Mackay North State High School

Spirit of Anzac Tour 2006

Itinerary

Wed 20 September

Assemble at Mackay Airport - 9.45 am

Depart Mackay – 10.40 am Virgin Airlines DJ912

Arrive Brisbane - 11.50 am

Depart Brisbane – 2.15 pm – Qantas QF533

Arrive Sydney – 3.45 pm

Catch transit train to Sydney International Airport

Depart Sydney - 5.00 pm Qantas QF1

Arrive Bangkok - 11.15 pm

Meet bus & guide (Jack) – to hotel – SD Avenue Hotel

 

Thailand

Thurs 21 September

Morning - drive straight to Kanchanburi.

Visit the Bridge on the River Kwai and catch the train from up to the Wampo viaduct

Explore the viaduct

On to the elephant camp to ride elephants

To River Kwai Village Hotel – overnight

Friday 22 September

To Hellfire Pass - catch bus/truck down to the old Hintok station and walk back to Hellfire Pass over cleared railway route

Group memorial service in Hellfire Pass cutting.

Climb the stairs to the Hellfire Pass Museum

On to Home Phu Toey Resort for lunch. Visit Sir Weary Dunlop Museum , Jack Chalker Gallery and replica of a POW camp.

Travel back to Kanchanaburi to the River Kwai Hotel

River Kwai Dinner Cruise

Saturday 23 September

To Kanchanaburi War Cemetery - conduct group service and individual grave services.

Visit Thai Burma Railway Centre in Kanchanaburi

Lunch in Kanchanaburi at Nittaya River Kwai Terrace Restaurant

Catch long tail boats out to Chungkai Cemetery

Bus back to Bangkok

Free time in Bangkok – dinner & shopping on Khao San Road

Drop off at airport.

Depart Bangkok – 10.35 pm – Turkish Airlines TK61

Turkey

Sunday 24 September

Arrive Istanbul Airport – 5 am

Meet guide and charter bus to Canakkale – Hotel Canak.

Free afternoon in Canakkale

Monday 25 Sept

To Anzac Cove via ferry across Dardenelles – stop off at Gaba Tepe to view terrain

To Anzac Cove – Ari Burnu Point – Ataturk Memorial

Explore Anzac Cove & surrounds

Morning tea Ari Burnu and then walk around point to Anzac Commemorative Site

Bus north to Hill 60 area. View ridges from here

To NZ Outpost No. 2 Cemetery - commemoration

To Shrapnel Valley Cemetery – commemoration & lunch

Walk up to Plugge's Plateau

Drive up to Lone Pine Cemetery – explore the cemetery & surrounding area

To Nek Cemetery – quick orientation visit

Back to Canakkale via ferry

Tuesday 26 Sept

To Anzac

Straight to Lone Pine Memorial – group commemorative service & grave commemorations

Walk to Johnstone's Jolly and Australian trenches at Lone Pine

Down track to 4 th Battalion Parade Ground Cemetery & Braund's Hill

Drive along 2 nd Ridge to Quinn's Post Cemetery – grave commemoration.

On to Nek Cemetery. Explore area & walk down to Walker 's Ridge

Drive up to Chunik Bair. Explore area and have packed lunch

Back to 2 nd Ridge. Walk from Lone Pine down to Shell Green Cemetery – grave commemoration.

Walk on to Beach Cemetery - grave commemoration.

Another walk along Anzac Cove – to Anzac Commemoration area for a swim.

Back to ferry – to Canakkale

Wednesday 27 Sept

Pre dawn start

Catch ferry before dawn – to Anzac Cove to experience dawn on the beach

Back to Canakkale and hotel for breakfast

Free morning

After lunch – ferry across to Eceabat

To Kilitbahir Forts

On to Cape Helles:

Visit Cape Helles British Memorial - commemoration

On to French Cemetery / Turkish Memorial (group service).

Up to Anzac Cove ( Beach Cemetery ) to watch the sunset – say goodbye to Anzac.

Back to ferry – to Canakkale

Thursday 28 Sept

Leave Canakkale – to Istanbul – Hotel Grand Ons

Free afternoon to explore Istanbul – Blue Mosque / Grand Bazaar etc

Belgium - Flanders

Friday 29 Sept

To Istanbul Airport

Depart Istanbul – 7.45 am – Turkish Airlines TK1937

Arrive Brussels – 10.30 am

Meet charter bus & driver

Drive to Ieper – grave commemorations on the way:

  • Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery
  • Borre British Cemetery
  • Ridge Wood Cemetery .

Check into hotel in Ieper – Menin Gate School Hotel

Group visit to Menin Gate & walk along Ramparts to Ramparts Cemetery

Rest of afternoon & evening free – students to buy own dinner

Attend Last Post Ceremony at 8pm.

Saturday 30 September

Breakfast – Menin Gate School Hotel

Grave commemorations south of Ieper :

  • Drantoutre Military Cemetery
  • Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension
  • Westhof Farm Cemetery
  • Trois Abres Military Cemetery
  • Berks Cemetery
  • Derry House Cemetery No. 2
  • Oosttervene Wood Cemetery
  • Bedford House Cemetery

Visit Messines Church / packed lunch

Back to Ieper – free time

5 pm - Group commemorative service at Menin Gate + presentation of photos to Martin Jordan

6.pm - Group dinner at Den Anker restaurant with guests

8 pm - Attend Last Post Service – group involvement - wreath laying & recital of Ode

Sunday 1 October

Head east out of Ieper along Menin Rd.

Cemetery visit:

  • Hooge Crater Cemetery

To Hill 60 and explore area .

To Polygon Wood / 5 th Division Memorial. Grave commemoration at:

  • Buttes New British Cemetery

Explore cemetery and wood and have packed lunch at De Dreve pub near the wood.

To Tyne Cot Cemetery .

To Langemark and visit the German Cemetery .

Head back towards Ieper and stop at the town of Sint Jan to visit the house of ‘Shrapnel Charlie' to view a display of making metal soldiers out of shrapnel.

Back to Ieper – rest of the day free.

8pm – Attend Last Post Ceremony

France – Somme

Monday 2 October

Leave Ieper and head south.

Morning grave commemorations:

  • Outterstene Communal Cemetery
  • Merville Cemetery
  • Estaires Communal Cemetery

To Fromelles battlefield – VC Corner Cemetery & Cobbers Sculpture

On to Vimy - grave commemorations on the way:

  • Brewery Orchard Cemetery
  • La Chaudiere Cemetery

Visit Vimy Ridge Memorial area / packed lunch

Into Arras – grave commemoration:

  • Faubourg D'Amiens Cemetery

To Amiens via Doullens. Grave commemoration:

  • Doullens Communal Cemetery

Into Amiens – Ibis Amiens Hotel

Tuesday 3 October

Breakfast – Hotel Ibis

To Australian National Memorial for group commemorative service

Cemetery visits after service:

  • La Neuville
  • Heilly Station Cemetery
  • Heath Cemetery

Visit Hamel Memorial.

Back into Amiens for lunch

Free afternoon and evening

Wednesday 4 October

Full day on Somme battlefields

To Villers Bretonneux:

  • Adelaide Cemetery – commemoration + grave of Unknown Soldier.

To Victoria Primary School and Australian Museum .

Cemetery visits:

  • Ribemont
  • Dernacourt
  • Beacon
  • Pozieres British

Lunch at McDonalds in the town of Albert

To Pozieres – La Boiselle / 1 st Division Memorial / Windmill / Mouquet Farm

To Thiepval Memorial and interpretive centre

To Beaumont Hamel – Newfoundland Park

Back to Amiens

Thursday 5 October

Morning cemetery visits:

  • Crouy British
  • Warlencourt British
  • Achiet-Le Grand
  • HAC Cemetery

To Bullecourt and visit Jean Letaille's private museum. Walk to Bullecourt Digger Memorial.

South to Flers area – visit Delville Wood South African Memorial.

Cemetery visits:

  • London Cemetery
  • Caterpiller Valley Memorial

To Asservillers Formule 1 Hotel

Friday 6 October

Morning cemetery visits:

  • Vendelles Communal Cemetery
  • Bellicourt British Cemetery

To Bellicourt Canal and on to Bony American Cemetery

  • Tincourt British Cemetery
  • Peronne Communal Cemetery

Visit 2 nd Division Memorial – Mont St Quentin

Lunch in Peronne

To Paris accommodation – Hotel Campanile – Boulevard Berthier

Night walk in Paris - Champs de Elysee

Paris

Saturday 7 October

Group day in Paris - choice:

Paris Disney or

Palace of Versailles / Montmartre / shopping

Final night in Europe – group dinner.

Sunday 8 October

Morning – visit Eiffel Tower

After lunch - catch Metro to Orly Airport

Depart Paris – 5.35 pm Turkish Airlines TK1828

Singapore

Monday 9 October

Arrive Singapore – 5.20pm

Transfer to Albert Court Hotel

Tuesday 10 October

Morning tour of Singapore :

To Changi – visit museum

Out to Kranji Cemetery – grave commemorations and group service for men and nurses honoured on the Singapore Memorial.

Back into Singapore for lunch

Afternoon – free time

Transfer to Singapore Airport

Depart Singapore – 9.20 pm Qantas QF52

Wednesday 6 October

Arrive Brisbane - 6.30 am

Transit train to domestic terminal.

Depart Brisbane 8.40 am - Virgin Airlines DJ 913

Arrive Mackay 10 am

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