Go on a submarine adventure in a special family fun day at the museum

by Jude Timms on 7 Jan 2015 This summer the Australian National Maritime Museum is all about underwater exploration with its brand new children’s adventureland, Voyage to the Deep. And to celebrate it is inviting families to a special submarine family fun day inspired by the exhibition and its resident submarine HMAS Onslow on Sunday 18 January.

Families are encouraged to enjoy a full day of family fun featuring circus performers, craft activities, submarine hunt, films and more. The full program includes:

Submarine treasure hunt – 9.30am – 3pm

Climb on board the museum’s resident Oberon class submarine HMAS Onslow for a special treasure hunt. Decipher the secret code and crack the clues to win a prize.

Marine circus performances - 11am, 12pm and 1pm

See daring and devilish acrobatics as our circus friends the sea captain and the queen of Atlantis perform fearless feats! Join in to learn some thrilling circus skills.

Kids On Deck – Splendiferous Submarine – 10am – 4pm ($8.50 per child)

Peer up periscopes, play, create and discover with our daily craft activities, interactive games and dress ups. Be inspired by splendiferous submarines and deep-sea worlds and craft your own steampunk goggles, make a model sub or a lost city of Atlantis sculpture.

Subventure face painting - 11am – 3.30pm

Have your face painted with an undersea creature or a submarine inspired design.

Captain Nemo’s Nautilus theatre show – 11.30am and 2pm

When Peta accidentally travels back in time to the extraordinary submarine world of Captain Nemo’s Nautilus there are curious and wonderful adventures ahead. Daring escapes from ravenous creatures, time travelling volcanoes and swirling storms. Join the cast of quirky and captivating characters inspired by 20 000 leagues under the seas in this thrilling tale of undersea adventure written and performed by the acclaimed Monkey Baa Theatre Company. (45 mins)

Submarine recruits – family games and submariner skills with Jack Bluto Tar - 1.30pm, 2.30pm and 3.30pm

Join submarine captain Jack Bluto Tar to learn the stealth required to become a submarine spy and join in some fun submarine inspired games.

Family film – Ponyo – 2.30pm

Relax and enjoy the 2008 Disney movie in the museum’s theatre. Ponyo is a young and overeager goldfish princess who escapes her home to become human. She meets a young boy, Sosuke, and they become best friends until Ponyo's father, a sorcerer who lives deep under the sea, forces her to return with him to the ocean.

The Subventure family funday is presented in association with the museum’s new exhibition Voyage to the Deep: Underwater Adventures in which children are invited to release their inner aquanaut and explore the mysteries of the deep.

At the centre of this fantasy world is the giant Nautilus where kids can climb aboard and discover the inner workings of a deep-sea submersible…they can take up the controls at the helm, peer through the periscopes, crank the propeller, test out the bunks and explore Captain Nemo’s Cabinet of Curiosities full of wonderful marine specimens. There’s even a bubbly pipe organ to play and a galley full of strange foods to discover!

Entry to all funday activities (apart from the craft activities and face painting) are included in the museum’s general entry $7 adults, $3.50 child/concession or $17 families (Two adults + Threechildren). For full details on all the museum’s summer activities click here or call 02 9298 3777.