It was not until reaching Table Top that they encountered a large body of Turks and their bivouac. Originally missed by Meldrum’s mounted rifles, they were still in possession of parts of Table Top and so far had been left untouched. Seeing Major Frank Statham’s Otago Battalion approaching them, they surrendered en masse but, even though they were captured without a fight, this action appeared to delay the column’s advance until about 2.30 am; the schedule continued to slip. The moon had risen by about 2.00 am, which allowed some light into the deres, helping the column continue and increase pace and, with no further enemy encounters, some of the lost time was regained.

Major Arthur Temperley wrote:

It was a curious sensation to be marching along that valley in bright moonlight, far within the Turkish lines, without opposition of any kind. One Turk, who rushed out at the head of the advanced guard, I shot dead with my pistol. He was the only Turk seen that night.19

Prisoners were passed down the line when they were found, and every now and again within the scrub more Turks were found hiding. Statham continued past Table Top, crossing the narrow bridge of land that connects onto the Rhododendron Spur. Ahead, a forward party of the Otagos had reached the top of Rhododendron Spur, pushing a few fleeing Turks back beyond The Apex. It was about 4.00 am and would be getting light very soon. Further on, less than half a mile away, was Chunuk Bair, tantalizingly close. With no sign of the column to his left, Johnston halted here, despite Birdwood’s and Godley’s directive to push on regardless of delays. The New Zealanders were exhausted and its units had become fragmented along the approach to Chunuk Bair. Johnston did not want his column extending itself, piece-meal, any further into the dark, so he allowed time to reorganize and wait for the missing Canterbury Battalion to show up.

Lieutenant Colonel John Hughes’ Canterburys, led by two mounted guides, had moved into Sazli Beit Dere but during the night had very soon become hopelessly lost. Initially they took the first fork of the dere, which led them to a dead-end at the cliff face near Table Top and then, retracing their tracks back to the junction, some took the next fork that took them near Destroyer Hill. Confused, about half the battalion and its machine guns went back to the starting point on Ocean Beach, where an angry Godley sent them back again. Eventually Hughes managed to orientate himself and eventually found his way onto Rhododendron Spur.