Visiting the Australian War Memorial

 We went to have a look at the Australian War Memorial since we had never been inside, only ever having visited for the Anzac Day service. We got to walk through and look at some of the galleries on the way to see Last Call. It was quite an interesting service as a couple of high level dignitaries came to pay their respects and recall a story of one particular airman who was killed in WW2. The girls listened attentively and were very respectful throughout. They also wanted to have their photographs taken next to the names of the 36th battalion which was made up of men from our neighbourhood. 

More from Questacon

 We explored all of the other rooms of Questacon, but because there was so much to see and do we definitely need to go back to do them justice. The elements and physical sense room was interesting with the periodic elements table being a highlight since it had most elements on display. Another room we definitely didn't spend enough time in was the building room where various materials could be used to build all sorts of things. The girls played with some of the wood blocks but just ran out of time for the other stuff. They were really keen to go see the giant moon model and lay down staring up at it. Also they really wanted to go to the kinesthetics room so they could do some of the physical challenges. MV even tried going down the steep slide, but at the last minute chose not to do it. Everyone had a go at throwing a ball to see how fast they could throw.

Questacon Part 1

 After lunch we walked to Questacon, which is the national science museum. The kids were really looking forward to exploring the different rooms, each of which is dedicated to a different branch of science. We started by walking up the ramp to the first room dedicated to artificial intelligence and robotics. There were a number of exhibits about programming robots and how their design has evolved. There were also some very interesting moral questions which related how robots could be programmed, for example what is given higher value, the life of a pedestrian or a passenger in an autonomous vehicle. The next room had a theme around natural forces including exhibits of simulated earthquakes, lightning strikes and others. 

At the National Library

 We stopped in at the National Library just to have a quick look and ended up staying for lunch. That ended up being a great decision as it was not only a nice place to sit, and the food was fantastic. The bookshop was also quite good for some gifts. Afterwards we took some photographs in the front with the fountains as we made our way to the next museum.

 

More from the Mint

 Eventually we got to see the factory floor where the coins are actually being minted. But first we took some photographs with some cut outs. At the end of the visit we got to make our very own $1 coins.

The Mint

 SV really wanted to go back to the Mint and show us how coins are minted. We started by looking at some of the current special edition coins before heading up the coin stairway. It was quite interesting to learn some of the history of coins in Australia. We also saw some of the strange mistake coins that happen. There were lots of activities for the kids which they of course they tried out.

Morning reading

 MV is following in her big sister's and becoming an avid reader. She is currently reading through a series of Pokemon chapter books which she just can't seem to put down. She likes to read first thing in the morning, over breakfast or just about any time.