I went to Gallipoli for ANZAC Day in 2008. It was the no 1 thing on my must-do list during my OS stint and it didn't disappoint.
The Australian govt in conjunction with the Turkish and NZ goverments has done a brilliant job in cleaning up this special ceremony from the unfortunate happenings of the early 2000's. The entire process is now flawless and I have nothing but praise for the way the event is handled by all involved.
Standing on that ground at dawn on April 25 while the bugle sounds out is a memory that I'll have for life.
The tour I did took us to Gallipoli on the 24th and we were literally the only ones there. It was fantastic, but quite sobering to be able to walk around the initial landing spot with virtually no noise other than small waves breaking on the beach. Waling up and down the immaculately manicured gravestones and reading inscriptions, names and particularly ages, is something I'll never forget.
I also went to Menin Gate in Ypres for Remembrance Day in 2009. It doesn't matter which day of the year you're there though, as they have a 'Last Post Ceremony' every night at 8pm in honour of the thousands of missing soldiers to which the memorial pays tribute. From Wikipedia:
Following the Menin Gate Memorial opening in 1927, the citizens of Ypres wanted to express their gratitude towards those who had given their lives for Belgium's freedom. As such, every evening at 20:00, buglers from the local fire brigade close the road which passes under the Memorial and sound the Last Post. Except for the occupation by the Germans in World War II when the daily ceremony was conducted at Brookwood Military Cemetery, in Surrey, England, this ceremony has been carried on uninterrupted since 2 July 1928. On the very evening that Polish forces liberated Ypres in the Second World War, the ceremony was resumed at the Menin Gate despite the fact that heavy fighting was still taking place in other parts of the town.
The ceremony is a solemn occasion, and therefore not intended as entertainment or a tourist attraction. The buglers usually remain at the scene for a short while after the ceremony, at which point appreciation can be expressed in person; it is not considered appropriate to applaud during the ceremony.
He is not missing. He is here
—Lord Plumer's address at the monument's unveiling, 1927
The Villers-Bretonneux service is growing every year as more and more Aussies learn more about the significant loss of Australian life in the area. While I haven't been, I'm sure it would be a great option and it's certainly a spot I ill definitely get back to at some stage in my life.
Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 5:40 pm