So after a two hour boat ride and three hours on a Turkish Bus (first trip of many to come) we arrived at Cannakale just across the water from the Galipoli Peninsula. We had an very moving day touring the battle fields and the monuments with a lovely guide who's grandfather and great uncle had died during the Gallipoli campaign.




The landing beach - now a little narrower than then but even then it was tiny and must have been terrifying - our guide explained how the first boats to arrive ordered the soldiers over the side in full kit while still in deep water and many drowned.






The new memorial sight where the service is held every year - from where we are sitting we could look up the impossible steep terrain that faced the ANZACs.







Our lovely Guide Captain Ali (former Turkish Navy) helps Katie with the Brownie wreaths at the New Zealand memorial at Chunak Bair.









Chunak Bair - the New Zealand Monument has the honour of sharing the site with the giant Statue of Mustapha Camal - Attaturk (father of Turkey) after leading the Turkish army in defeat of the allied campaign he went onto lead and modernise Turkey. The NZ monument is also the only allied one not designed by the British architect - instead an NZ architect built it using influences from Egyptian temples with tiny slits in the side designed to let light in on certain days of the year.






One of the many grave sites with graves of Australian, NZ and Indian troops. All beautifully kept.







The remnants of the NZ trenches near the Lone Pine Cemetary - the furthest that the troops reached inland. We sat in the shade and contemplated the aweful conditions - barely enough water to drink so no chance of washing, uniforms in tatters and full of lice, bad food, dysentry. Terrible losses on both sides, by the end of the ten month campaign the will to fight was gone. As our guide said it was the beginning of nationhood for the Turks as well as the Australians and the Kiwis.




Symbol of respect that the soldiers had for each other whatever side they were on - A Turkish soldier carries an Australian to a medical base.









Gallipoli was a very moving experience, we have many more photos and will produce a more detailed collection for anyone who would like to see more - in particular we a have pictures of the stunning terrain as seen from both sides and photos of the lists of names on the monuments, especially of Otago regiments.