ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the experiences of Australians on a combined cultural, sport and military tour of Turkey. It focuses on tourist "moments", which are serendipitous instances of "self-discovery and communal belonging" when "one goes beyond 'being a tourist'". The Australians' main reason for visiting Turkey was to participate in a renowned swimming race across the Dardanelles Strait from the Gallipoli peninsula in Europe to the city of Canakkale in Asia. Regardless of whether tourism in Turkey is marketed by a public or private company or offered by a budget or luxury operator, it tends to be encoded in two broad frames: "othering" and "traditionalizing". In the 1980s Australian and New Zealand backpackers were important in stimulating foreign tourism and their burgeoning numbers were used by politicians, business groups, academics and civic organisations in Canakkale as leverage for more investment in the area by the national government.
