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.