If democracy is all about 'power to the people' and if knowledge is power, then the learning experiences that we engaged with today have definitely left us feeling very empowered.
We were up nice and early (6:00am) for a 6:45am breakfast. The air was crisp and cold but we all managed to gather together in the Greenhills Hall to have an amazing feast of eggs, bacon, toast, spaghetti and baked beans. 
Once we were all fed and watered, we were on the bus and on our way to the heart of Canberra City. The bus dropped half of the students at the old Parliament House (which also contains the Australian Electoral Commission) and the other half of the students were taken to the High Court - they would later rotate between venues.
At the old Parliament House the students were engulfed in a historical overview of the political developments that have driven this country to become the great nation it is today. The students were quick to learn about the transitioning nature of Australian government systems; from that of the early stages of British colonisation to the more modern and nationally independent approaches of today's politics.
Furthermore the students also had the opportunity to visit the Electoral Commission where they completed various activities that had them researching, investigating and learning all about what it means to be an enrolled and responsible voter.
At the High Court the students learnt about the dynamics of the Australian Court System and the role the High Court plays within those dimensions. We were provided with a level of insight into the policies, procedures and routines of our court system and the steps they take to maintain the law. In addition to our tour, the students were also privileged enough to sit in on a live court case as members of a public audience (a experience that is rather rare for most school-aged students).
Having completed our tours of these initial venues, the students all met back together at the 'Senate Gardens' (located next to old Parliament House) for some lunch and to admire the beautiful rose garden displays. 
Once we had finished our lunch, we were on our way to the 'new' Parliament House. As we walked to the bus to leave we also stopped to pay our respects to the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, where Mr Kenny provided us with an informative overview about the history of this powerful display of Indigenous pride and determination.
Having boarded the bus we headed up the road to Parliament House, where the students soon caught a better glimpse of the architectural brilliance of the iconic flag pole that marks its location (Did you know... that the flag above Parliament House is roughly the size of the side of a double-decker bus and weighs around 25kgs?). 
Upon entering Parliament House the students were quick to realise the strict nature of the security setup as we all passed through the metal detectors and item scanners. Inside we ventured up to the roof level and stood directly beneath the giant flag (a brilliant group photo opportunity).
We then went back down into the building where we broke up into tour groups and had the opportunity to visit and learn about both the House of Representatives and the Senate - it was really awesome to be able to contrast this modern version to that of the old Parliament House. 
Before leaving, the kids were also treated to the annual Parliament House Year 6 Hill roll; which has become somewhat of a custom for St Mary's senior students.
Following Parliament House we headed back to Greenhills camp to have some dinner and get ourselves warm and ready to head up to Telstra tower at around 730pm.
Saying that the view is amazing is truly an understatement, being around 70metres off the ground and 870metres above sea level is a very surreal and empowering feeling (even though it was a bit terrifying for some; Mr Papworth). We were able to see the sun set over Canberra in a way that is not comparable to any other - it was a brilliant end to yet another spectacular day!