Topdeck Travel Blog

An ANZAC recount by Topdeck Trip Leader, Luke Vandenhurk.

The first day on our ANZAC trip included visiting Istanbul’s majestic Blue Mosque, carrying our shoes whilst attempting to count the 20,000 ornate blue tiles. We wandered through the famed Hagia Sophia, brought fez hats in the Grand Bazaar, went cruising on the Bosphorus and finished the day watching belly dancers work their magic whilst enjoying a three-course Turkish feast (well they were dancing and we were eating).

Following on from our traditional Turkish feast we visited the seaside resort town of Kusadasi where we enjoyed some sunshine, local Efes beer and a hat-themed party in the nearby Pacha nightclub. Some of the other guys on the trip must have been inspired by the belly-dancing show the night before and proceeded to emulate the moves on-stage. Posthumous best-hat awards go to the guy with a watermelon on his head and second prize for the girl sporting the hotels’ complimentary shower-cap all night!

On-route to Gallipoli we stopped at the ancient city of Troy, said to be the setting of the legendary Trojan War in the 13^th Century BC. Whilst sadly Brad Pitt and Rose Byrne were no longer there, a large wooden horse remains, which I thought to be equally as interesting. After obligatory photos in front of the Camilla Parker Bowles lookalike, we set off on a ferry across the Dardanelles Strait and onto Anzac Cove.

As the gates opened at 6pm, the masses of Aussie and Kiwi pilgrims quickly descended on the grassy slopes of Anzac Cove. It was a serene, peaceful night, with the fall moon casting an amber glow across the Aegean Sea. The ceremony begun with a moving account of the ANZACs treacherous landing some 98 years ago. As we listened in silence, the cool night air barely gave a hint to the harsh realities the soldiers would have faced as they struggled ashore on that very day in 1915. A respectful atmosphere prevailed through the night with a sea of sleeping bags and national flags surrounding the 5000 people camped out under the stars.

The morning Dawn Service was followed by a trek up to Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair, to watch the Australian and New Zealand memorial services. The well-worn path giving some clues to the rough terrain and steep cliffs the soldiers would have fought on carrying their 30kg packs. The seven kilometre route gave us all time to reflect on the 11,500 ANZACs that died in the Gallipoli campaign.

We saw Turkish and Allied tunnels built so close together that the ‘diggers’ could hear the enemy at work. We listened to stories of bravery, heroism, sacrifice and mateship from the 8-and-a half month campaign. We watched the documentaries detailing events from Turkish, Australian and New Zealand perspectives. We touched the soil that holds so many lost sons. But most of all we felt the Anzac Spirit that was created at Gallipoli and today manifests itself proudly in the hearts of Australians and New Zealanders around the world.

Over the course of our trip we ate many kebabs, haggled with shop vendors, enjoyed 4 star hotel luxury, ate some more kebabs and saw some pretty amazing sights along the way. Most importantly, we had the opportunity to witness an intensely moving ceremony which brought to light the incredible sacrifices made by the ANZAC soldiers for the young nations of Australia and New Zealand.

Lest we forget.

2014 will mark the 99th anniversary of the Gallipoli landing and you can experience all the history, culture, adventure and fun on any of our ANZAC packages. For information on the 100th anniversary, please contact info@topdeck.travel.

Topdeck’s Amelia Lawrence makes a pilgrimage to Gallipoli, to remember the fallen ANZACs.

Anyone who has been lucky enough to travel to Turkey will know what I mean when I say that the locals’ continuous use of the phrase “my friend” doesn’t seem false.  To wander through the streets of almost any Turkish town or city, the locals appear to be genuinely excited to meet and talk to visitors to their country.  Being regaled with stories of an uncle, sister or next door neighbour’s second cousin (twice removed) who now lives in your home country (“do you know them?”) seems to be a favourite past time of the Turks.

Lone Pine, Gallipoli

When we first arrived in Istanbul my travel companions and I had but one aim – to get to Gallipoli and see where the ANZACs landed in 1915.

We had done minimal (actually, zero) preparation for our trip and just knew we wanted to get to ANZAC Cove somehow.

Within moments of our arrival the friendly locals had welcomed us to their country and helped us organise our pilgrimage to Gallipoli, with a friendly local guide to give us an idea of what we were actually off to see.

As the location of one of the most well known landings in World War One, the Gallipoli peninsula today is a serene and beautiful area.  The first thing that you notice is the amazing landscape where the ANZACs landed in 1915 - calm, clear waters border the rugged coastline and from ANZAC Cove it all becomes clear to a modern day visitor simply how impenetrable the sheer cliffs must have seemed to the Diggers.

It is still possible to walk from ANZAC Cove to the Australian Memorial at Lone Pine.  The idea of a 3.1 kilometre dirt track may seem quite simple, but in reality it is anything but.  The walk takes travellers past Shrapnel Valley and Beach Cemeteries and then follows Artillery Road inland as it slopes uphill past Shell Green Cemetery to Lone Pine.

The dirt road and is steep and uneven in places and while only carrying our small day packs my companions and I are sweaty and short of breath as we reach Lone Pine.  Nevertheless, the Australian Memorial site stands out dramatically against the blue sky and beautiful national park background.  The sheer number of names of those lost on the memorial is overwhelming.

From Lone Pine it’s still another 3.2 kilometres to the New Zealand Memorial at Chunuk Bair.  The road slopes uphill past the Turkish 57th Regiment Memorial and even though it is tarred it is a hard slog.

We’re young, we’re fit – we’re all red, breathless and really starting to appreciate how much harder the ANZACs had it.  In fact, only our friendly guide seems to be fine with the walk, giving us details of exactly where skirmishes took place between the ANZACs and Ottomans and how many lives were lost.

The results once we reach Chunuk Bair are worth it.

The battle of Chunuk Bair has spawned many stories and legends about both the ANZAC and Ottoman troops and the area today tells a story you cannot put into words.

At the end of our day at Gallipoli, we are all both physically and emotionally exhausted.  To be able to stand and see where 97 years ago both the Australian and New Zealand nations started to forge their own individual identities, and to see where such fierce fighting during World War One took place, is something to behold.

It is easy to believe when Mustafa Kemal Attaturk told the mothers of the lost ANZAC soldiers that their sons “having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well” the words were truly meant by the Turkish nation as a whole.

Go to www.topdeck.travel for more information about Topdeck’s range of trips to Turkey and Gallipoli, including dedicated ANZAC Day trips.

If you’re thinking of travelling to Gallipoli for ANZAC day in 2009, then Topdeck Travel have some fantastic holiday offers, exclusively good prices for all Aussies out there!

Experience the emotional ANZAC dawn service at Gallipoli, tour the battlefields and attend the memorial service for the soldiers.

And with trips available from six to fifteen days, you can really make the most of your time in Turkey. Experience a walking tour of “Old” Istanbul, take a cruise of the Bosphrous Strait, visit the Trojan city of Troy or even enjoy a hot air balloon ride and a traditional Turkish evening complete with belly dancers!

Six day trips start from just $715 AUD and all trips include the services of an experienced English-speaking Turkish guide.

Plus right now if you book Topdeck’s 9 day Egypt Express trip along with your ANZAC holiday there’s also 50% off the Egypt Express price! So get this great Topdeck deal now.