Anzac Day Services Gallipoli, Turkey - 2013
Going to Gallipoli for Anzac Day 2013?
Register here to receive helpful information on what to bring with you and what to expect on the day.
Open letter to tour providers.
(Word 146KB) (PDF 37KB)
The following information has been prepared to assist visitors planning to attend the Anzac Day 2013 services at Gallipoli.
The organisation of the Australian and New Zealand Anzac Day services is only possible with the assistance of the Australian and New Zealand Embassies in Turkey, and through the considerable cooperation of the Government of the Republic of Turkey.
We are sure that your visit to the Gallipoli Peninsula will be a memorable one. However, it is important for visitors to understand that limited facilities are available at the commemorative sites. The sites exist in a national park with no permanent infrastructure. All seating, lighting and toilet facilities must be brought in from outside the park.
The Anzac Commemorative Site is very small. Grassed space at the Anzac Commemorative Site is limited and fills up very quickly after the site opens.
Security at the site is managed by the Turkish authorities. Visitors can expect delays entering the site for security screening (airport-type screening).
The weather at Gallipoli can get very cold overnight (below freezing), and there may be rain. During the day, the weather can get very hot and sunny (with strong winds). Visitors must come prepared for these conditions as there is no shelter at the Commemorative sites.
This website will be updated as current information changes. Due to changes that occur in the international travel environment, potential travellers to Turkey should refer to the latest travel advice on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade “Smart Traveller” website. See travel hints and a consular information card for Australians travelling to Turkey to attend the 2013 ANZAC Day commemorations.
Anzac Day commemorative services are held within the Gallipoli Peninsula Historical National Park. All services are open to the public. The Park is subject to Turkish governmental regulations in keeping with its status as a National Park. The Dawn Service is held at the Anzac Commemorative Site located within the Anzac area. Click on the map below for a more detailed view of the Anzac area.
Anzac Day commemorations 2013
Anzac Day services on the Gallipoli Peninsula are conducted by Turkey, Australia, New Zealand, Britain and France. In 2013 services will be held on Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 April.
The service times listed below are based on 2012 start times and may change closer to the service period. It is a good idea to refresh your browser each time you look at this page.
Wednesday, 24 April 2013
09:05-11:10 Turkish International Service, Mehmetçik Abidesi
11:30-12:00 French Memorial Service, Morto Bay
12:20-13:00 Commonwealth Memorial Service, Cape Helles
14:55-15:40 Turkish 57th Regiment Memorial Service, Turkish 57th Regiment Memorial
Thursday, 25 April 2013
05:30-06:30 Dawn Service, Anzac Commemorative Site, North Beach
10:00-11:00 Australian Memorial Service, Lone Pine
11:30-12:15 New Zealand Memorial Service, Chunuk Bair
The Anzac Commemorative Site is expected to be closed to visitor entry from approximately late morning to early evening on Wednesday 24 April. The road leading to the Anzac Commemorative Site will be closed from 3am on Thursday 25 April until the start of the Dawn Service.
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Preparing to attend Anzac Day commemorations
You should have a moderate level of fitness if you plan to attend the Anzac Day commemorations.
To attend the services you can expect to walk up to 8 kms on uneven surfaces. The walk from the Dawn Service to Lone Pine where the Australian service is held is approximately 3 kms and includes a section of 1.5 kms of uneven dirt surface with a very steep incline. The walk from Lone Pine to Chunuk Bair where the New Zealand service is held is 3.2kms up a steep bitumen surfaced road.
What to expect
Download a Visitor Information - Anzac Day 2013 factsheet
PDF version of factsheet (196KB) | Word version of factsheet (414KB)
- All commemorative services are held in a National Park.
- All commemorative services are open to the public however seating is not reserved nor guaranteed.
- You will arrive in the early evening or at night when it may be extremely cold and windy, and it may rain.
- The weather during the day can get very hot and windy.
- You will need to pass through security at Anzac Commemorative Site and again at Lone Pine. Considerable delays can be expected due to the large numbers of people attending.
- You can expect to be on site exposed to the elements for between 12 and 30 hours.
- There is no shelter at any of the commemorative sites or within the Anzac area.
- Temporary tiered seating is installed at the Anzac Commemorative site, Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair for the Anzac Day Services. In addition to the tiered seating, the grassed areas within the site also provide seating areas. As many visitors attend services seating is neither reserved nor guaranteed.
- The site is likely to be crowded and as the grassed areas fill quickly there may not be room to stretch out and fall asleep.
- Warm and wet weather protective clothing, as well as a hat/cap and sunscreen are necessary to ensure your wellbeing and comfort at the ceremonies.
- You will walk considerable distances from the time of your arrival to attend the services until your departure from the Anzac area - these walks are uphill including on very steep, graded dirt surfaces. You must have a moderate level of fitness and mobility to walk these distances.
- Food and refreshments are available for purchase from the Turkish food sellers on site. You may bring in your own food. Alcohol is NOT allowed at the commemorations and will be confiscated.
- Limited basic facilities including toilets, lighting and non-drinking water are brought in to the commemorative sites for the Anzac Day commemorations on 24 and 25 April.
- Swimming in the waters off the Anzac area is prohibited.
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Packing
Bring:
- Wet weather jacket and pants
- Warm, thermal clothing, jacket, beanie, hat or cap, gloves, scarf
- Warm blanket
- Comfortable, sturdy walking shoes
- Prescription medications (if necessary)
- Food/snacks
- Drinking water (opened bottles will not be permitted)
- Sunscreen
- Torch
- Camera
A small day pack may be useful to carry these items.
Also available to download is a comprehensive guide on How to prepare for Anzac Day
PDF version of information sheet 222KB | Microsoft Word version of information sheet 10MB
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What NOT to bring
The following items are prohibited in the commemorative areas:
- large backpacks (eg luggage sized)
- camping equipment
- opened bottles of liquids
- alcohol*
- flammable liquids
- weapons or sharp objects
*Intoxicated persons will be refused entry
These items MUST be left on your coach/minibus. All visitors to the commemorative services are screened on entry to the sites, and all bags are searched.
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Getting There
Arriving at the commemorations:
(See also Traffic and crowd management)
People generally travel to the Gallipoli Peninsula by coach or minibus as part of a tour group. People may travel to the commemorations in private motor vehicles. However, depending on the location of the parking area designated by Turkish authorities, visitors travelling by private vehicle may have to walk several kilometres along unlit or poorly lit roads before reaching the Anzac Commemorative Site.
Private vehicles are prohibited from travelling to the Lone Pine, 57th Regiment Memorial or Chunuk Bair commemorative sites.
Several kilometres from the Anzac Commemorative Site, coaches and their passengers are welcomed by a member of the visitor services team and issued with coach identification information - a Coach Identification Number and individual tags for each passenger with their coach number on it. This will help visitors to identify their coach at the end of the day.
Coaches set down their passengers at Beach Cemetery, which is about one kilometre (15 minutes walk on a graded dirt road) from the Anzac Commemorative Site where the Dawn Service is held. All visitors will pass through a security screening point before entering the site, then walk approximately half a kilometre to the ceremonial area.
When you disembark from your coach you must ensure that you have everything you will need during the evening and next day, including medication. See Packing. To assist with security screening we suggest that keys, phones and coins are placed in your day pack or bag. You will not be able to go back to your coach if you forget anything or to return items that are prohibited on site. Coaches will depart the set down area after they have disembarked passengers and will not return to collect passengers until after all commemorative services are completed on the afternoon of 25 April.
Seating at the commemorative sites is available on grassed areas and in stands. Seating cannot be reserved. Once open on 24 April, the Anzac Commemorative Site fills quickly. People may end up sitting very close to each other and, if the site reaches capacity, people will be asked to stand. Large groups who arrive later may not be able to find room to be seated as a group and should be prepared to split up and stand if there are no seats available. Information about movements to the commemorative services at Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair is at Getting about on the day.
Weather
The weather in April can be warm during the day and extremely cold overnight (temperatures may be below 0 degrees celsius). Rain and very cold winds are possible. Visitors should ensure they are adequately equipped for these extremes by ensuring that they take appropriate warm and protective clothing. See Packing for what to bring.
There is no shelter at any of the commemorative sites and visitors will be exposed to the weather for the entire period they are on site, which can be up to 30 hours. Large crowds, limited public amenities, and traffic and security arrangements can result in long waiting periods.
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Getting about on the day
Each of the commemorative services is open to the public. Those attending the Dawn Service at the Anzac Commemorative Site may go on to attend the Australian Service at Lone Pine, or the New Zealand Service at Chunuk Bair. However, due to the walking distances and terrain between the commemorative sites and the number of visitors walking to each service it may not be possible to attend all services.
Dawn Service to Lone Pine
From approximately 6:30am (after completion of the Dawn Service) visitors walk along the Anzac Cove Road and up Artillery Road to Lone Pine Cemetery for the 10:00am Australian Memorial Service. This 3.1km walk takes visitors past the Ari Burnu, Shrapnel Valley and Beach Cemeteries. Shortly after Beach Cemetery, the route follows Artillery Road inland as it slopes uphill past Shell Green Cemetery to Lone Pine. Artillery Road is a dirt road and is very steep and uneven in places. The road can be extremely difficult to walk. The route is well signposted. A moderate level of fitness is required.
The walk to Lone Pine can be challenging and is very steep.
Visitors are often taken unawares by the steep and potentially arduous nature of the climb up Artillery Road.
ACS to Lone Pine is approximately 3km. Artillery road is 1.42km long, with a height gain of 118 meters. From Lone Pine to Chunuk Bair is another 3.3km uphill.
“No image or footage can truly show just how steep this ground is.”
John Lafferty, 25 April 2007
(http://www.awm.gov.au/blog/tag/gallipoli/page/3/)
Some contemporary photographs give some indication of how difficult the climb can be for the unwary.
Australian War Memorial image no. J02526. A good view of the steep nature of the climb up Artillery Road near Brown’s Dip. The white stuff is snow – come prepared for potentially cold and wet weather!
Australian War Memorial image no. J02544. Looking down towards Shell Green from Artillery Road. It is clear from the people in the middle distance how steep this area is.
If you are elderly or have a disability which may prevent you being able to make this climb you may be eligible for mobility assistance (see below).
Visitors will need to undergo security screening before entering the Lone Pine site.
Lone Pine to Chunuk Bair
The New Zealand Service at Chunuk Bair commences at 11.30. The route slopes uphill past the Turkish 57th Regiment Memorial and is approximately 3.3kms. The walking time between Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair is approximately one hour and fifteen minutes.
Coach loading at the conclusion of the services.
Important information about the loading of coaches at the conclusion of the Gallipoli Anzac Day services. (MP4 42MB) (Word 133KB)
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Site information
Seating
Temporary tiered seating is installed at the Anzac Commemorative Site, Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair for the Anzac Day services. Seating is not reserved for anyone other than those small areas set aside for the official party and people requiring mobility assistance. Seating will not be reserved for tour groups. There are no sheltered areas at any of the commemorative sites.
Visitors are not allowed to lean against or have items touching any headstones in the commemorative sites.
There is only limited grassed areas and seating. The site will become quite crowded as it fills up. Visitors should be considerate of others and not lie across seats in the tiered seating areas.
Toilets
Permanent toilets are only available at the Kabatepe Museum, which is some distance from the commemorative sites. Temporary chemical toilets and hand washing facilities are available on 24 and 25 April at the Anzac Commemorative Site, Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair. The water at these locations is not potable and must not be used as drinking water.
Water and Power
There is no running water, power or lighting except for that in use for the services. Bottled water is available for purchase from Turkish vendors at each of the commemorative sites, but we do encourage you to bring your own. Opened bottles of liquid will not be allowed onto the site, including open water bottles.
Refreshments
Local Turkish food and drink vendors sell limited quantities of their products within the Gallipoli Park.
Consuming alcohol within the National Park is not permitted. The ban on alcohol is strictly enforced – alcohol brought on site will be confiscated and intoxicated people will be denied entry.
Rubbish
Rubbish disposal facilities are provided and visitors are asked to dispose of rubbish thoughtfully or, where possible, take rubbish with them. All visitors to the Dawn Service are provided with a biodegradable rubbish bag (as part of an information kit). Additional rubbish bags are available from commemorative services staff.
Lost Property
If you lose or find property during the commemorations, please take it to the information tent and notify event staff. Following the commemorations, lost property enquiries can be directed to gallipoli@dva.gov.au. Property is only retained for a month and is held in Turkey. Arrangements for, and costs of, shipping are the responsibility of individuals claiming lost items.
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Safety and security
The Australian and New Zealand Embassies in Ankara and the Australian Consulate in Canakkale work closely with Turkish authorities who are responsible for security for the commemorations.
Security and crowd management measures include a ban on lighting fires, restrictions on entry points, individual searches and site security. Crowd control barriers are used as a means of directing public access and protecting the surrounding environment.
You should follow instructions issued by Turkish security personnel. Allow sufficient time to travel between the commemorative sites including time to pass through each site’s security checkpoint. See Getting about on the day.
Visitors will most likely be separated into male and female lines to go through the security checkpoints for cultural and religious reasons.
On passing the security checkpoint at the Anzac Commemorative Site, all visitors will be given a security wristband. This wristband MUST be worn on the wrist until you leave the Gallipoli Historical National Park at the conclusion of the services.
Visitors will be screened again on entering the Lone Pine site for the Australian Service and Chunuk Bair for the New Zealand service.
Security measures may be in place several days in advance of the services. Certain areas of the Anzac Commemorative Site (including the beach and ceremonial area) will be inaccessible to members the public for extended periods on 24 April and 25 April.
See What NOT to bring for prohibited items.
Intoxicated persons will be denied entry.
Visitors are reminded of the very strict Turkish penalties for the possession of drugs.
Swimming in the waters off the Anzac area is prohibited.
Visitors are asked not to stand or sit on the road through the Anzac Commemorative Site or other fenced movement corridors. These areas should be kept clear to provide a movement corridor through the site and for emergency access.
Public announcements will provide instructions in the event of an incident.
While safety lighting is installed at the Anzac Commemorative Site for the evening of 24 April and for the Dawn Service, visitors may wish to bring torches.
Lighting fires in the National Park is prohibited.
Further information about safety and security at Gallipoli. (MP4 38MB) (Word 163KB)
First Aid
Basic first aid facilities are available from early evening on 24 April and during the day on 25 April.
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Traffic and crowd management
Management of traffic on the Gallipoli Peninsula is the responsibility of the Turkish Jandarma (military police). There are a large number of vehicles on the narrow roads of the Gallipoli Peninsula during Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 April. Those planning to drive should be aware that designated parking areas may be several kilometres from the Dawn Service site, the walk from the parking area to the site may be along unlit or poorly lit roads, and private vehicles are prohibited from travelling between commemorative sites. Those attending Anzac Day services on the Gallipoli Peninsula should plan their visit accordingly.
Coaches will not be permitted to travel through the Anzac Commemorative Site from the afternoon of 24 April. Coaches are stopped one kilometre from the site at the Beach Cemetery passenger set down point and visitors will be required to walk from there to the Anzac Commemorative Site.
Coaches will not commence the collection of passengers until after the conclusion of the Chunuk Bair service at approximately 12:15 pm on 25 April. Coaches will collect passengers only from the commemorative sites. It takes until 3 or 4 pm for all coaches to pick up their passengers.
Further information about traffic arrangements will be provided by the announcers on site.
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Assisted Mobility Applicants
Limited mobility assistance will be available for people who are unable to walk from the coach passenger set down point to the commemorative sites. People requiring mobility assistance can obtain further information about the Assisted Mobility Application and assessment process from the Department of Veterans' Affairs by e-mailing gallipoli@dva.gov.au, or telephoning (02) 6289 6274. You can also write to:
Gallipoli and Pacific Section
Department of Veterans' Affairs
GPO Box 9998
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Please make contact well ahead of Anzac Day. You will need to provide information in relation to medical conditions to receive mobility assistance.
Download information for Assisted Mobility Applicants
PDF version of information sheet 272KB | Microsoft Word version of information sheet 94KB
Be Prepared:
Assisted Mobility Applicants are asked to ensure they are prepared to spend a night out in the cold and bring warm clothing, coat, gloves, hat, scarf and a blanket as a minimum. There is no access to coaches after arrival, so everything you need during the evening and next day must be brought with you including medications. Please see Packing.
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Travel advice and personal security
For the latest travel advice for Turkey please visit the smartraveller website, or phone 1300 139 281.
We encourage you to register with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. You can register online or in person at any Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate. The information you provide will help DFAT to contact you in an emergency – whether it is a natural disaster, civil disturbance or a family issue.
Please see information about general travel advice including medical insurance and personal security and a range of other tips and hints for safe travel on the smartraveller website.
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Gallipoli 2013 registration
The Department of Veterans’ Affairs recommends all visitors and trip leaders register their intention to attend the Gallipoli Anzac Day commemorations at www.gallipoliregistration.com.
Registration on the DVA registration system assists with planning for the commemorations and for visitors to receive updates should there be any changes to the arrangements for the commemorations. It is important for visitors to register the mobile phone number they will use while travelling to ensure they receive updates.
All Australian visitors to Turkey are also encouraged to register their itinerary at www.smartraveller.gov.au, read the travel advisories for the countries they are visiting and have comprehensive travel insurance.
Registering your intention to travel on the DVA registration page does not automatically transfer your information to Smartraveller. Visitors should therefore register on both systems.
It is important to note that just prior to Anzac Day, DVA plans to share the name and mobile phone contact details of those who have registered on DVA with the DFAT consular team. This information will only be used by DFAT in case of an emergency.
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Emergency contact details
In Turkey, you can obtain consular assistance from the:
Australian Embassy
88 Ugur Mumcu Caddesi
Gaziosmanpaşa
Ankara TURKEY
Telephone: (+90 312) 459 9500
Facsimile: (+90 312) 446 4827
Website: http://www.turkey.embassy.gov.au/
or
Australian Consulate-General
16th Floor, Süzer Plaza (Ritz Carlton Hotel),
Askerocaĝı Caddesi No. 15, Elmadag
Istanbul TURKEY
Telephone: (+90 212) 393 8542
Facsimile: (+90 212) 243 1332
or
Australian Consulate
Kolin Hotel
Kepez 17100
Canakkale TURKEY
Telephone: (+90 286) 218 1721
Facsimile: (+90 286) 218 1724
The nationwide police 24-hour hotline number is 155. In rural areas, the Jandarma can be contacted on 156. Foreigners can also contact the Istanbul Tourist Police on +90 212 527 4503.
In a consular emergency if you are unable to contact the Embassy, Consulate-General or Consulate, you can contact the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305, or 1300 555 135 within Australia.
In Australia, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra may be contacted on (02) 6261 3305.
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