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.