A short ferry trip took us from Canakkale to Eceabat on the Gallipoli Penninsula. Another 20 minutes or so got us to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Headquarters at ANZAC Cove and our home for the next two nights.
From the ‘hut’ we could walk straight onto the beach and then along to the ANZAC Cove memorial and the small Ari Burnu cemetery next to it.
There is very little development on the peninsula. Just numerous memorials to the 130,000 killed here in the First World War. I was surprised to learn that there were as many Turks killed as Allied soldiers and that the battle here is seen as much as a founding moment for modern Turkey as it is for Australia and New Zealand.It is a very peaceful place, beautifully maintained and respected.
The weather was scorching hot the whole time we were here so there were lots of refreshing swims in the Aegean and other ways to keep cool.
Over the next two days we visited many of the memorials including Lone Tree, Chanuk Blair and Helles Beach. I found it easy to get lost in the numbers killed but reading the personal messages on the headstones of 18, 19 and 20 year olds from mothers and families in New Zealand made it a very emotional experience.
Weather is lovely, wish you were here 