Welcome to our last of the daily posts for the Tour.

On our final day of the tour we did a final luggage pack, loaded our bags onto the coach and headed to the Australian National Maritime Museum. We arrived early and took a short walk over the Pyrmont Bridge to enjoy a different view of Sydney. Inside the Museum we explored several galleries on migration, wildlife photography and First Nations maritime history. At 10:30 the HMAS Vampire and real-life submarine HMAS Onslow opened for us to explore. The HMAS Onslow was commissioned in 1969 and served the Royal Australian Navy for 30 years, travelling around the world many times. It was given to the Museum by the Department of Defence in 1999. Inside the submarine it was extremely crammed, and we had to duck and squish through the walkways and go down stairwells backwards. We had almost full access to the navigation rooms, living quarters, kitchens, bathrooms and other areas aboard both the submarine and the naval ship. We imagined how difficult it must have been to live in these ships and submarines for long periods of time. We also considered the kinds of expertise and intelligence required to operate these vessels.

From the Museum we travelled to Bondi Beach, where students had the opportunity to venture down to the beach, walk along the sand, buy lunch and ice-cream from the eateries nearby, and enjoy riding on the ferris wheel (for some, numerous times).

We had one last chance to shop – purchasing gifts and dinner/snacks for the plane – at Bondi Junction, before heading to Sydney airport and checking in for our flight home. This was a relatively speedy operation, taking only about an hour for us to check-in our luggage, get through security and make it to the gate. We were slightly late boarding our flight (due to the late arrival of the cabin crew) but soon we were on our way home. It surprised the teachers how chatty and lively the students were on the way home, with only a few students managing to get some sleep on the 5 hour journey to Perth. Finally we arrived safely to Perth and reunited with our loved ones.

Today’s final blog was pieced together by myself (Miss K). On behalf of the Tour staff, I’d like to say a huge thank you to the parents/guardians who entrusted us with caring for your wonderful children these past 10 days, and for your support along the way. We are incredibly proud of the way our students conducted themselves throughout the tour and for the respect and kindness they showed to all members of the communities we came across. We have been overwhelmed by the positive feedback from various institutions and members of the public who approached us to compliment the fantastic students who represented our School. Thank you also for your prayers. We know we have been truly blessed with unique and rewarding experiences during this year’s Tour and we hope this has enriched the students’ learning experiences and helped them to foster their love of all things HASS.

God bless,

Miss K and the St Stephen’s School HaSS teams.

Today was our last full day in Sydney which we spent visiting many famous monuments. To start our day we had a lovely breakfast at our hotel and took the coach and then a short walk to the wharf area at Circular Quay to get to our Captain Cook cruise. The cruise was great – we had excellent views of the Harbour Bridge, Opera House, Taronga Zoo and other areas. It was very windy at the top, but we could move around and sit inside in the warmth. This was a nice change of pace compared to all our fast-paced activities.

After our cruise around the Harbour, we took the coach over the Harbour Bridge to Taronga Zoo where we got to explore the zoo with our friends and saw some of our favourite animals. We enjoyed visiting the capybaras, penguins, red pandas, lions and seals. The animals we saw were all full of energy. The seals were the most playful racing up and down their pools, while the baby platypus Tilly blew bubbles underwater and scratched her belly on the rocks inside her large enclosure. It was also clear that the zoo has put lots of effort and funds into preserving endangered species. We ended our time here by visiting the Zoo Shop where lots of us bought gifts for ourselves and our families.

From the zoo we headed to the Sydney Opera House for a guided tour where we learned about the history and architecture of the building. We were surprised to learn that the first architect of the Opera House, Jørn Utzon from Denmark, was forced by the government to resign based on the increasing costs and failure to meet project deadlines. Years later, Utzon was recognised for his work with several prestigious awards, and at one point was invited to assist with architectural work on the building, which he did from a distance. He refused to ever physically visit the site again. Our tour guide also talked to us about the kinds of acts that have performed at the Opera House, and showed us where Queen Elizabeth II used to sit in the theatre when she visited. Our tour guide was excited that King Charles III would be visiting in October. We sat inside two of the extraordinary rooms where performances take place, and learned about how the wavy wooden walls and giant adjustable magenta panels suspended from the ceiling are used to create the perfect acoustics for each kind of performance.

After our tour we went to The Rocks and had some free time to explore the area, which most of us spent together at Starbucks. To end our night, we headed to Ribs & Burgers where we had some delicious food – burgers and chips with soft drink. We enjoyed sitting with our new friends and talking about all the adventures we have had during the Tour. Overall today was a great fun-filled day in Sydney!

Tonight we had an early night to get plenty of rest before our departure tomorrow, and we have scored a later breakfast to enjoy a sleep-in. We are all sad that the trip is coming to an end but we are also quite eager to get home to our beds and our families. We have made some awesome memories and friendships on this trip that will stick with us.

Today’s adventures in Sydney today have been retold by Miss Glacken’s group: Summer, Evan, Zara, Taleesha, Fred, Justin, Xavier, Aiden, Jasmine and Veera.

We woke up early to have our bags ready for the coach and to eat breakfast before the long drive to Sydney. We were actually ahead of schedule and departed our accommodation, farewelling and thanking the hosts, before 8:30am.

We spent most of the day travelling on the coach, with a stop for lunch where the line at Subway took half an hour but was completely worth it. There were plenty of options also in the cafes around the area, and it was nice to stretch out our legs and move around after sitting for so long. We also saw a giant ram statue.  In the coach we shared snacks, listened to music, played games, talked and tried to get some sleep to pass the time.

Before getting to the Song Hotel, we visited Mrs Macquarie’s Chair and walked up to a lookout where you can get a photo of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge in the one frame. Peter, our coach driver, told us all about the history behind the Chair, telling us it was made by Lachlan Macquarie the fifth Governor of New South Wales (1810-1821) for his wife Elizabeth, who was believed to have sat in that spot watching the ships come into the Harbour. In 1810 it was carved out by convicts so that she could better enjoy the sights of Sydney. We took plenty of photos, and then at the lookout we saw a group of people setting up for a marriage proposal. A large heart shape bordered with red flowers and a light-up sign reading “MARRY ME?” were being staged. We tried (but failed) to persuade the teachers to stay at the lookout until 5pm, when the proposal would take place. On the way to the hotel we then passed by some art galleries, law courts and St Mary’s Cathedral.

We were glad to reach the hotel. The accomodation is extremely nice, and we spent a while relaxing after the long journey. Mr Osborne arranged for us to have our pizzas of choice delivered to the hotel with sides and drinks, for us to enjoy in our rooms at dinner time.

We all met in the lobby for a night walk to Circular Quay and the Sydney Opera House. The walk was long but we enjoyed seeing some new buildings, statues and areas of the city. Along the scenic walk, our group stumbled upon two possums, one hiding up a tree and one eating part of an ice cream cone perched on a bin. We managed to get quite close without scaring them away and they posed for the many pictures taken of them (see below). Walking around the Quay we admired how the Sydney Harbour Bridge lit up at night, and the Opera House too. We took more photos along the way (see Israel and Ryan Green re-enact the iconic pose from Titanic below) and raced each other up the stairs of the Opera House. Unfortunately the resident seal who usually appears on the steps down to the water behind the Opera House had not popped up to say hello to us. We will try to find him tomorrow in the daylight, as we’ve been told he can enjoy a bit of sun!

We returned to the hotel very tired. We are looking forward to seeing more of Sydney in the final days ahead, and to enjoying some warmer weather after the chilly conditions in Melbourne and Canberra!

Today’s blog was brought to you by Mr Osborne’s group: Seraphina, Pearl, Zach, Joshua, Ash, Ryan (Green), Israel, Olivia R and Nicola.

Day 7 was full of adventure and fun in the snow! This is the day of the Itinerary that many of us were looking forward to, and it sure didn’t disappoint. Today started with temperatures at -1 degrees outside our dorms. We promptly dressed in our ski clothes and headed to breakfast to fuel up before the big day. At 8:20, we began getting into the coach and eventually left for Thredbo while it was pouring down with rain. The anticipation had been building since Day 1, and as we neared Day 7 the weather forecasts and conversations with locals built up high expectations for heavy snow. About half way through the drive we noticed white sprinkles falling from the sky. At first it looked like rain but then we realised it was snow, and there was so much of it! We were thrilled by the tiny flakes of ice that clung to our windows, as most students had never seen snow before.

It took a while to actually get to the ski fields due to the heavy snow falling along the road, and our stop to put chains on the tyres. By the time we got there, the coach was bustling with positive energy and excitement. It was a bit of a struggle putting on our ski boots, and who could blame us for being distracted by the beautiful views outside. We were split into groups to have a ski lesson with the wonderful instructors there – who taught us important skills such as stopping, how to get in and out of our skis, pull ourselves along with our poles, and shuffle up hills sideways. Many of us pictured skiing to be an easy sport, of which we would be practically Olympians by the time we finished, but no. The constant snow pouring down was a hinderance, along with the tight space and the steepness of the slopes. While we slipped and scrambled for balance on the Beginners slope, we watched in envy as groups of five year olds glided effortlessly down the hill. Many of us fell over, leading to sore joints and cold wet socks. We later checked in with our teachers before many more of us took to the slopes, taking the chair lifts up to the different hills, whilst others headed for the warmth of the cafe to eat and defrost.

From the top of one hill, Ava and Abby began skiing down at a slow, even pace, while Seraphina absolutely booked it down the hill, sending children flying in her wake. Ava was laughing hysterically as she completed the slope, meeting a disgruntled and aching Seraphina at the base of the slope. Before it was time to leave, some of us met at the coach a little earlier to frolic in the powdery snowdrifts along the bank of a nearby creek. We had snowball fights, built snowmen and ate the fresh snow, it tasted like fluffy water. (**Note from Admin: We did strongly recommend they not eat the snow!**)

Before we could depart, Connor and Noah found someone’s AirPods and ran back at the last minute to hand them in, in the hope the owner would retrieve them. It turned out, that whilst talking to the slope worker, they were standing next to the owner and managed to return them safely to her. She was very grateful!

Me (Kaylee) and Vayda were running a bit late so we got to the high hill with only 5 mins left. We tried our best to ski back but instead ended up skiiing ourselves into the side of the hill next to the bush. So we did the next best thing which was to run the rest of the way in our ski boots. After a couple of mishaps we were back at the bus! Finally, we all made it to the bus to shed our ski jackets and ski trousers and don less soaked clothing. All in all, we had a truly thrilling time, and made many new memories. We all clambered into the coach exhausted and delighted to have spent the day on the snowfield. It turned out to be the highlight of our trip (so far) for many of us.

After dropping off our ski clothes and equipment to Igor (owner) and his team at the hire place, we went straight to dinner at our accommodation and loaded up on soup, pasta and chocolate cake with icecream. The food here really has been amazing. We headed for hot showers and rugged up for our final night in the mountains. We kicked back, watched a movie together and reflected on the special moments of the day in the snow.

And just before we headed off to bed, we did have a not-so-little, furry visitor outside our rooms…a wombat (see pic below)!

Today’s adventures in the snow were recounted by Mr Barnes’ group: Kaylee, Maddy, Abby, Ava, Toby, Cayle, Lachie, Noah, Connor and Imani.

Thank you to all those at home who have been following our blog thus far. The students are having the time of their lives and your words of support and enthusiasm along the way are much appreciated!

Today’s blog will not be so lengthy, given we have spent much of the day travelling and organising ourselves for the snow tomorrow. However we did visit Parliament House and enjoyed an interactive tour. We started our day with checking out of our accommodation and loading bags onto the coach – we are starting to get the hang of this now. We ate breakfast and then hopped onto the bus in anticipation for our final tour in Canberra.

At Parliament House we engaged in an hour-long tour of the House, including visiting both chambers – the House of Representatives and the Senate – and viewing the portraits of past Prime Ministers and significant politicians. We were amazed particularly by the enormous tapestry in a large hall – which our tour guide told us is hired out for special events for both the government and everyday Australians – everything from conferences to weddings.

Throughout our tour, the guide engaged us in discussion about the layout of the two chambers, the passage of a Bill, what happens in ‘Question Time’, everything down to why the ‘Exit’ signs in the Senate are red and not green. Once we completed the formal tour of the House, we were taken by another guide from the Parliamentary Education Office to take part in a role-play of passing a Bill, and in particular debating a water recycling Bill, as if we were the Government, Opposition and Independents in the House of Representatives. The room’s layout was modelled off of the House of Representatives and was fitted with a Mace, which Ethan carried as Serjeant-of-Arms. We followed all the formal proceedings that would take place in a real Parliament, and we were designated particular roles to play. Madeleine was Prime Minister (leader of the Government) and Aris was the Opposition Leader. Joshua was the perfect fit for the role of Speaker, and made sure to remind the politicians to address him properly and follow proceedings in an orderly fashion. It was highly entertaining, and debates sprung up from all over the House with politicians on all sides making their points firm and clear. After voting, it was obvious the Independent MPs were divided on the Bill, and the majority government allowed the Bill to be read a second and third time, voted on and eventually passed to the imaginary Senate. We then discussed with our guide how the passing of Bills into laws can be effected by who has the most seats in each House to begin with.

After a lunch break, we began our journey to Jindabyne to pick up our ski clothing and equipment. For much of this drive we caught up on sleep, listened to music and shared snacks. Picking up our ski gear was quite the operation – with Mr Osborne, Mr Barnes and Miss K working like a well-oiled machine to sticker students’ names onto all 7 pieces of ski equipment (see the pics below). Mrs Taylor, Miss Glacken and Miss Erasmus took up the job to assist students getting their ski jackets and pants fitted, before we packed the coach with our ski stuff and took off towards our accommodation.

At last we arrived at the Adventist Alpine Village to check-in and get settled in our rooms. Soon after, we went to dinner which was a three-course meal consisting of soup, perfectly seasoned roast chicken with roast vegetables and gravy, and a layered banana cake. We highly rate the food here, and some might say it was the best meal we’ve had so far.

The last event of the day was Mr Barnes’ Quiz Night. We organised ourselves into 8 groups, mixing campuses and getting to know each other more. The quiz consisted of 5 rounds, all relating to what we have learned on our Tour so far but also some funny ones thrown in there about our unique experiences. One round was a portrait competition, where students did a portrait of Mr Barnes, putting the skills they practiced at the National Portrait Gallery to good use. The students were unprepared for the turn of events in Round 3, as the teachers committed fully to a musical round in which they sang song lyrics to us (deliberately) out of their original tune, with us guessing the artist and name of each song. In the end, it was Group 3 (aptly named “8th Place”) who rounded out the bottom of the leaderboard. The winners were Group 7!

Overall it was a slow-paced day ahead of the massive day out in the snow tomorrow. The locals (and the weather forecast) have predicted the snow to be spectacular tomorrow, so we are very much looking forward to hitting the slopes and making snow angels!

Today’s blog is brought to you by Miss K”s group: Harry, Sam, Vayda, Sophie, Elijah, Owen, Ryan (Gemmell), Yujin and Maahi.

Today was much slower-paced than some previous days, with a later breakfast and some chill out time in the evening. The day brought many memorable moments and one particularly special surprise that no-one (not even the teachers) saw coming…Today’s blog is a long one, for good reason!

For our first stop of the day, we were able to visit the War Memorial and hear stories of Australian soldiers and nurses’ experiences in wars and conflicts around the world. We were split into groups and toured with historians who taught us plenty about Australia’s involvement in the World Wars, Afghanistan and Iraq.

The stained glass windows and murals in the Hall of Remembrance were stunning, all created by artist Napier Waller who was injured as a soldier in World War I and lost his right arm, making it difficult for him to create art in certain forms. Instead of creating paintings, Waller thought of new ways to depict his art and therefore the walls of the Hall are decorated in only miniature tiles – over 6.5 million of them, in over 75 colours.

The Pool of Reflection with the Eternal Flame lasting throughout day and night evokes lots of emotions, thoughts and memories for those who visit – mainly students, veterans, and families of those in the armed forces. There were also coins that had been tossed into the pool as people treat it as a wishing well with the coins being donations to the War Memorial. Wreaths  laid along the sides of the Pool had been placed there during a daily ceremony by school students and in some cases the families of soldiers and nurses who have sacrificed their lives for our protection as a nation. For some of us, our favourite part was seeing the Roll of Honour which displays all the names of Australian soldiers who died at war (over 103,000 of them), where people have placed poppies as a sign of respect for their sacrifices.

Inside the museum part of the Memorial were lots of  intricately detailed dioramas depicting different scenes from World War I, and there were also speakers above so we could hear what it would have been like in active battle there. The museum also held valuable artefacts, such as a real boat used by ANZACS that came to shore at Gallipoli in World War I and you can still see the bullet holes that were left in its sides. Our tour guides also shared stories of Western Australian soldiers, particularly the brave lighthorsemen who fought and died at the Battle of the Nek.

Shorty after visiting the War Memorial, we stopped at the temporary Australian Mint Exhibition, as the usual factory location is closed due to refurbishments. We first watched a short video telling us all about what the Mint does, how it operates and how they manufacture all of their coins. As a whole group we were able to see in person step-by-step instructions telling us how the Australian Mint makes their coins in the Exhibition. This was followed by a whole group debate on the importance of coins and predictions about the amount of coins there may be in the future, with Mrs Taylor being the judge for the best argument. At the end of the Mint tour we were able to stop at the gift shop to buy presents and souvenirs.

In the afternoon we travelled to the Arboretum, an amazing and understated place to visit in Canberra. Over 44,000 endangered tree species live here, but no willow trees since they aren’t endangered (which disappointed some of us). The workers at the Arboretum are helping to preserve many of the world’s endangered tree species, and have used the area since 2013 to re-grow and re-introduce species that were diminished in the 2003 bushfires. One of the sections included a range of bonsai trees, some of which are older than some of our grandparents. The Arboretum was very different to anything in Perth, and we had fun taking lots of photos capturing the unique trees as well as hugging them (Mr Barnes insisted). The view from the hills was amazing and it was definitely an experience we won’t forget.

In the afternoon we drove by many of the Embassies and High Commissions of nations around the globe. Some were still under construction and there were multiple empty plots waiting to be built on by countries who had not yet decided to establish an Embassy/High Commission in Australia. Each building had its own style, influenced by each nation’s dominant religions, traditions, national symbols, etc.

And finally we reached Government House, where our Governor-General lives. We walked up a long driveway to the beautiful mansion. We took photos outside, as no photos are allowed inside the house. We were greeted by our guide Sarah who is one of just seven permanent staff in the House, and Beau who is a special representative of the Navy. They discussed the layout of the House and the long list of roles and responsibilities of the Governor-General. We were made aware that our new Governor-General (in her third week of the job) Sam Mostyn was actually in the house but we understood this was a rare coincidence and expected to continue on with the tour as normal. Sarah also taught us how to address the Governor-General appropriately, with a “Good morning/afternoon, Your Excellency”. And lucky she did. All of a sudden to our complete surprise Sarah asked us to stand as the Governor-General herself entered the room and addressed us – lucky we practiced our greeting! We were completely starstruck, especially the teachers.

Her Excellency was eloquent, genuine and incredibly generous with her time. She held an impromptu Q&A with us, answering all of our burning questions in great detail. Everything from her life before the role, her favourite parts of the job and her interactions with His Majesty King Charles III. And then the Governor-General asked us for a selfie! See the awesome pics below. Even Beau and Sarah couldn’t believe she had sat down on the carpet with us to take one of the photos. Pearl thanked the Governor-General on behalf of the school for her time and generosity.

Another huge honour we had was to sign the guest book which each Governor-General takes with them at the end of their 5-year term, as a memento of their time in the House and with those who visited. Harry had the honour of signing the book with his name, on behalf of our School. We then headed to the dining room and saw the extraordinary table designed to seat up to 52 guests. We also passed by the room where Gough Whitlam was officially dismissed by Sir John Kerr in 1975, and then went to the garage outside to see the Rolls-Royce that drives the Governor-General around.

Still floating on a cloud from our incredible visit and encounter at Government House, we headed to the DFO for a short break, before eating some delicious chicken schnitzel for dinner, chocolate brownie for dessert and settling in for a movie night all together. Day 5 definitely left us with a lot to reflect on and appreciate about our time on the Tour so far, and particularly in our nation’s capital.

The experiences and reflections shared in today’s blog are those of Miss Erasmus’ group: Aris, Olivia E, Isabelle, Phoenix, Ethan, Cameron, Poppy, Eishan, Janya and Hannah.

Today was jam-packed with adventures and tours. Many of us would agree that it has been the best day of the tour so far. We woke up nice and early, had a delicious breakfast and headed out to Questacon, Old Parliament House (MOAD), Mt Ainslie Lookout, the Australian Institute of Sport, more shopping and then Zone 3 for laser tag and arcade games. Although it was only 3 degrees once we reached breakfast at 7:30am, the chilly weather didn’t hold us back!

Our first activity of the day was Questacon. Our visit to Questacon kept us entertained and served as a good opener to our fourth day on the HASS tour. Within the building itself we realised that there were several levels, each of which illustrated different elements of our everyday life, in particular history, science and geography. We explored each of the 7 levels over a couple of hours, making the most of our time at each one.

• Level 1  was “Curiosity:Building Breakthroughs in Lego Bricks” and was truly amazing as it was interactive and had some extraordinary Lego sculptures of planets, the Mars Rover, spaceships, famous inventions of female scientists and much more.
• Level 2 “Fundamental” was all about energy and physics. We explored how the use of everyday elements like air and light can be used to alter how things work, as well as how we perceived the use of certain objects.
• Level 3 “Awesome Earth”was also a hands-on floor that helped us understand and experience the beauty of the Earth. We had the opportunity to see a stunning simulation of a lighting strike which took place every 15 minutes, and watch a mini water-vapour tornado build momentum in front of our eyes.
• Level 4 “Q Lab” was all about patterns and observing our world around us. Throughout the gallery, we explored objects like human skulls and observed what small insects looked under microscopes.
• Level 5 “The Shed” was a constructing and mind-tinkering exhibit where we created different inventions using various shapes.
• Level 6 “Mini Q” we didn’t explore as this level was only for younger children.
• Level 7 “Excite@Q” was all about moving our minds and muscles. The gallery showcased a range of physical activities. One in particular was a free-fall from the top of the room where we would drop down at lightning speed. There was also a fast-ball simulator which measured the speed and force of the pitcher – with Harry breaking the daily record at least twice!

After we went to Questacon we headed to Old Parliament House by coach. Along the way Peter was sharing with us some of the history of Canberra and the different memorial sculptures along Anzac Parade, which are dedicated to Australia’s participation in different wars and conflicts around the world. Aris impressed Miss Koutsoukos (Miss K) by highlighting the Australian Hellenic Memorial, which contains a mosaic of the Greek islands that were defended by Greek, ANZAC, British and other troops during various conflicts. This served as a meaningful reminder of our shared Greek heritage and the sacrifices made by Australian soldiers alongside troops from all over the world in order to protect humankind. We can’t wait to head to the War Memorial tomorrow to see more of these special monuments.

As we entered Old Parliament House (or MOAD – the Museum of Australian Democracy), we were greeted by our tour guides who were highly enthusiastic about all things parliament. We started our tour with a briefing on early parliamentary laws and started some role plays, where we had the chance to be Gough Whitlam, Sir John Kerr and Malcolm Fraser – acting out the dismissal of Whitlam in 1975. It was fascinating to re-enact the interactions that were had in the very same rooms in the building so long ago, in the PM’s office, the old House of Representatives and the old Senate. We continued walking and talking though Parliament House and we went on with our role play, including the teachers as speakers too. Generally we had a great time exploring Old Parliament House and having discussions about the decisions made by our past Governor-Generals and Prime Ministers.

Mt Ainslie Lookout was at the top of the windy mountain road, not far from Anzac Parade. Walking around we could see the outskirts of Canberra and the surrounding mountains. It was great to finally see for ourselves the equilateral triangle of Canberra’s main areas which the guides told us about in the National Capital Exhibition just yesterday. We took photos here of the awesome view of all the major sites in Canberra.

Following lunch we headed to the Australian Institute of Sport where we had the opportunity to watch the gymnasts practice their routines and tricks. We also learned about the minimum height restrictions for certain sports like Volleyball, and about different athletes’ training regimes and the facilities they use. We were surprised to learn that underneath the 50m swimming pool where athlete swimmers train, there is a sort of ‘underwater aquarium’ where only the coaches can watch the swimmers’ technique from below the surface of the water. Then we spent about 30 minutes trying out the different sports simulations, such as skiing, basketball, AFL football, cycling, etc.

After visiting Canberra Central to start gathering our snacks for the long drives to Jindabyne and Sydney later in the week, we returned for dinner at our accommodation and then travelled to Zone 3 for tonight’s activity. At Zone 3 we alternated playing a few games of Laser Tag and the many old-school arcade games at the venue. The competitive spirit was high throughout each game of laser tag, however the stand-out competitor was Aiden – winning two out of the three games. Late at night we then returned to our villas for a much-needed shower and sleep.

Today’s blog was produced by Miss Glacken’s activity group: Summer, Evan, Zara, Taleesha, Fred, Justin, Xavier, Aiden, Jasmine and Veera.

Day 3 saw an exceptionally early start. We woke up around 5:00am to get to breakfast at 6:00am and then on the bus to head to Melbourne Airport to make our 8:45am flight. We arrived on time however the flight was delayed at the last minute, meaning we waited on the tarmac while checks were done and planes in the queue were cleared from the airport. But we made it in the end, welcomed by the crisp, cold air of the nation’s capital.

Picking us up at Canberra Airport was Peter, our coach driver who will journey with us through Canberra and also Sydney, up until we embark on our travels back home to Perth. We went to several locations today in Canberra, such as the National Portrait Gallery, National Capital Exhibition, National Museum and Canberra Central.

The day’s tours began at the National Portrait Gallery where we split into three big groups and moved around art exhibitions that showcased portraits in all kinds of forms, styles and subject matter. We talked with the tour guides about why some portraits had won competitions while others hadn’t, and we recognised that art can be valued in many different ways. Most of us found the most value in portraits that were realist in style, larger than life, or appeared to require lots of skill and effort. We put our own skills and efforts to the test with some contour drawing – this meant we had to draw a portrait of a sculpture in the Gallery, but without lifting our pencils from the page or looking down at the page for the entire time. You can see some of our interesting artworks below. Our second masterpiece had to be a portrait of an Australian, someone famous or someone we felt deserved to be showcased in the Gallery. There is an image below of Elijah’s portrait, which he drew of his mum.

The best part of the day for many of us was going to the National Capital Exhibition as we learned all about the history of Canberra and the ideas and decision-making behind the designs of the city. The thoughtful planning of Canberra also astonished us, particularly how the plans were interpreted and built upon over time, such as the building of New Parliament House above the Old Parliament House and the construction of the War Memorial which wasn’t a part of the original 1911 plans for the city. This tour really set the scene for our stay in Canberra, as we will be exploring many areas on this map throughout our time here.

The teachers had been talking up the Canberra Central shopping complex throughout our time at Melbourne…and it sure didn’t disappoint. The several storeys and blocks of shopping and eateries was our lunch spot and our space to roam for an hour or so. It is a miracle we all found our way back to the entrance on time to head to our next stop.

For our last tour of the day we visited the National Museum where we learned about connections between our country and ourselves, and about the decisive moments in history that have changed our nation. The museum’s exhibits communicated new meanings of Connection and Country which we hadn’t already considered. The artefacts and images told stories that would have stayed a mystery to us if we had never gone over east to visit the Museum. One of our tour guides Steph was actually the Museum’s main curator for many of the exhibits we saw and she had a lot of insider information about how the museum is pieced together and how artefacts are acquired and eventually displayed. Our other tour guide, Deb, is a proud Indigenous woman who shared her own personal connections to country, before encouraging us to explore the exhibits and make new connections of our own.

Our last stop was our new accommodation at Sundown, where we will mix more with our cross-campus peers and get to know each other better in our large villas. We are looking forward to the night activities planned here in the coming days.

Most notably, because singing (shouting) the “Happy Birthday” song to Ash in the middle of the city was not quite enough of a celebration, after dinner we finished the night with cake for Ash, ice-cream for us, and a more in-tune rendition of the birthday song. The night ended with us winding down in our rooms; talking, unpacking and playing card games. The perfect way to finish off a long and tour-filled day.

Day 3’s blog is brought to you by Mr Osborne’s group: Seraphina, Pearl, Zach, Joshua, Ash, Ryan (Green), Israel, Olivia (Rounce) and Nicola.

Today we woke up very tired, with many of us struggling to catch up on rest overnight. We made our way to the buffet breakfast at the hotel and by 9:00am we left in our activity groups to travel by foot and/or tram to the MCG.

The day started out looking like we’d only be mildly soggy, but what we didn’t realise was that we had a dark trek through the wind and rain ahead of us, later in the day. Our first stop was Graffiti Lane; a large alleyway filled with a myriad of colours and art styles, and were lucky enough the witness a signature being sprayed onto the wall by an artist.

For Mr Barnes’ group (Day 2 bloggers) our journey to the MCG was a long but scenic walk along the Yarra River, through Federation Square and across the bridge past Rod Laver Arena to the MCG. Miss K’s group joined us over the bridge, as she talked with us about the positive effects and possible reasons for the music that blared out from the speakers along the bridge. The music was a combination of didgeridoo and other instruments and vocals. We imagined spectators walking to the footy and T20 cricket and how this music might help to “ground” and remind spectators of the land they are travelling on and the cultures and stories that exist here.

When we reached the MCG we were amazed by the sheer size of it. Our group’s tour guide Greg was a very enthusiastic and friendly volunteer who also holds a membership to the Melbourne Cricket Club. We were surprised to find out that the average wait time for those seeking a membership to the MCC is currently 31 years! Greg also told us about the many benefits for members, including that full members have access to some of the biggest sporting events on the calendar, such as the Boxing Day Test days and the AFL Grand Final. The lower storeys of the MGC were full of memorials and spaces dedicated to sporting greats like Aussie cricketers Sir Donald Bradman and Shane Warne. We particularly enjoyed learning about the long history of these athletes who had success at the MCG and other grounds around the country and the world.

We then took the tram back to Southbank where we revisited the food courts to grab a quick lunch, before going to the Kingpin bowling alley with all its bright fancy lights and bowled in dimly lit alleys against our friends – who were turned foes by the vicious competition. Lane 7 was destroyed by one Abigail Smith.

Our tour at the Melbourne Gaol was creepy but also engaging. We found it very interesting that they moulded the dead people’s faces, which we call “death masks” as a way of keeping some memory of the people that had been at the gaol (jail). We also found the tour guide very informative about how prisoners were treated and what their lifestyle was like in the jail, especially the ways that this differed for men and women and children. Stories were also told about those who tried (some failed, some succeeded) to escape the Gaol, and the reasons they came there in the first place.

Day 1 of the Tour is done and dusted…and we are excited to share with you the first of our daily blog posts. Today’s post will be relatively short, as we have spent much of the day travelling from Perth to Melbourne and enjoying an evening out in the city.

After saying goodbye to our families, we made our way quickly through security, grabbed some last-minute snacks and received a short briefing from Mrs Taylor and Miss K – who let us know our Activity Groups which we will occasionally organise ourselves in for tours, activities and short trips around the various cities we visit.

The flight to Melbourne was pretty uneventful – we watched movies, played card games, read books or simply zoned out and relaxed. When we arrived in Melbourne, we retrieved our bags and helped Murray the coach driver to load all our baggage before travelling to our accommodation. The weather was gloomy but we luckily managed to dodge the rain for the rest of the day.

Our first impressions of Melbourne: cold, rainy, busy. A lot like Perth city in winter. Initially, the most noticeable difference to us between Perth and Melbourne was the presence of trams. We have mixed feelings about venturing on these tomorrow, as most of our activity group haven’t visited Melbourne before.

While some of us had already scoped out the hotel online, we were all impressed with our rooms at Batman’s Hill, and were relieved to settle in for a moment before heading out into the city.

A slight change to our itinerary meant that we spent some time late in the afternoon shopping and exploring Melbourne’s CBD, leaving the bowling to tomorrow night (Day 2). After a stop back at the hotel, we made our way to Southbank where we took our pick of the many choices at the multi-storey food court for dinner.

After dinner we continued on a night walk through the city, admiring the lights and scenic views along the Yarra River. We walked around at Federation Square, where lit-up billboards and LED screens highlighted the recent celebrations during NAIDOC week. We then visited the steps outside Flinders Street Station and appreciated the mass and beauty of Australia’s oldest train station. Equally notable was the Gothic-style cathedrals and churches, and how much they stand out against the very modern buildings and street art nearby.

Eventually we headed back to the hotel for some much needed rest. While we are exhausted from a long day of travelling and sightseeing, we are also excited to be heading to Melbourne Gaol and the MCG tomorrow. We look forward to showing more of our happy faces in the blog, but for now we hope you enjoy seeing a glimpse of Melbourne through our eyes (well, cameras).

Today’s blog post was proudly brought to you by Miss K’s group – Elijah, Ryan (Gemmell), Owen, Harry, Samuel, Maahi, Sophie, Yujin and Vayda.