Wednesday 22nd June 2016

Our final full day in the ACT proved to be a huge one, and the photos below tell the story. From breakfast and our daily coffee walk, it was up Telstra Tower to get a 360 degree view of the everything Canberra has to offer.

From Telstra Tower, we then headed over to the AIS for a special tour of the facilities, lunch and a Pilates class that proved more challenging then we would've imagined. 

Finally it was on  to our last netball game of the tour at Canberra Girls Grammar! We arrived with a beautiful welcome from the school's netball captains and then proceeded to follow them to the hall. Only on arrival did the girls learn that they would be playing outside in approximately 8 degrees! Needless to say the  girls did exceptionally well dealing with the cold and put one great performance resulting in 2 more wins ( Year 8: 15-13, Year 9: 11-8)  and therefore 2 teams leaving Canberra 

undefeated. 

To top off the night, we found a cosy spot in the Canberra Raiders Leagues Club to have dinner and watch the State of Origin! Go Queensland! 

Tuesday 21st June 2016

After another 8am wake up call and the 'must have' coffee tour around Braddon, it was time for the girls to explore Questacon! No tour guide was required as the girls shot off to gallery 7 to enjoy all the interactive activities and games that were on offer. It was a particular exciting day for Fumbi who was celebrating her 14th birthday!

With two hours of exploring ahead of them, the girls wound their way up the levels experimenting and reading about endless scientific phenomenon's and new discoveries. When time was up, souvenirs were bought and lunch was had, it was onto the Royal Australian Mint.

This was an unplanned visit, but a great one. The girls were able to read all about the history of coins in Australia  as well watch the coins being made and packaged.

From the mint, we made a quick trip up Mount Ainslie as the rain began to fall. Despite the wind and dropping temperatures the view was stunning! The girls had a chance to see from the war memorial right through to Parliament House.

Before the girls caught a chill, it was back to the accommodation for an afternoon rest and hair designing session before setting off for our second game of netball against Radford College.

Arriving at Radford, temperatures had now dropped to approximately 6 degrees, and as the girls walked into their sports hall it felt even colder! Without making a fuss the teams got straight into a warm up with Mrs Watson and Mrs Wood. There were no complaints about shuttle runs this time! When the games began at 6:30pm, the girls all came out on court with aggression and a will to win and that they did. The Year 8 result was 28-9 to Grammar whilst the Year 9s won 31-11!

Over the first two games the following players have been recognised by Mrs Wood and Mes Watson
for their great performances: Caitlin Hilton, Ruby Kenway, Nikhita Nair and Lilli Allen.
Also, Emily Price and Lou-Isa Natoga were recognised as best and fairest by Radford College.

Monday 20th June 2016!

We woke up at the crack of dawn (8am) to have breakfast before going on a team walk. Coffees were a must have as it was a chilly 9 degrees. We sussed out the trendy coffee shops on Lonsdale street before going back to the hotel to prepare for the Australian War Memorial.

From 10-12:30 we were given plenty of time to explore the War Memorial. For both those of us who had visited before and those who were new, it was a pretty special experience looking through all the names on the World War 1 and 2 commemorative rolls, visiting the tomb of the unknown soldier and exploring the many displays highlighting the stories from past and present battles.

After the War Memorial, we headed into Canberra Central to find a bite to eat for lunch before getting back to the accommodation to prepare for our first game against Daramalan College. With hairs braided and track suits on, Daramalan welcomed us to their school at 3:30pm. The Year 8 netball team kicked off the competition and came through with a great victory winning 30-10. This was soon followed by the Year 9 team winning 24-4. Both Mrs Wood and Mrs Watson were very impressed with the performance from both teams. The girls gelled together very well for their first game.

After netball, the restaurant back out our apartments served up salad and pizzas in a timely manner so that we could head or for our evening activity- ten pin bowling. Two rounds were played and there was no doubt a lot of laughs had as bowling balls flew across lanes and into gutters!

 

Sunday 19th June

After a safe flight to Brisbane and a connecting flight to Canberra, the touring teams made it safely to their accommodation where it was a refreshing 11 degrees.

With a good nights sleep under their belt, the girls woke up at 8am to enjoy a team breaky together before heading out onto the streets of Braddon for a walk, warm drink and to check out the local sites.   With the rain setting in, a perfect opportunity arose to go exploring at the Old Bus Depot Markets in Fyshwick. The markets were fantastic! Foods from all around the world, arts, crafts and more...

Then it was onto go karting... The rivalry began in the bus on the way over. Mrs Watson informing everyone about her two year winning streak, challenges being set and nerves overcome. On arrival and after registration the nervous wait began... Finally the first 11 names were called. These girls competed against each other over three races to see who could claim the overall 1st/ 2nd/ 3rd for fastest lap. This was followed by the second half of the group, including the teachers. After plenty of crashes, 360s, bumper to bumper moments, defensive driving and great rivalry, the victors were awarded! As you can see from the picture below there were 2 winners, one per race and Mrs Watson was not too impressed to have Mr Christie take her undefeated title!

Once the heart rates calmed down and everyone had a chance to analyze their race cards, we went for a drive around Parliament House, through the embassies and past the Prime Minister's Lodge. It was both an educational visit and an eye opener for the girls. 

After dashing back to the accommodation and avoiding the rain that had made its way into NSW, the teams headed out to Grilled for a beautiful team dinner to top the first day off.

Then it was off to bed, ready for the Australian War Memorial and first games of netball against Daramalan College! 

Awaiting the arrival of the Middle School Sports Tour!

Saturday 18th June 2016

As the Junior School Sports Tour comes to an end on the Gold Coast and makes its way back to Brisbane Airport, Mrs Watson and Mrs Wood await the arrival of 18 excited Year 8/9 girls on route to  Canberra!

There will be plenty of news to come over the next 5 days, so keep posted!