James Glenday reported this story on Tuesday, April 21, 2015 08:27:00

DAVID MARK: On Turkey's Gallipoli peninsula the finishing touches are being put on preparations for the Anzac centenary.



But not everyone is happy with how the historic occasion is being handled. One tour operator claims ordinary Australians are being overlooked in favour of VIPs.



And an outspoken historian thinks the atmosphere is insulting and akin to a Grand Final footy match.



From the Gallipoli Peninsula, James Glenday reports.



JAMES GLENDAY: Australians are coming to the Gallipoli Peninsula by boat, bus, car, and even kayak. Michael Thomas is paddling down the Dardanelles from Istanbul.



MICHAEL THOMAS: I've been kayaking for about 10 years now and yesterday was probably the most challenging conditions I've ever experienced to be honest.



JAMES GLENDAY: April Burdon travelled by a far more conventional method, but like many visitors is riding an emotional rollercoaster between the highs of being at such an historic occasion -



APRIL BURDON: It's hard to describe the feelings.



JAMES GLENDAY: And the lows of looking on at the rows of graves.



APRIL BURDON: Makes you just value like how good life is now and we don't have to put up with any conflict in Australia.



JAMES GLENDAY: But while the majority seem happy some on the Gallipoli Peninsula are worried.



PAUL MURPHY: I think the biggest problem is that there's so much concern for VIPs that they've lost site of the Australian people who have spent a fortune to be here.



JAMES GLENDAY: Tour operator Paul Murphy claims the event has been poorly planned by the Australian Government. He's deeply unhappy about the way dawn service tickets were allocated and some of the security restrictions on the peninsula.



PAUL MURPHY: Well I certainly know it's not on the Turkish request because the people I've spoken to here over the last few years are very frustrated people.



JAMES GLENDAY: He's predicting chaos.



The Department of Veteran Affairs rejects the criticism.



But as the big day approaches and the crowd grows, Australian historian Jonathan King is questioning the hype.



JONATHAN KING: I think this is now the Gallipoli Grand Final. It's a juggernaut, a commercial juggernaut. Look out there, James. We've got cruise ships that have come all the way from Australia with rock stars singing on them and bands playing. We've got surf boat races. We've got all sorts of sporting events, cricket, we've got a gala ball, a black tie ball. This is an insult, I reckon, to the Anzacs' memory.



JAMES GLENDAY: He interviewed the last surviving Anzacs and says the best thing Prime Minister Tony Abbott could do for their memory is to try and shift the national focus from Gallipoli to the Western Front in France.



JONATHAN KING: It's the year to exchange the Gallipoli cornerstone for a new Western Front one, and I reckon then we'd be listening to the last Anzacs.



JAMES GLENDAY: This is James Glenday reporting from the Gallipoli Peninsula for AM.