceman so traumatised he lost control of himself and his family home.
Other Anzac commemorations around the district included rain and hail-affected dawn services at Lake Wānaka and Lake Hāwea.
The 30-minute service included a rendition of Hareruia by pupils of Hāwea Flat School and a speech from guest speaker Major Michael Clulow.
Later in the morning, conditions improved to allow a street parade and wreath-laying ceremony in sunny conditions in Wanaka. There was also a mid-morning service in the Tarras Memorial Hall.
Beau Trevathan, voluntary organiser of the Tarras service, said the decision to move the entire service inside in recent years had been to shelter the crowd from the noise and hazards of the busy highway just beyond the hall’s doors.
"The bugler thinks it’s wonderful.
"When it was raining this morning I thought, well everybody’s going to thank me for having it inside."
He said the service was well-attended by people of all ages in the Tarras community, but also received strong support from older generations who had since moved away from the area.
"They feel a connection to Tarras too and it’s good to see."
