ANZAC Dawn Service

A day of remembrance, ANZAC Day commemorates the lives of all the Australians and New Zealanders that died during World War I. Marked by ceremonies and services across both nations, visitors can also attend a dawn ceremony at ANZAC Cove, the site where ANZAC troops landed in Gallipoli.

This was something I always wanted to do …and now have. Firstly I must warn everyone that this is not an easy thing to do. We were there to pay our respects, and in a way this is the Australian and New Zealand version of a pilgrimage. Something all Aussies and Kiwis must do at least once in their lives.

THE JOURNEY

We set out from Istanbul (one of my favourite cities on the planet with its culture, great seafood and Europe-meets-Middle-East feel about it) early in the morning on the 24th of April. It takes about 4.5 hours to get to the Cove so it is wise to set out early. After arriving and having to deal with security, who seemed mostly confused by the whole affair, we made it down to The Cove.

Because we arrived so early we managed to get the best position possible – right and centre. It was several hours before any others were allowed in, giving us a great opportunity to explore the area. It was also a beautiful day, so those that didn’t want to explore were able to lie on the grass, read their books and lap up the sunshine. Eventually others were let through and we all settled in for the long, cold night ahead of us.

THE DAWN SERVICE

The Dawn Service was a deeply moving experience. Many people were cold, miserable and hadn’t slept, but at least we didn’t have bullets and artillery coming in all around us. After surveying the hill the Diggers were eventually able to ascend and capture, I came away with a real appreciation of how hard it must have been. I found myself picturing Turkish machine gunners and riflemen all over the place picking off Aussies and Kiwis like fish in a barrel and began to truly understand what a nightmare of a place this peaceful beach must have been. The whole experience was incredible and something I will never forget.

Despite the lack of sleep, I was pulsing with energy and ready to make track to the next memorial service. From The Cove, I followed the road up to the Australian memorial at Lone Pine. It was an easy 1.5km walk and what should of taken less then hour took much longer because there were many things to look at and admire along the way.

Spotted some trenches along the way

THE MEMORIAL SERVICE AT LONE PINE

The Lone Pine Memorial on the Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey

This time I find a spot in the stands and thousands of Australian gather together to remember. There’s more feelings of congregation and tears stream during the National anthem and Last Post. After the Australian service, we continue along the loop road to the New Zealand memorial at Chunuck Bair. The Australians gather on the grass and watch the New Zealand service on the big screens. Then the long wait for our bus to appear from the hundreds of buses snaking along the small tar road to carry the thousands of people moving on back to Istanbul (around a 5 hr drive), or going south to see more of this beautiful and historic country.

To attend a Dawn Service yourself, browse a range of ANZAC Day tours to Gallipoli. I did the ANZAC Raid tour with Topdeck Travel.