ANZAC Day

[Sam_goUUUdogs]

I'm currently in the process of arranging a trip to Europe and Its looking like I will be there over ANZAC day.

Just interested in hearing the experiences of other people that have spent ANZAC day overseas?

I'm leaning towards Villers-Bretonneux, has anyone else been there on ANZAC day, or at any other time?

[Mic]

Have a mate who went to Anzac Cove on Anzac Day, due to the large crowds/tours in the area he was very disappointed and wants to go again during a different (much quieter) time of the year.

[Brock Landers]

I went on a tour of the Western Front this year for ANZAC Day, including the dawn service at Villiers-Bretonneux.

It was amazing and I would definately recommend visiting Flanders and the Somme.

[sherminator]

I did the ANZAC Day trip back in 2001. Looking back it was a great experience and I am very glad that I did it. As a young bloke what really hit home was how young so many of the fallen Diggers were. However, at the time I was a little bit upset with some of the behaviour of the Aussies and Kiwis who were also there, although they were the minority. It seems to me that many people treated Gallipoli as another 'tick in the box' of things that you should do as a backpacker in Europe and I have to question whether many people were there for the right reasons. The news reports highlights how great it is to have so many young Aussies making the 'pilgrimage' but do not show people drunk as monkeys passed out in cemetaries, empty beer cans scattered on graves, people puking in front of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul etc. But as I said these guys were definitely the minority. I would definitely recommend the trip, I found it very moving and worthwhile. It is a very sacred site for Aussies, Kiwis and also the Turks. I hope to one day get back there (outside of ANZAC Day) to better appreciate it without the crowds.

[devilsadvocate]

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.

[JAS]

No idea how reliable this company is but the itinerary they describe might give you a few ideas of places to visit to pay your respects...

http://www.pillow.co.uk/the-tours/event ... ern-front/

Regards
JAS

[devilsadvocate]

No idea how reliable this company is but the itinerary they describe might give you a few ideas of places to visit to pay your respects...

http://www.pillow.co.uk/the-tours/event ... ern-front/

Regards
JAS

That looks really good. I'd definitely be checking them out.

[JAS]

No idea how reliable this company is but the itinerary they describe might give you a few ideas of places to visit to pay your respects...

http://www.pillow.co.uk/the-tours/event ... ern-front/

Regards
JAS

That looks really good. I'd definitely be checking them out.

All I did was chuck 'ANZAC Day France' into Yahoo search. I couldn't see any affliation with the usual travel agent trade organizations like ABTA so would definitely recommend doing homework first...we've now had 2 or 3 tour operators go bust just this week here.

If you'd like the next time I'm in town I could pop into my local independant travel agent that I've used and ask if they've heard of them...won't be until about 30th Aug though.

Regards
JAS

[heater31]

I'm leaning towards Villers-Bretonneux, has anyone else been there on ANZAC day, or at any other time?

my sister was there in 2009 and she said it was bloody freezing. Temperature was just above zero when the service started as they are only coming out of their winter and the mornings were still very chilly.

Also another tip would be to speak the native tongue the best you can as out in that neck of the woods the English speakers are few and far between but there is no harm in asking them as they are always keen to have a crack at their English if they can speak it.

[devilsadvocate]

I'm leaning towards Villers-Bretonneux, has anyone else been there on ANZAC day, or at any other time?

my sister was there in 2009 and she said it was bloody freezing. Temperature was just above zero when the service started as they are only coming out of their winter and the mornings were still very chilly.

Also another tip would be to speak the native tongue the best you can as out in that neck of the woods the English speakers are few and far between but there is no harm in asking them as they are always keen to have a crack at their English if they can speak it.

I reckon that really adds to the overall experience. When I visited the battlefields in southern Belgium, I had thermals, ski jacket, gloves, waterproof boots and was still freezing.

This made me appreciate at an even higher level the sacrifice and just the suffering that our blokes went through over there. They were under equipped, in deep mud and water filled trenches, where disease and rats and death was all around.

[cennals05]

I visited the Western Front for ANZAC day in 2009. Absolutely an amazing experience. Spent most of the time in and around Ipres. Definitely recommend it.

[Sam_goUUUdogs]

Anyone have any idea about travelling from Amiens to Villers-Bretonneux for the dawn service?
I've heard there is supposed to be shuttle-buses but I cant find any information on them.

[cennals05]

Anyone have any idea about travelling from Amiens to Villers-Bretonneux for the dawn service?
I've heard there is supposed to be shuttle-buses but I cant find any information on them.

http://www.france.embassy.gov.au/pari/a ... acday.html

http://www.anzac-france.com/anzac/plann ... ur_shuttle

[Sam_goUUUdogs]

Thanks very much for that

[Sam_goUUUdogs]

I attended the the ANZAC day dawn service in Gallipoli last week and I certainly found it to be a memorable experience that I highly recommend to everyone.