A TAREE father and son will attend the centenary Anzac Day commemorations in Gallipoli this year after being successful in the randomly drawn national ballot which caps the amount of tourists allowed to attend the service.
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Father Terry and son Sam McCaffrey will travel to Turkey for the service after Sam's application was accepted.
"He very calmly walked in and said, 'guess what?'" said Terry.
"He said he'd been drawn out in the ballot to go to Gallipoli."
"He said would you like to go with me and I said, 'sure'."
The two will leave on April 17 and will spend several days in Turkey before making their way to Gallipoli for the Anzac Day service.
They will then camp on the hills overlooking the service on Anzac Day eve.
"From what I've heard it's a fairly emotional sort of service," said Terry.
From Gallipoli they will then go to Istanbul before travelling around Egypt for nine days.
The ballot result came after a cap was introduced in preparation for the 2015 centenary year, with record numbers of Australians expected to make the trip to Gallipoli for the service.
Preference went to direct descendants of Gallipoli participants and to school children, Terry explained.
Terry and Sam fall into neither of these categories, with Terry's father serving in World War II and his grandfather serving in the British army in World War I, however not in Gallipoli.
Their family's military background has meant the trip has added significance for Sam and Terry.
"People ask, 'how come you're going?'" said Terry.
"A fair few thousand were going for it, and we were lucky enough to get it.
"It's a big thing."
Terry and Sam will be taking with them miniatures of Terry's father's and grandfather's service medals which were made by Terry's stepfather, Bruce Loftus OAM, himself a World War II veteran.
