'Drunk, drugged up' Kiwis treat Gallipoli as party: nzherald readers

Nzherald.co.nz readers have described a "drunk, drugged up bunch of inconsiderate swine known as kiwis" making their way to Gallipoli on Anzac Day.

Young Kiwis are being told to stay away from Gallipoli this Anzac Day, over fears that partying Antipodeans are damaging the peninsula and disrespecting the dead.

A reader calling themselves Altvox, from Auckland, described being embarrassed "to be part of a drunk, drugged up bunch of inconsiderate swine known as kiwis on their OE."

"A percentage of those at Gallipoli had no real idea of what the day means. It is not an opportunity to get off your heads.

"Those who go need to show respect for those sacrificed their lives. It's not a place to get on the large and get hammered."

Ctase from Kingsland was at Gallipoli in 1999.

"Back then there weren't the thousands that go now, but I was still disappointed at how many people treated it as another party."

John R from Nelson concurred.

"Yes it's just become an excuse for a p***-up by mainly young NZers and Ockers with little respect shown for the occasion."

But Bex, who described herself as a Kiwi in the UK said she was at Gallipoli last year and said the sacred spot was not a party zone.

"No alcohol was allowed on the grounds, and speaking from my own personal experience, everyone young and old was very respectful. I don't think there was a dry eye during the dawn or NZ services at Chunuk Bair.

"I felt so much pride to be a Kiwi and to finally understand what our guys went through all that time ago," Bex said.

The comments come after New Zealand's national RSA president, Robin Klitscher, said yesterday that backpackers would better pay their respects by staying away.

And a new Lonely Planet travel guide recommends New Zealanders and Australians stay away on Anzac Day, to save the peninsula from environmental destruction.

Tens of thousands of Australians and New Zealanders descend on Gallipoli each year to mark the anniversary of their ancestors' World War I landing. They sleep under the stars, and often drink heavily as they await the dawn prayer services.

Klitscher said the thousands of New Zealanders and Australians making the annual pilgrimage were a huge imposition on Turkish authorities, and showing restraint would be "more in keeping with honouring the Anzacs who lie there forever".

"I've heard it said that New Zealanders and others have the right to be there on Anzac Day because that's the day the memory is most deeply felt, and that could be true. But it doesn't mean that you can't soak in that aspect on other days, in fact, it's almost palpable on any day," Mr Klitscher said.

He said travellers should remember that Gallipoli was a place of remembrance for Turkey as well.

"I know of no other instance in the world where a government has allowed peoples who have once tried to invade to come back and establish huge memorials and conduct an annual ceremony in their memory. When you think about it, that's a very generous thing to do."

Lonely Planet guidebook writer Steve Fallon has suggested visitors to Anzac Cove go any other day than April 25 to save the peninsula from damage and overcrowding.

"Supposed 'improvements' such as carparks and road-widening schemes have caused considerable damage to some areas, most shockingly at Anzac Cove," Fallon writes."Perhaps the only way to save Gallipoli is to do the 'unpatriotic' thing and stay away, at least on April 25."

Will Gourlay, Lonely Planet's commissioning editor, said he deliberated carefully before including the advice.

"There are lots of Anzac Day services that don't happen in Gallipoli ... and you can still pay your respects at any other time of the year," he told the Daily Telegraph.

In 1915, British and French forces battled for control of the Gallipoli peninsula.

Around 44,000 British and French solders died, as did 8700 Australians and 2721 New Zealanders.