Year 5/6 Ballarat/Bendigo Excursion

On the 31st of October Year 5 and Year 6 went on their 4 day excursion to Ballarat. We spent 10 hours on the bus to arrive at 6:00 in Sovereign Hill. We went to dinner then to a pantomime show, we had a Q&A with the actors then went to bed.

Next day we stayed in Sovereign Hill and saw lots of amazing things being made and melted. For example, candles, candy and gold. We had sausage rolls and pies for lunch and then we had a choice to stay home and rest or go and explore. After about an hour of exploring or resting, we came back to our apartments for 2 hours to get ready to go to a light show. The light show was split into 3 parts. The first part was a 3D show about how the world was formed. Then the second part was a light show on a hill about how Aboriginals believe the world was formed. Then the final part was this reenactment of the diggings and the Eureka stockade. Then after the show had finished we went home to bed.

On the 2nd of November we headed out to Bendigo to the gold mines. We went only to the second level but it was 61 metres underground. Our tour guides showed us the evolution of mining drills and support and we got to see a quartz/gold vein. Then we went on a talking tram ride and saw the sights of Ballarat. After that we headed to our accommodation; the Bendigo Discovery Centre. It was basically a massive science playground. There was a vertical slide that was exhilarating and awesome. We had pizza for dinner and went stargazing, then to sleep.

Our last day was a bright and early start. We travelled to Echuca, a two hour drive. We went on the Ps Pevensey paddle steamer and had a tour of the wharf area and got souvenirs. Then 7 more hours on the bus and at 6 we got home to Gundagai. 

Overall it was an experience that was entirely worth going on. And we thank our teachers for taking us and our parents for making the excursion be able to happen.

Written by Charlotte McDonnell and Riley Smith.