Canberra & Melbourne Trip
Canberra and Melbourne 2019
You could feel the energy bouncing off the walls in the classroom as we all gathered together - we were about to embark on a grand adventure, the Year 6 trip to Canberra and Melbourne!
It was 3.00pm on Monday, the 16th of September when we boarded our Virgin Australia flight, our destination? Canberra! The flight went very smoothly and we were all extremely excited and tired when we arrived at the Ibis Styles hotel in Canberra. We were delighted to see our rooms, with freshly made beds, TV’s equipped with all the movies you could ask for and of course the delicious food. It was only now that we found out whose room we would be in, and as you can imagine we were all delighted to see we were sharing with our friends.
The following day we started early with breakfast and a taste of Canberra with a drive past al the amazing embassies, closely followed by a walk around Reconciliation Place, Floriade to smell the roses and grab a hot chocolate or two given how cold it was. Soon it was time to venture to Old Parliament House a place that had never been on the itinerary before, and Miss Sluyters was very much looking forward to. Our first full day in Canberra also saw us explore the corridors of Parliament House and have our own personal escort in the form of Mr. Andrew Wilkie. The day concluded with a night tour of Australian National Botanic Gardens and then back to the hotel, and lights out. We were exhausted.
On Wednesday, most of us agreed the highlight was the AIS the best part of the day, with a swim that night in one of the AIS pools. We also went to lots of new places such as the High Court, National Gallery and the National Museum.
Our last full day in Canberra was Thursday and here we explored a few more attractions Canberra had to offer including: The War Memorial, which truly was awe inspiring. We walked ANZAC Parade with a guide finding out about some of the memorials, the Arboretum for lunch and then on to The Ian Potter Technology Centre where, as a Year group, we tried to solve the environmental issues regarding the impact of plastic on our oceans. For the first time The Year 6’s had a dinner to celebrate all that was Canberra, for many of us we were in ‘food heaven’ as we dined at The Star Buffet, however, we all left feeling extremely full!
Our next stop was Melbourne where we unpacked information linked to migration at the Immigration Museum, had a food tour of China Town and then ate at the Victoria Markets before lazily lying in the sun or playing on play equipment at the park. These five days away were so jam packed with fun times and memories that we will remember for a life time.
All Year 6 students would like to give a special thank you to Mr. Wierenga, Mrs. Wallis, Mrs. Wilson Haffenden, Mrs Judd and Mrs Belbin, but most importantly Mrs. Dooley and Miss Sluyters. This truly was a trip of a lifetime and we’re all extremely grateful.
We are extremely grateful for the support provided to us as a Year 6 class from the Australian Government who support the PACER program and allow the College to be reimbursed a total of $200 in order to assist all our families. It is clear that The Australian Government recognizes the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education.
Eloise Hodgman - Year 6 Navy student
Miss Melanie Sluyters - Year 6 Navy Teacher