At about 11.30pm we all jumped on the bus and headed up to the Peninsula.
When the bus parked we had quite a long walk.

We went past so many soldiers with guns (I can’t believe I actually got used to seeing them and didn’t think twice about it).
We went through a security scan check and we eventually got to the Commemorative Site.

Jo Bec Tash Tanya Tiff-- Tanya ready to represent Australia!!!

We found a spot to sit and got our sleeping bags etc out because we were all very cold and very tired (we had been up since 5.30am that morning).

Tanya in her sleeping bag-- Everyone rugged up trying to sleep

It was quite impossible to sleep but we could just doze.

There was so many people but they played some Aussie/Kiwi rock ie ACDC, Cold Chisel, Crowded House to keep us going.
It was quite fun.

Near to the time that the service was to start the Australian Navy Band started playing and they were awesome.

I ran into Alana (from my old work) in the line to the loos.
I can’t believe how many people I had seen.

The flags - Australia - Turkey - New Zealand

The flags went up nice and early.

Some of the crowd waiting for the Service to begin (three photos)

Then we all got asked to stand up to make room for the 1000 people outside still waiting to get in.

Tanya Karen (two photos)

We took this as our chance and ran down the front so we ended up being basically in the second row with a great view.

Then a bag pipe player started and the service began.
I was very pleased to see that even with so many people being there that they were all very quiet.

The Dawn Service was very formal and I did enjoy it.
It was very emotional.

Dawn breaking over the hills (four photos)

I kept turning around and watching the sun come up behind the hills and getting a view of the ocean behind the speakers.
My photos are quite good I think.

They had a minutes silence and then played the National Anthems and even though we were supposed to sing I couldn’t speak a word, I was so choked up.
Standing there listening to the Last Post thinking about what those poor young soldiers had to go through was an very surreal kind of experience.
No one was talking, we were all just there and I don’t know really how to explain it but I will always know how I felt.

People walking through the hills (two photos) A cemetery (two photos)

After the Dawn Service finished we walked up the hill to Lone Pine for the Australian Memorial.
It was quite a long walk but there were so many people.

The Memorial (two photos)--- The Lone Pine

The grandstands set up around the cemetery

Postcard from Tanya

Lone Pine had been set up with grandstands and there was so many people.
I sat with Karen and Jason and Lee for the service.
I saw Stafford on the grandstand and gave him a wave too.

--Tanya at the Memorial-- (two photos)--

I went into the memorial and signed the visitor’s book and took some photos.

Then I went back to our spot and Jason and I bunked down for a sleep.
I slept for about an hour and then was woken up as we all had to stand to fit in the rest of the people.
I went to the loo…the wait was about an hour so I am glad that I wasn’t busting but I knew I should go.

I then went for a walk to try and find Ledge (the yellow hats were a great tool for spotting people) and see what time we had to meet the bus.
I ended up running into Ripper and Peter and Natalie from the Nevern there too.

(two photos) The huge crowd - looking forward and looking back

The Memorial, the crowds, and the Turkish and Australian flags

The service started and me and Lee and Karen stood up on the bottom rung on the grandstand.
I very nearly fell straight back down again when I saw how many people there were.
I was totally dumbfounded.
Anyway you will see that in the photos.

The Australian Ambassador to Turkey is my new favorite politician.
He gave a great speech with started off with “G’day! We told you not to come, but I am pleased one of two of you decided to turn up”.
The crowd gave a massive cheer because despite the terror warnings from the government it was a record crowd this year.

Senator Hill addressing the crowd-- Some of the Wreaths

The service was much more relaxed but still emotional and I did enjoy it more than the Dawn Service.

The Last Post and The Bugler (three photos)

They played the Last Post and I lost it again, then a minutes silence and the anthems.
I managed to sing a little bit this time but there was still tears!

Kaz--- Lee Tanya--- Lee Tanya Jason

Lee Kaz Jason Tanya--- Tamara Tanya--- Tanya Alana

Tanya "with a dapper man in uniform"

Me and Lee were pretty much useless!
I also ran into Tamara (my roommate) after the service.

The couple dancing

There was a lovely older couple dancing together and they were put up on the big screen and the crowd gave them a great big cheer.

The Australian Navy Band (two photos)

The Australian Navy Band played an impromptu concert after the service.
It was absolutely fantastic.

There was a game up 'two-up' in front of the memorial and everyone was singing and dancing.
Quite strange as we were in a cemetery but it was just perfect.

The Band and the Aussie crowd

The band was great and they were having a great time too - they played heaps of ACDC and Cold Chisel and their last song was (I don’t know the name of it) but the chorus is:
“We are one, but we are many, and from all the lands of earth we come, we share a dream, and sing with one voice, I am, you are, we are Australian”.
The crowd was singing at the top of their voices - me included (yes more tears - even now as I type!).

I know that I am pretty patriotic when it comes to Australia but I how I felt on ANZAC Day at Lone Pine and at ANZAC Cove is really quite beyond words.

I cried a lot but they were good tears.

The bus was supposed to pick us up at about 1.30pm but it didn’t get to us until 3.45pm.
There was 9 kilometers of buses lined up (I am not kidding) to drive by and get their passengers.

Brett Tanya--- Marcus Tanya--- Marcus Tanya Brett Rachel

I sat with Brett and Kylie and Rachael amongst the headstones under the Lone Pine.

Tanya having a "Cola Turka"

And I drank Cola Turka while we waited for the bus.

The Trenches (two photos)

Brett and I went for a bit of a walk and I saw quite a few old trenches.

The Trenches - Tanya in "Johnson's Jolly" (two photos)

I also saw Johnson’s Jolly which is quite a well known trench.

I picked up a pine cone from near Lone Pine and I brought that back with me.

A Turkish soldier, Tanya - and a "big gun"!!

I also had my photo taken with a Turkish solder and his big gun.
I said before I was used to seeing them but when I stood next to him I could see straight down the barrel of the gun and that I don’t think I could ever get used to!

The Australian Memorial and Cemetery (two photos)

The view from Lone Pine over the ocean and cliffs

Anyway when the bus eventually picked us up we headed to the hostel in Canakkale.
We pulled up at one place and were told that we weren’t booked there and to go up the road.
When we got up the road we weren’t booked their either.
It didn’t help that our tour guide was drunk and had no idea.
As it turns out we weren’t booked anywhere but were put up back at the first place!

We got settled in our rooms and went for dinner - once again cold chicken and stone cold chips - I could have cried I was so tired and hungry!

I couldn’t even finish my beer and then we headed to the room for a shower and bed.

The thing was, the showers were cold so I didn’t have one, I felt so festy but couldn’t do a cold shower!

The hostel room had four beds in two rooms and a bathroom.
I was in the front room on my own and Rachel and Kylie in the backroom.

Adam Tanya

At about 3.30am I woke up to two people coming into our room.
I thought it was Kylie but then the second guy came through and it turns out there were two very big very drunk Turkish guys in my room.
One of them came over and sat on my bed.
Neeedless to say I was terrified and started saying - no, stop, get out, stop, get out, get out etc.
Rachel said that she heard me and at first thought I was talking in my sleep but soon realised that there was some one in there.
As soon as she opened the door from the back room they took off out side (don’t worry they didn’t touch me) and I heard a male voice say “Oi wanker - what do you think you’re doing”.
As it turns out they had been in the room next door to mine and scared another girl too.
Adam who was in the back room of next door had been woken up and was trying to find them.
When they came out of my room he tackled one of them to the ground but he ended up getting up and running.
I was in my room on my bed crying my eyes out.
I had been so scared and just couldn’t believe that on top of cold food, and late buses and no accommodation this was happening too!
Adam came in and tried to calm me down and gave me a big hug and said “don’t worry mate, I got em, cracked one of them into the concrete, they won’t be back, and look…I did it in my undies”.
At that I turned around and looked at him and cracked up laughing because he was in his red undies and socks!
It was a sight.
He was then named the “Undie Achiever” for the rest of the tour.
I eventually got back to sleep.
** and this story is continued in tomorrow's diary **