Kennedy Baptist College’s frequent tours are a fantastic opportunity for growth for our students as they learn from people they may not have had the opportunity to meet before. In our most recent Canberra and Sydney tour, students spent time exploring Australia’s democratic history and institutions, and one of our most famous cities. Those interested in future trips can find out more details through our upcoming Trips and Tours list.
During the holidays, 40 Year 9 students, and five staff members embarked on a wonderful educational tour of our national capital Canberra and the city of Sydney.
We spent four full days in Canberra, learning about Australia’s history, culture, heritage, and democracy. We managed tour some of Canberra’s most important landmarks, including the Australian War Memorial, the National Portrait Gallery, and Parliament House. The Australian National Botanical Gardens and the Questacon were favourites of the students. The evenings and free time were spent building the camaraderie of our group with activities such as laser tag, electric go-kart racing, and card games.
We then drove to Sydney and stayed at the Sydney Harbour Youth Hostel at The Rocks. The view from the top to the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge was awesome and being an actual dig site for archaeologists made it even more interesting. We explored the area around our accommodation, with visits to the Sydney Opera House and a walk of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. A ferry ride to Manly gave us the opportunity to relax while exploring the famous Harbour, with other trips out of the city centre to the National Maritime Museum, Taronga Zoo, and Bondi Beach.
It was certainly a busy week together but the opportunity to be immersed in the culture and history of our beautiful country was well worth it. I am sure that our students have enjoyed learning about Australia while forming some great friendships.
The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government is contributing funding of $510 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs in 2023. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion.
Mr Greg Newell
Tour Coordinator
