Anzac Day Tour 90th Anniversary 2005

Well I have saved enough money - just- to head over to Turkey on my first real travelling adventure on my own. So I arrive in Istanbul at about 1am - fantastic! and the first thing that pops into my head is I have to get into one of these cabs by myself and they could take me anywhere - looking back what a ridiculous thought. So my cabbie takes me to exactly where I want to go - And I know I am in the right place as there are so many Aussies and Kiwi's partying in the Street. This is known as Australia Ave in downtown Sultanamet, Istanbul. So I check into my hostel which is a massive room converted with about 20 bunk beds in it. Knowing that sleeping just isn't on the cards due to the partying I head down to the bar, where I am greeted by many strangers ready to buy me a drink - so I accept gracefully. And soon I'm not so graceful in my drunken state - but that's ok because we are all so proud to be here and to be Aussie or Kiwi. So I head into another part of town with my new friends and at about 7am decide that I better find my way back to the hostel to pick up my things before meeting the bus at 9am. Well it is absolutely freezing and as I was expecting it to be warm I have no jacket or coat only a flimsy cotton top - I will learn eventually - pack for everything!!!! So I catch my bus in my slightly hung over, tired cold and non showered state and head to Gallipoli. It is a 6hr bus trip with a few stops on the way to experience country toilets and local cuisine. And of course to get to know some people on the tour.

We finally arrive at our hostel and I meet my roomies and share a beer. Our hosts have put on a BBQ for us and we make the most of it. All getting to know each other and think about our next days events. We all get a little drunk and sentimental playing great John Williamson songs and singing along. It is really a great night and everyone is just so proud to be here.

So the next day we head out to check out some of the sites. Unfortunately we can't get down to Anzac Cove as the road is closed in preparation for tonights events. It is expected that thousands of people will attend. It is just hoped that it doesn't rain and it isn't too cold (I didn't realise I needed a sleeping bag!). We experience the first sign of how many buses are here when we have so much traffic we won't have time to get down to Cape Helles, where the English landed - and got slaughtered. It is interesting having a Turkish historian guiding us and giving us insight into how the Turkish feel about this battle and the effect it had on their country. I never thought about it before and it isn't something we learn in school. But to learn about the massive effect it had on their country through Ataturk (Mustafa Kemal) - father of the Turks is amazing.

Well we really only get to a few sites - the Museum, Lone Pine and Chunukk Bear. Sadly I am disappointed in my lack of knowledge on the war in Gallipoli. I thought I knew a bit but as it turns out I didn't know anything and am quite embarrassed at the fact. Well something to find out about in the future. It also becomes apparent that you really need to do these sites separately to the ceremonies as there are just too many people to be able to sit and reflect. So that will be a future plan - learn about Gallipoli and go back to the sites and see them properly.

So now down to the event why we are all here. Firstly we head back to the hostel and pick up some supplies - BLANKETS!!!! and head to Anzac Cove. We arrive at about 9:30-10:00pm and walk for about 3km as that is how many buses have already arrived! We go through the checking station and everyone's grog is taken off them. Some people just pour it out on the ground so not to just give it to the security, others take it back to their bus. Anyway we go in and look for a possy. You would not believe how small the area is and how many people there are. It is freezing and cramped. At about 11pm they ask if people could not lay down and possibly stand up as there are still thousand of people trying to get in and we want to make room for everyone. By 1am you can no longer sit in a group. You take turns of sitting down or sit on peoples laps. By 3am they are still asking for people to squash and so we all do.

HMAS Anzac continually sails past with a proud boxing kangaroo lit up on it's side. Then at about 4:30 the light starts to show us for the first time what the terrain is like and you stare in awe. 'The sphinx' stares above you, uncompromising and you realise for the first time ever how frightening this image would have been for those very young men in 1915.

We stand silent and listen to the last post with the sun rising behind us and watch HMAS Anzac continue to sail past. Prime Minister John Howard gives his speech and I have never been more proud at that moment of being Australian, and of those diplomats - Johnny Boy - who represent us. I know he doesn't write his own speeches - but this one was a cracker and he delivered it with heart. Totally Brilliant. By this time everyone has had a cry and is the proudest they have ever been.

Well about 7am hits and the sun is full blazing . Some people try to get to the beach but with 20000 people there's not much hope. So we head on our trek up the mountain to Lone Pine for our Service at 10:00am. Well it takes 2 1/2 hours to get there - mostly through how many people there are not how far it is. It is stifling hot and we amuse ourselves by doing what we all love - ' the mexican wave' Yes it is cool to be a dick when your travelling!!!!!

So we finally arrive at Lone Pine and collapse on small piece of grass. Again the area is so small for the amount of people but we all do our best to fit in. An announcement is made that there are a few spare chairs in the front for any diggers out there. Just make yourself known and someone will escort you down. As we all know it is not in the character of the Australian digger to big note himself, so we soon found people sitting next to a digger make it known and an applause like you've not heard erupts. Soon the spaces are full, however the diggers are still out there and each applause is as big as the previous. It really brings a tear to your eye just reminiscing so you can imagine how emotional it is at the time. Another announcement is made and that is that a Turkish WW1 vet is joining us up the front and there is just as big an applause for him.

After the service the challenge is to find your bus while trying to navigate the thousands of people and NZ and Turk's trying to get to their own ceremonies which are after the Aust one. We finally find our bus and then take a little expedition to try and find the neck. None of us know really the significance of it - just that it is significant. So we do eventually find it. Along the way we pass part of the Turkish ceremony which is a religious one - unlike ours (something the Turkish don't understand).

We then head back to the bus and wait and wait and wait until we can move and head back to our hostel. It has been an amazing experience and am so happy that I have been able to go. If anyone has the opportunity it would definitley be something to do in a lifetime - in my opinion anyway.