We started the day confident that we would be ready to start fieldwork by the time it was over. We had to get out final permits, collect the material that's kept at the local Australian Consulate that we use in our fieldwork and replenish it as necessary, and meet up with our Turkish colleagues to discuss the program for the season.

We achieved the first two, altough we don't actually receive the permits until first thing tomorrow. We didn't achieve the third simply because we couldn't guarantee bieng in one place for long enough for them to meet up with us. So that meeting now occurs tomorrow. So if everything goes perfectly we'll start fieldwork tomorrow afternoon. But there's every chance it won't be until Saturday.

To get to the Administrative Centre in Canakkale from where we're staying at Kocadere you have to cross the Dardanelles. It's a very historic waterway with records going back to before Troy. And it's very busy and quite spectacular.

I've uploaded a few photos I took as we crossed it today. You'll see the heart shaped fort, which is at Kilit Bahir on the peninsular side. It played a significant role in preventing the combined British and French Fleet penetrating the Dardanelles. Their last attempt was on the 18 March 1915. This date is so significant that the local university is called the 18 March University. You will see the date sitting in a very prominent position in one of the photos. And that date is even before Anzac Day when the landings initially occurred!