What to Expect at Gallipoli
Your application in the Australian ballot has been successful. As a result, you have received an offer for you and one other person of your choice, to attend the Dawn Service at the Anzac Commemorative Site and the Australian Memorial Service at Lone Pine in Turkey, on 25 April 2015.
In deciding whether you will accept this offer, we recommend you consider the following important information. If you have access to the internet, you should also watch our video on attending Anzac Day commemorations at Gallipoli, available from the ‘Anzac Day’ page of the Gallipoli 2015 website.
All attendees should be aware that the commemorative sites are the sovereign territory of the Turkish people and holding the Anzac Day commemorations at Gallipoli is only possible due to the cooperation and generous assistance of the Government of the Republic of Turkey.
Before you depart Australia
You and your accompanying pass holder (should you nominate a person to accompany you) must make all of your own travel arrangements and pay all expenses to attend the Anzac Day commemorations at Gallipoli in Turkey.
You will require a current passport to travel outside of Australia and you will need to ensure your passport has at least six months validity after 25 April 2015. Contact the Australian Passport Office on 131 232 or visit the Australian Passport website for information if you need to apply for or to renew your passport.
All Australians who visit Turkey are required to have an entry visa. You must apply for and receive your entry visa before you travel. To obtain a visa to enter Turkey you will need to apply online on the e-Visa website.
Holding an attendance pass to the Anzac Day commemorations at Gallipoli does not guarantee entry to Turkey.
Potential travellers to Turkey should regularly refer to the latest travel advice and register their itinerary on the Smartraveller website.
You should seek the advice of your medical practitioner regarding your fitness, vaccinations and medications for your travel to Gallipoli in Turkey.
Travel insurance is essential – if you incur medical expenses while overseas and you do not have travel insurance, you are personally liable for covering all costs.
Getting to the Gallipoli Peninsula
The Anzac battlefield sites are located in the Gallipoli Campaign Historical Site in Turkey, which is approximately 5 hours drive from Istanbul.
You are responsible for making all arrangements for your transport in Turkey to get to and from the Gallipoli Peninsula.
There is no public transport available to and from the Gallipoli Peninsula and no public telephones are located on site.
Travel to the commemorations by private motor vehicles is strongly discouraged. There is no parking area for private vehicles and persons who travel in private vehicles may have to walk many kilometres along unlit or dimly lit roads before reaching the Anzac Commemorative Site.
Safety and Security
Security and crowd management are the responsibility of Turkish authorities and security personnel.
Security includes checking passport identification and attendance passes, bag searches and airport style screening of visitors at the entry points to the commemorative service sites.
Due to cultural sensitivities, visitors may be separated into male and female lines to go through security checkpoints.
You should follow the instructions of Turkish authorities and security personnel at all times.
Security measures may be in place several days in advance of the services (including the beach and ceremonial areas) and will be inaccessible to visitors for extended periods on 24 and 25 April.
You are responsible for your own safety, welfare and security of personal belongings at all times.
Alcohol is prohibited at the site.
The Gallipoli Environment
There is no permanent infrastructure within the Gallipoli Campaign Historical Site and all seating, lighting, catering and toilet facilities are brought in from outside the park.
Portable chemical toilets and hand wash facilities are available on 24 and 25 April at the commemorative sites.
There is no running water available onsite – bottled drinking water is available to purchase onsite or you can bring closed bottles of water with you.
There is no power or lighting onsite, except for that in use for the services.
Limited rubbish disposal facilities are available, and where possible, visitors are asked to take rubbish with them.
Turkish vendors sell limited quantities of their local food and drink products.
You will need to bring adequate non-perishable food for the time you are onsite – there are no cooking facilities available.
There is no shelter at any of the sites and you will be exposed to the weather for the entire period you are onsite - which can be up to 30 hours.
Mobile phone coverage is available at the commemorative sites.
The Weather
The weather on the Gallipoli Peninsula in April can be very hot during the day and bitterly cold overnight (with temperatures below freezing).
Rain and very cold winds are also possible.
You can get burnt from the sun and wind, and hypothermia is also a risk in the very cold temperatures.
You should ensure you have sufficient warm and protective clothing for all weather conditions.
Health, Fitness and First Aid
A moderate level of fitness is required to attend the Anzac Day commemorations.
To attend the Dawn Service at the Anzac Commemorative Site and the Australian Memorial Service at Lone Pine, you can expect to walk up to 10kms during your time onsite.
The terrain includes reasonably flat sealed roads, sloped and uneven gravel tracks and grassed areas (which can become slippery or muddy when wet), as well as walking uphill on a very steep graded dirt road.
Due to the large crowds, you can expect to stand for very long periods whilst waiting to enter the commemorative sites and to use the amenities.
You will need to bring with you any medical aides or equipment that you may require and all medications sufficient to cover your period onsite.
Limited first aid facilities, staffed by Turkish medical providers, are available at the commemorative sites on 24 and 25 April.
Interpreters may be required to assist you while accessing first aid services. If necessary, they will be provided from a pool of interpreters engaged by the Australian and New Zealand governments.
Travel insurance is essential - if you require additional medical attention from local medical facilities, or are transported to hospital, you will be required to pay all costs.
Assisted Mobility Visitors
Limited mobility assistance is available to visitors who are unable to walk between the commemorative sites and provides access for you and one carer to limited onsite transport.
Assistance will be available to eligible individuals on a needs basis and you will be required to provide additional information in relation to your medical condition/s for assessment.
The commemorative sites are not wheelchair-friendly and there are no wheelchairs available for use onsite.
If you require a wheelchair, walking stick or mobility aid, you will need to arrange to bring your own equipment with you to the commemorations.
Seating at the Commemorations
All Sites
Seating at the commemorations is not allocated or reserved (other than for registered Assisted Mobility visitors) and some locations have restricted or no view of the commemorative services, other than on large video screens.
You should be aware that large groups may not be able to sit together and you may be separated from your group and/or tour guide or leader.
Anzac Commemorative Site
On Anzac Day, the Australian Government temporarily erects metal grandstands with plastic bucket-style seats for up to 5,000 visitors. Some sections are reserved for Assisted Mobility visitors.
Remaining visitors will be required to utilise the grassed areas of the Anzac Commemorative Site.
All visitors in the grassed areas will be asked to stand before and during the Dawn Service, to enable 10,000 visitors to fit onsite.
Lone Pine
All visitors will be seated in temporarily erected metal grandstand style seating at Lone Pine.
Of the 8,000 seats available at Lone Pine, many seats will have limited or restricted views and a number of seats will have no direct view of the service – with those visitors able to watch on large video screens.
Seating at Lone Pine is not allocated or reserved.
Some sections of seating will be reserved for Assisted Mobility visitors.
As there are graves located at Lone Pine, there is no access to the grass areas for sitting or standing during the commemorative service.
Timings for the Commemorative Period
The Anzac battlefield area of the Gallipoli Peninsula will close to all visitors from 12.01am on the morning of 24 April.
Turkish security personnel will conduct a full security sweep of the National Park on the morning of 24 April to clear any unauthorised visitors.
While many coaches and tour buses arrive at the Gallipoli Peninsula in the morning or during the day of the 24th, the Anzac Commemorative
Site, where the Dawn Service is held does not open for visitor entries until 6pm.
Due to the large crowds, ticket and passport checking procedures and a number of security processes, it may take several hours to reach the
Anzac Commemorative Site after the opening time.
You will need to arrive at the Gallipoli Peninsula well before 3am on 25 April as the road leading to the Anzac Commemorative Site closes strictly at 3am on 25 April and no late arrivals will be permitted entry.
The overnight reflective program commences at 8pm on 24 April and runs until the early hours of the morning on 25 April.
The reflective program includes documentaries and interviews about the Gallipoli campaign, as well as musical performances by the Defence Force band.
The Dawn Service commences at 5.30am on 25 April and finishes at 6.30am.
After the conclusion of the Dawn Service, Australians will walk to Lone Pine to attend the Australian Memorial Service, while New Zealanders will walk on to Chunuk Bair.
The Australian Memorial Service at Lone Pine commences at 10.00am and concludes at 11.00am.
The New Zealand Memorial Service at Chunuk Bair commences at 11.45am and concludes at 12.15pm.
All Australians are required to remain at Lone Pine until the conclusion of the New Zealand Memorial service, when coaches will be released to pick up their passengers at Lone Pine and then Chunuk Bair.
Several hundred coaches are queued in a random order and it may take a number of hours before your coach arrives.
Therefore, you may not be able to leave the Gallipoli Peninsula until mid to late in the afternoon on 25 April.
What to Take
When you disembark your coach on arrival, you will need to ensure you are carrying everything you need for that night and the next day, including food, water, prescription medications, protective clothing, torch, sunscreen, camera, etc.
You will not be able to return to your coach if you have forgotten something or wish to return prohibited items.
You will not return to your coach until the end of the commemorations period on the afternoon of 25 April.
What is Prohibited
You can not take large backpacks or luggage, camping or cooking equipment, opened bottles of liquid, flammable liquids, weapons or sharp objects, other large objects or alcohol to the commemorative sites.
Intoxicated persons will be denied entry to the commemorations.
Alcohol is prohibited at the site.
You should be aware that Turkey has very strict penalties for the possession of drugs.
Swimming in the waters off the Anzac area is prohibited.
As the area is a national park, the lighting of fires on the Gallipoli Peninsula is prohibited.
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