Each Anzac Day for the past 50 years the Bendigo Highland Pipe Band has embarked on an epic odyssey that takes it from one side of the Murray to the other and back again, stopping to perform at four separate country town commemorative services along the way.
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Beginning in Eaglehawk at 7am, the band travels the 127 kilometres to Cohuna for their first service, then it's across the border to Barham, followed by a one kilometre march back into Victoria for a service at Koondrook, and then a 30 minute drive back into NSW for a final service at Wakool.
Band members Bruce Heider, Alby Dole and Wally Stables were part of the original tour in 1965 and all three will be on board again this Anzac Day.
Mr Heider and Mr Dole have retired from their roles in the band and will be accompanying the group laying wreaths at each of the services while Mr Stables plays the Piper's Lament.
Mr Heider said the unlikely 372 kilometre road trip first came about following a casual request from a fellow musician.
"I was playing in the band at the time and I had a couple of friends in brass bands and one friend in the Golden Square Brass Band said 'are you doing anything special on Anzac Day?'," he said.
"We didn't have any permanent booking for Anzac Day so he said 'there's a crowd up north that are looking for a band because they haven't got one, you've got to be at Cahoona at 9am and you'll be told where to go from there'.
"So I took it to the band and they said 'yes we'll do it, we'll give it a go'."
After more than half a century of playing at Anzac Day services since migrating from Scotland in 1961 Mr Stables said he felt very much a part of the Anzac tradition.
"You've got to respect what they've done and this is our way of showing our respect," he said.
"They don't have pipe bands and things up there so we're happy to go along and help them.
"We lay a wreath at every one that we play at."
Despite the passing of the years Mr Stables said the band would play on.
"We're getting slower and slower every year as we get older," he said.
"(But) I'm sure if the band's still performing I'd imagine they'd keep going.
"It's a long driving day but you're doing it for a good cause and that's what it's all about."