It was such an incredible experience to walk on the soil that spilled so much Austalian blood and to see the woods and towns that have become so legendary.

It is not possible for us to fully comprehend the suffering and loss of the years during both world wars, however the tour gave us an insight into the true scale of the tragedy on the Western Front and it's impacts on Australia into the future.

While we were away we attended the Dawn Service in Villers-Bretonneux on Anzac Day. This was incredibly moving and emotional, to think that we were standing alongside people from all over the world, paying respects to the men that gifted us the freedom that we know today.

After having looked down upon the sea of white that is Tyne Cot's 12,000 Commonwealth graves, the enormity of their gift becomes apparent.

Everywhere we went through both Belgium and France, sacrifice was evident.

We were also lucky enough to participate in the Menin Gate ceremony in Ypres, Belgium.

Every single night the main entrance into the town is closed and a ceremony is conducted in recognition of the sacrifices of Australian soldiers on the Ypre salient.

It was quite mind-blowing to think that a community so far away would continue to honor the efforts of our men 100 years ago.

However, people over there are truly grateful for the aid they received from our nation in defending as well as rebuilding the city.

Anzac spirit lives everywhere on the Western Front. In villages like Villers-Bretonneux, cemeteries, woods and farmland, one cannot escape the enormity of the losses on foreign soil.

The Frank MacDonald Memorial Prize is so important because it provides means for the legacy of the Anzac to live on. It is vital that we continue to learn about our history because, in the words of the philosopher and author George Santayana: "Those who refuse to learn about history are condemned to repeat it."