Day 8 - War Memorial & Questacon

DAY 8 Blog 3-7-2013

This morning we went back to the War Memorial and visited the Discovery Centre. We got to dress up and we were able to feel what it was like to go on a submarine and a helicopter from the war times. We sat on the toilet of the submarine and pretended to have a shower as well. Apparently if you were a cook you got a 30 second shower every day but if you were in the crew it was a 30 second shower once a week. We put on outfits and had fun. We also learned how to keep safe during a bombing raid and were told what it was like in London by a veteran. (Alyssa)

In the Discovery Zone we heard information about World War II and what the Australian soldiers did in the trenches.  I really enjoyed walking through the submarine, dressing up, looking through the binoculars, and playing with the steering wheel. After the war memorial we had lunch, which was Subway, in the Sculpture gardens of the National Gallery. We walked around the looking at the sculptures and at all the statues. We then went on to Questacon and I had a lot of fun on the free-fall drop and the air hockey. (Zachary)

Today when we went to Questacon there were lots of different things to do. I really liked the air hockey table where you played against the robot. I even managed to score a point against the machine. There were 4 stories of science fun. (Jesse)

The Questacon building was massive and it had lots of levels. My favourite gallery was number 7 because it had lots of flashing lights and neon activities. My favourite activity was cross air hockey, where you played air hockey with a table in the shape of a cross and a spinning wheel in the middle. I also enjoyed the rocket science 101 show. The best rocket was the one that blew off unexpectedly, at the end, because there was a delayed reaction between the bi-carbonate soda and water in the bottle and when it went off, it hit the roof and crashed across the floor. It was BORSCHT! (Liam D)

DAY 7 - "SNOW"

DAY 7 Blog 2-7-2013

Today we went to the SNOW!  It was really cold.  We woke up at 5.15am, had breakfast, got snow gear and went to Perisher Valley.  We also went to the top of the mountain on a chair lift today. When we were up there I hid behind a rock, made snowballs and threw them at people from behind the rock. I had an awesome time. (Jordan)

As we drove along we passed by a lake that was part of the Snowy Mountain hydroelectricity scheme. It has engulfed one historical hut where Banjo Patterson wrote the poem “The Man from Snowy River.” (Luc)

When we were at the snow today I was going down the hill on the toboggan when Mr Ryall with his little camera zoomed into my face and made me laugh, as I went down the slope. It was really great fun in the snow. Alyssa and I also built a fort but it failed. (Melanie)

We were out of bed very early, got jackets, pants, snow boots and helmets from Cooma. When we arrived we had a few runs on toboggan slopes and that was very exciting.

I was also in the soft snow today, building a fort, when suddenly there was a flying snowball that appeared out of nowhere and it hit me in the head! I couldn’t see where it came from but then I saw Jordan hiding behind a rock throwing snowballs. (Jemma)

The mountain top was very windy and it was so strong it held up my bodyweight. I could not believe that I could lean back into the wind and it felt like a hand was pushing in my back to hold me up. It was incredible. The snow in most places was too icy for a proper snowball fight but it was still a great day. At the end of the day we had a hot chocolate the MacDonald’s for dinner and back to camp for bed. (Luc) 

Day 6 Old and New Parliament + Duntroon

DAY 6 Blog 1-7-2013

Today we went to the Australian Electoral Commission and learnt how to vote. Then we went to the old parliament house where we role played in the senate. It was a very formal day and I enjoyed visiting the Changi Chapel and learning about the prisoners of war who built it. (Brianna)

Our morning started at the Electoral commission where we got taught about voting and what happens to our votes. Our tour guides’ name was Ray Gunn. When we left we went to the Museum of Australian Democracy at old Parliament House. We got inside and put gloves on to keep the heritage artefacts clean. We focused on a debate about the Franklin River Dam. We re-enacted the debate which was fun. Some of us got dressed up as the clerk and president. Overall, it was very exciting and was a good experience.

(Michael)

At the Museum of Australian Democracy (Old parliament house) we learnt a lot about politics and the constitution. We then traveled to our current Parliament. We went through security and then we were taken on a tour of the building. Later we role played a mock debate as the House of Representatives. I was part of the opposition and our team won. We traveled back to Eaglehawk to pack and go to bed. I’m excited about the snow. It’s been great. 

(Chad)

Our final activity today was at the new parliament house where we acted out a role play and I was the Prime minister. We debated a bill about abolishing TV advertisements during Kids TV time, but my side lost because the two independents Jordan and Owen went to the other side. Even when Mel and Jemma came to my side we lost by 2 votes. It was excellent. 
(Natalia)

Day 5 Church + Mint + War Memorial

30-6-2013

Today we arrived at the St Andrews’ Presbyterian Church at 9.00am. The church is amazing to look at with all the stain glassed windows that have really bright coloured pictures of Jesus doing something. We sang a very nice hymn, after that we prayed, listened to a bible reading from

2 Kings: 6 – 14. Then one child was baptised and we all read the Apostles’ Creed. We then joined Rehoboth and the churches youth group and did some activities and another bible reading.

After church we went to the Royal Australian Mint and watched how coins are made and transported around the factory. We even got to make our own coins. Sometimes coins get made wrong, maybe they are too big or are cut in the wrong spot. (Daniel)

Today we went to church and we saw all the wonderful ornaments and the altar. We went to the service for at least half an hour. After that we went into the hall of the church and sung songs and played games. After all the fun we had morning tea and explored the church. Outside there was a circus man who taught us how to ride a unicycle, juggle and play ball games. (Brodie)

Today after church we went to the Royal Australian Mint. At the mint there was a staircase with 5c coins in it and giant hanging from the ceiling. Up the stairs there were glass cases filled with coins and information about them. A piece of information that caught my eye was the giant models of coins that were entered in a competition to see which designs would be used on our coins. All the entries had pictures of Australian animals and plants. We walked down a hallway with displays of interesting coins. There were ones that didn’t come out of the machines properly or the wrong prints put on the wrong coins. At the end I bought a coin with a butterfly on it that I made my own. I had fun and took lots of photos. (Nikita)

At the Australian War Memorial we saw lots of equipment and artefacts from the past wars. We watched a little video at the start of our time then we were free to explore the war memorial. I saw lots of guns and grenades, old fragile uniforms and dioramas of battle scenes. They were really cool figurines. I had a lot of fun taking pictures and enjoying myself. (Brodie)

When we went to the war memorial I thought it was really cool because I got to see guns that were actually used and was able to name all of them. This was really fun for me because I am interested in the wars of the world. (Shane)

Day 4 29-6-2013 Zoo + Lake Cruise

DAY 4 BLOG 29-6-2013

Today we went to the zoo. We saw lots of amazing animals. We saw different types of cats like lions and cheetahs. I got some great pictures and I’m sure others did as well. My favourite animal was the lion and I’ve never seen one so close! I also got to feed one of the lions (with assistance). Once we had finished we went to the aquarium and we saw a MASSIVE Cod! I couldn’t believe the size of it! We couldn’t see all the aquarium as it was under construction. I also saw and touched a small baby alligator. By the end of the day I was exhausted. (Leighton)

Today the Canberra camp students attended the zoo and discovered a lot of cool animals. I fed a white lion while others fed a giraffe. Next we attended a cruise and it made me feel a bit sick. We got to drive the boat {with some help.) (Liam P)

Today we went to the zoo and saw the animals. We got to feed the lions or a giraffe. It was good fun. We saw lots of amazing animals then we went to the top of a mountain and found a geocache. (Evan)

Today we went to the National Zoo and Aquarium. We got to feed the lions, giraffes and an emu. Afterwards we got to go on a tour of the zoo. We also went on a cruise around lake Burley-Griffin for an hour. Some of us got to drive the boat. Later that day we went to Mt Ainslie and got to look at the sights. We had a good day and can’t wait for tomorrow! (Sidney)

DAY 3 BLOG - 28-6-2013

DAY 3 BLOG – 28-6-2013

We went to Government House today. Our tour guide told us about how they set the table and lay the cutlery out. We saw and talked with the Governor General. The tour guide took us to see the governor’s Rolls Royce.

Kayne

Today we woke up very early for a very exciting day in Canberra. The first stop was the Governor General’s House. When we entered the house we were greeted by our tour guide Amanda. We were taken into the meeting room where Kevin Rudd took his oath of office only the day before. We watched a video about the role of the Governor General, her authority, duties and responsibilities. After the video we quickly and quietly snuck past the Governor General’s study and went into the dining hall. As we started to talk about the cutlery, Mrs Quentin Bryce, the Governor General walked in and began to talk to us about her job in Australia’s Democracy. It was amazing to see how “laid back” see was. The Governor General then had to leave because she had to sign papers. We then discussed the cutlery and then walked out into the gardens. As we walked around the garden we stumbled across the garage. Amanda opened the garage and there to our surprise was the Governor General’s Rolls Royce. We then walked  around the front to say goodbye. We then walked to the bus for our ride to Geoscience Australia for our next tour.

Liam O

Today we woke up and got dressed nicely to go to Government Houses. First we went to the dining hall for breakfast (bacon & eggs). Then we got on the bus and travelled to Government House. When we got there the place looked amazing. We first went into the largest room of the house which is the Stateroom. There we heard about the different roles of the Governor General. We then went on a tour of the lower floor and while we were in the dining room the Governor General Mrs Quentin Bryce popped in and had a chat with us.

After that we drove to Geoscience. We looked at different rock types, minerals and crystals. We then had lunch on our way to the Deep Space Centre. There we learnt about space, robots and the space dishes that send and receive signals from space. Then we went back to camp and had pizza for dinner.

Bianca

Tonight we went to the CSIRO Discovery Centre. We learnt about Australian animals, insects and much more. The first activity was holding leaf insects. There were female and male insects, the females were far more “buff” and  had fatter bodies than the males. They were both covered in a layered armour coating which had hard spikes pointing out of the shell. We then  watched a 3D movie about some of the scientific discoveries that the scientists at the CSIRO have made. However , the 3D wasn’t working properly. Then we headed off to an activity lab with many experiments and problems solving activities. Then we said goodbye and headed off back to Eagle Hawk Resort.

Jacob

Day 2 - Museum + AIS

Today my class woke up at 7am, got dressed and went to the dining hall for breakfast at 7:30.

We got onto the bus and went to the museum and the place was so cool as we went walking for a few hours. (Josh)

At the National Museum of Australia we got to see so many awesome exhibits. My favourite was Phar Lap’s heart. They actually showed us the real heart! It was gross but cool at the same time. We also got to invent our own car or house from the future in “K-Space”. It was awesome! (Chelsea)

Today at the National Museum of Australia we first went for a walk to look around at some artifacts. Some of the artifacts were very interesting like the spearheads. We then had lunch with a choice of chicken, beef or ham rolls. After lunch a lady called Jenny took us all into a room called the Bunjip room. We split up into 5 groups. Each group got an artifact and had to discuss it. We then had to go to the front and talk about it to the rest of the class. We described what it was, where it came from and when it was made. After that the lady gave us a project to do (very close to the one Mrs Doyle gave us) We had to take a photo of an artifact of our choice and then had to write detailed information. I chose a telescope. (Owen)

After the museum we went to the Australian Institute of Sport (A.I.S.) and played in the games room. Then we went for a tour through the centre and we saw the men’s Olympic volleyball players training. (Josh)

Today we travelled to the A.I.S. We met our tour guide (Shaun, a speed walker) and we got to play on the cool equipment like skiing, snowboarding, bike riding, rowing and much much more! We also got to see the Olympic swimmers in their $17million pool complex and the Volleyball players train. (Alessandra)

We went back to the bus to go home, not to Perth, but to the camp for a feed, games and a good night sleep. (Josh)