Around the School

Hi, our names are Makenzee and Fiona, and we’re going to tell you about our amazing Year 6 trip to Canberra! 

After spending what felt like forever on the bus, we finally arrived in Canberra and our first stop was the Australian War Memorial. There were so many interesting things to see and learn about, but one of the highlights was the incredible view across to Parliament House. After exploring the War Memorial, we headed to our accommodation, unpacked our bags and finally had a chance to relax after the long journey. 

The next morning we were up bright and early and ready for another busy day. Our first destination was Parliament House. Before we could go inside, we had to pass through security, which made the whole experience feel very official! 

While we were there, we took part in a parliamentary role-play. Justine became the Prime Minister, Seth D was the Opposition Leader, and several other students were given important roles as well. It was a fun way to see how Parliament actually works. Afterwards, we visited the House of Representatives — the famous green room — and the Senate, which is the red room. 

Day three was probably our busiest day! 

We started at the National Museum of Australia. Some students saw Phar Lap’s heart preserved in a glass case, while we also spotted an old-fashioned car towing a very old caravan. There were lots of strange and interesting objects from different parts of Australian history. 

Next, we visited the National Portrait Gallery, where we saw paintings and portraits of many important Australians. There were several different rooms and styles of artwork to explore, and it was really interesting seeing how differently people had been represented. 

After that, we went to the Electoral Education Centre. We learnt about elections, how voting works and how old you need to be before you can vote. We even got a better understanding of what happens when Australians actually go to the polls. 

Then it was off to the Australian Institute of Sport, where we saw some of the amazing facilities used by elite athletes, including the gymnasium and swimming pool. 

As if that wasn’t enough for one day, we also visited the Royal Australian Mint. We learnt how Australian coins are made and saw a black display wall covered with rare and unusual coins. Some students even got to design their own coins using a touchscreen and then see their creations appear on the wall. 

Eventually, it was time for our final morning in Canberra. Everyone had to wake up early, clean their cabins, make their beds, pack their bags and get ready for cabin inspections. As you can imagine, it was fairly chaotic with everyone trying to do everything at once! Luckily, some people had been organised enough to pack the night before. 

Then came the long bus trip home. 

The trip was actually pretty good... until near the end, when the boys started singing! After spending so many hours sitting on a bus travelling to and from Canberra, we were definitely ready to get home. 

Overall, Canberra camp was busy, interesting, exhausting and a lot of fun. We visited places that we had only ever heard about or seen in pictures, and we learnt much more by actually being there. 

Thank you for listening, and we hope you have a great rest of your day!