Huge logistics and security exercise will test the stamina of the 10,000 who have tickets for the Dawn Service
By the numbers
Kiwis attending the Gallipoli centenary should be prepared for a long and arduous day before the official commemorations kick off. Two thousand received passes to attend the Dawn Service and New Zealand Memorial Service at Chunuk Bair on April 25.
The entry process for attendees, excluding VIP guests, begins early in the morning on April 24, with more than 450 tour buses expected to converge on the peninsula from 8am.
The first stop is Akbas where all buses will be registered. Attendees will have their passes validated before being given an official wristband and a tag to help them identify their bus after services have concluded.
The buses will then drive to Kabatepe Otopark, about 16km away.
At this point, attendees disembark and have their barcoded access passes checked against their passports and scanned. Once through the Kabatepe screening point attendees walk across the road to Mimoza Park, a holding area.
The Anzac Commemorative Site (ACS), where the Dawn Service will be held, is not open to attendees until the afternoon of April 24.
Anyone arriving in the morning will have to wait at Mimoza Park, where shade, temporary toilets and food vendors will be available. To help pass the time, documentaries will be played on big screens.
There are a number of security points where attendees will be put through airport-style screening. Once cleared they’ll be given an information pack containing a rain poncho and commemoration booklet.
Inside the ACS there is seating for 5000 attendees. The rest will stand on a grass area. Some may not be able to see the stage from where they’re standing, but big screens will ensure no one misses the service.
In previous years, attendees have taken sleeping bags and camped out at ACS overnight. That’s not allowed this year because the number of attendees is almost triple the usual number.
At the entrance to the ACS attendees will be screened again, and then allowed in to wait overnight for the Dawn Service — timed to start at 5.30am local time (2.30pm in New Zealand). A reflective programme featuring documentaries about the Gallipoli campaign and musical performances will run through the night.
Food and drink will be available for purchase and there will be temporary toilets. There is no shelter so attendees are advised to bring wet weather gear and warm clothing to protect them against the elements. Umbrellas are not permitted.
people will attend the Dawn Service.
attendees are Kiwis. tour buses are expected to arrive on the peninsula on April 24. The distance attendees should expect to walk throughout Anzac commemorations. international media have been accredited to cover the centenary. The number of times attendees should expect to pass through airport-style screening points.