As an Australian the Gallipoli Peninsula has great significance and is where stories of the ANZAC spirit and our education about war begins. From an early age we learn about the young ANZAC’s (Australia and New Zealand Army Corps) bravery and comitment. These young Australian and New Zealander’s, many under the legal age to go to war, suffered brutal conditions after a landing mishap in Anzac Cove but continued day in day out to Lone Pine in an attempt to capture the peninsula for the allies. This is where the ANZAC spirit was born.
To visit such a place is almost an out of body experience. One I struggle to put into words. The entire group were unusually still and calm as we crossed the waters to the peninsula from Canakkale. It was definitely the most silent the group had ever been: all withdrawn into their own reverance and reflections about the day ahead and the place we would soon be.
The first stop we made on the peninsula was Anzac Cove. This blew me away and I am still amazed by its beauty and size. Anzac Cove is less than miniscule. (Something my teachers had failed to tell me. Even watching the Dawn Service on the Gallipoli Peninsula on TV gave the impression that the place is large.) The beach itself could barely hold a few hundred people comfortably let alone a few thousand soldiers. From here we then visited the site of the Anzac Day service and beach cemetaries around Anzac Cove. The silence and inner reflections continued as everyone explored the grave stones with boys younger than us buried beneath. I wandered around the headland to the beach of Anzac Cove itself. Here I waded out into the water and just stood motionless trying to soak it all in. Still, to this day, I haven’t.
We witnessed the trenches of the ANZACs and the Turks, and were taken to Lone Pine Cemetary. With the Turkish soldiers less than a stone’s throw away, my imagination again began to struggle to picture what it was truly like and to process the fact that the images I had previously had were nowhere near the reality.
The Gallipoli Peninsula despite its cruel and sad history of bloodshed and loss is one of the most beautiful and picturesque places on this earth I have ever visited. This continued to dig away at me deep inside as many young people joined the army to have an opportunity to see the world. Here we were 25 young Australians and 1 Kiwi doing just that. Seeing the world. No bloodshed. Just peace and somber reverance for those lost in such a tragic, violent part of humanity.
Leaving the Peninsula the one thing spoken and agreed upon was the pointlessness and wastefulness of war.
LEST WE FORGET
The tour then travels back to Istanbul for the final group dinner and breakfast before departing ways.