[SMforshort]

Hi everyone,

My son is in year 5 in a school in Sydney. Each year my son's school has an excursion to canberra and one is again planned for this year.

Each year this excursion leaves the school at about 6am by bus. They travel to Canberra and visit Parliament House (new and old), the electoral commission and the war memorial and then they travel back to school on the bus arriving at about 9pm.

It's a big day.

Over the years a few parents have tried to get the school to consider making this a two day trip with an overnight stay in Canberra but this has always been knocked back. The school says this would make the trip too expensive and then some parents would not be able to send their kids and they'd miss out.

Our school also doesn't have a school camp at all for the same stated reasons - too expensive and some kids would miss out.

So, I'd love to put together a costing for an overnight trip to Canberra from Sydney just to see how expensive it would be and if parents might consider this option this year.

Entry fees would be the same but the bus hire would be for two days (although the mileage would be pretty similar), we would need to factor in accommodation and catering.

Am I missing anything? Does anyone have any recommendations for cheap accomodation and catering in Canberra.

We are talking about 50 kids and I'm guessing 6-8 teachers/parents.

If anyone has primary aged kids who've recently had a similar two day trip to Canberra, can I ask how much it cost and where the kids stayed?

Thanks for you help.

[KT1978]

From which direction are they traveling?

Any sports n rec or scout camp options along the way?

Sorry just saw it was from Sydney....

This post has been edited by KT1978: 16/02/2013, 02:23 PM

[KT1978]

Google says camp cottermouth could be an option.

[chunkysoup]

I work in a very small public school in sydney. We run a 5-6 canberra camp every second year alternating with the great aussie bush camp. Both are 3 day camps. About 45 children and 3 teachers attend. It costs a few hundred dollars which include a visit to the snow and lesson when it is to canberra. My eldest duaghter is going on camp to canberra later in the year. She attends a different public school. It will be for 2 nights. I have worked in low ses schools in western sydney and the canberra trip was always 3 days. Parents will pay if given the option to pay in installments. Please excuse spelling errors...on a tablet.

[Flutters]

I think a lot of school groups stay at the Canberra Lyneham motor inn do maybe contact them for a ball park figure?

[liveworkplay]

All Catholic grade 6 students in Tasmania go on a 4 night trip to Canberra. So if you wanted details of accommodation/food just google TCEO and email them. The entire trip costs us around $900 I think as it is paid in the levies in grade 6 so that people can work out a payment plan if needed and pay over 2 years.

This post has been edited by liveworkplay: 16/02/2013, 02:47 PM

[bandbub]

when i was in primary school we did a 3day2 night canberra trip, we stayed at the edmund barton motor inn, went to parliment house, war memorial institute of sport telstra tower cockington green, i cant remember how much it was but i know they sorted out payment plans for parents they organised it at the start of the year so parents had plenty of notice, we also had camps every year for year 3 through to year 6

[Jbonnett]

The Carotel is perfectly set up for school groups, though usually booked well in advance. When I have arranged this trip we have used Away we Go Tours, who do all the bookings, itinerary etc.
Be mindful of the hidden cost of having to replace teachers at school. I presume that more than just the class(es) own teachers go, thus the school needs to get relief teachers? About $360 a day to replace each teacher.
Also, each student would possibly attract a PACER rebate from the government? Google it to find out how much per student
Good luck!

[tibs]

My son's school (public primary Sydney) has a school camp to Canberra, it is 3 days/2 nights and they visit the things you've mentioned (Parliament House, Electoral Education Questacon, War Memorial, National Gallery, AIS Tower etc). Parents had to pay $275. The school offered a payment plan for parents spread from start of the year through to May when the camp was held, I think it was $75 for the first payment then $50 for the next 4. That covered the buses, accommodation, entry fees and meals except for the first day where they had to take their recess and lunch with them.

[Jenflea]

I may be a bit biased, but my lord, there's SO much more to do in Canberra than the 3 things your school does OP! I'm a bit amazed at how little they get to see here. The art gallery, the dinosaur museum, Questacon, Cockington Green, AIS, the list goes on!
I would assume at least 2 day;'s worth easily and no 6 am starts and trying to fit it all in on one day.