As the bus made its way toward Canberra, the students attending the Melbourne experience were cheerfully and excitedly arriving at school (those few hours of extra sleep might have helped that!) for their first excursion into Melbourne CBD.
On the Monday of Week 6, the Melbourne Experience students were attending their first of three excursions for the week. The students rode the bus into the city and were greeted by the sight of the Eureka Tower as they arrived.
They started their day by going on a guided tour of Eureka Tower then had a snack after their walk along part of the Yarra. The students then moved onto Hammer Hall & Arts centre for a quick visit before having lunch at Queen Victoria Gardens. Once they had finished their yummy lunch, the group took in the view of Town Hall while they strolled along Collins Street to take in the sights of State Parliament House. The students then went for a walk through China Town to the State Library.
On Wednesday, the students went on their second excursion to the city. They began their day at the always beautiful Botanical Gardens before making their way to the Shrine of Remembrance for a guided tour. The students then caught the bus to Carlton Gardens to have lunch before walking to Parliament House. Little did the group know but they were on their way to meet Danny Pearson at Parliament House too. Once that had concluded the students had a tour of Victoria Parliament House. Once the tour concluded, it was time to head back to school via bus while taking in the Melbourne landscape through the windows.
Friday was another jam-packed day. The day began with a tour of the Old Melbourne Gaol and Mr Portelli was brave enough to enter the haunted cell. The students heard about the history of the gaol during the tour and were very intrigued by some of the information. Once the tour concluded, the students walked towards Lygon Street taking in the old Melbourne buildings and their structures. The group then had the absolute pleasure of having pizza for lunch at a cafe on Lygon Street before having ice cream for dessert (heaven!). The students then returned to the Old Melbourne Gaol to participate in a courtroom drama. The trial was about Ned Kelly and the students were incredible at their different roles throughout the mock trial. Then it was back to school which signalled the end of their incredible week of Melbourne Experience.
A big thank you to the teachers and parent volunteers for their help during the Melbourne Experience. The students had an incredible week learning new information and extending their prior knowledge.
Strathmore Primary School 