Gallipoli

Today was a very emotional day but a day that I will remember for the rest of my life. To me, today has been one of the unforgettable days of our trip so far and I will forever be grateful that we got to experience it. Today we went to Gallipoli.

We started our morning bright and early at 6.00am being picked up by minivan outside of our accomodation. We had a 4.5hour car ride ahead of us so we made ourselves comfy and buckled in for the drive ahead. Time seemed to go quick, (I’m not sure if that was the two hour nap I had or the anticipation) but before we knew it we were arriving in Eceabat, a small town on the Gallipoli Peninsula. We stopped here for a delicious lunch before re grouping and meeting our tour guide for the day. From there we drove another 15minutes before arriving at our first stop of the day.

Our first stop was Brighton Beach, originally chosen as the site for the ANZAC landing. Today, it is picture perfect, the water is crystal clear, the sand soft and inviting. Yet standing there it was impossible not to feel a heaviness in the air.

This was the spot where, in another reality, thousands of soldiers might have landed. In the end, the landing was mistakenly redirected to what we now know as ANZAC Cove.

From Brighton Beach, we traveled to Lone Pine Cemetery and Memorial, one of the most significant sites for Australians. This was the scene of one of the fiercest battles during the Gallipoli campaign. The memorial itself is beautifully designed, but the atmosphere is what truly moves you. Rows of headstones stretch out, each carrying a name. It was overwhelming to think of the young men who fought here, many barely older than teenagers, many barely the same age as Jayde and I.

The battle of Lone Pine lasted only a few days but claimed thousands of lives. Standing here the air felt different, quiet and heavy. There was a moment here where I felt an overwhelming sense of sadness. What an incredible loss of life, all these men never made it home to their families. I couldn’t even begin to imagine.

On our way to the next stop, our guide pulled over to show us the preserved ANZAC trenches. I wasn’t prepared for the impact these had. Narrow, uneven, and close enough to the enemy lines that soldiers could hear each other’s conversations. These trenches were where men lived, fought, and often died.

Walking along them, we could almost feel the claustrophobia, the fear, the exhaustion. It was surreal to stand in the very ground that once held so much suffering and resilience. We were able to find pieces of shrapnel scattered throughout the dirt and pine needles and our guide managed to find two bullets that had collided mid air. Pretty amazing.

Our next stop was Chunuk Bair, a site of immense significance for New Zealanders. Perched high on the ridges, it was one of the key objectives of the campaign. On 8 August we successfully reached the summit and managed to capture the crucial position. We held the ridge for two days before relentless Turkish attacks defeated us. The view from the top is breathtaking, stretching out across the Gallipoli Peninsula and the Dardanelles. It’s easy to see why this position was so strategically important.

The memorial here is striking, honoring the New Zealand soldiers who fought and fell on this unforgiving terrain. We wandered around for a while just trying to take it all in before heading back to the van for our final stop.

Our final stop was ANZAC Cove. This small, narrow strip of beach is where the ANZAC troops landed on April 25. Today, it’s a beautiful beach with crystal blue water.

We walked slowly along the beach, trying to imagine what those first moments must have been like for the soldiers. The steep cliffs towering above, the limited space, the sheer impossibility of the task they faced. It was heartbreaking and so surreal.

Our guide was explaining to us that every year on ANZAC Day, thousands of people come to ANZAC Cove and sleep here the night before to wake up bright and early for the dawn service that is held here. What an incredible experience it must be to be here on ANZAC Day.

By late afternoon, we began the long 4.5 hour journey back to Istanbul. I found my self reflecting on the day we had just experienced and just how fortunate we are. This experience I will remember forever. What an emotional but unforgettable day we have had.Read more