Lighthouses, ferries and hands-on fun in Harbour Hoots family day

by Jude Timms on 8 Aug 2014

Lighthouses, ferries and hands-on fun in Harbour Hoots family day Australian National Maritime Museum http://www.anmm.gov.au

The Australian National Maritime Museum will celebrate the opening of its latest, transport-themed exhibition Going Places and International Lighthouse Day with a special family fun day focusing on the heroes of our harbours – lighthouses and ferries. Families will enjoy a lively day of crafts, storytelling, tours and films. They can climb up the museum’s Cape Bowling Green Lighthouse, hop on board a visiting historic Rosman ferry and be the first to experience the new exhibition.

In Going Places, you become the driver and discover the technology we have developed for travel and transport across our lands and oceans. This hands-on exhibition gives families the opportunity to experience and react to a number of scenarios in which they can drive, load, control and design all forms of transport.
The full day of fun for all the family includes:

Cape Bowling Green Lighthouse and Lightship Carpentaria - 11am - 3pm
Climb to the top of the Cape Bowling Green Lighthouse for a bird’s eye view of Darling Harbour or see our lightship Carpentaria from the wharf.

Visiting Rosman Ferries: Proclaim and Lithgow - 11am - 2.30pm
Hop on board the historic Rosman ferries and uncover their fascinating story, dress up to have your picture taken behind the captain’s wheel and collect a special souvenir.

Harbour Hoots Family Tours with Captain Shawn Scuttlebutt - 11.30am, 12.30pm, 2pm
Join character guide Captain Shawn Scuttlebutt for a fun filled family friendly tour and games around the museum’s harbour to discover the story behind our visiting ferries and our three lights- Cape Bowling Green, Carpentaria and the Tasman Light.

Storytelling: Blinky the Lighthouse Ship, The Lighthouse Keepers Lunch and Fergus the Ferry - 11am, 12pm, 1pm
Join in lively storytelling sessions inspired by some of our favourite children’s books with tales of wild storms, cheeky seagulls, heroic lightships and friendly ferries. Dress up in character as you become part of the story in this interactive performance.

Kids craft activities – 11 am – 3pm
Craft your own lighthouse model, create a ferry sculpture, a souvenir badge or some working harbour-inspired poetry. Experiment with reflectors and circuits to make a working lightkeepers lantern. Learn morse code ciphers. Play interactive games or dress up in nautical costumes.

Films screening: Ferry Boat Fred - 10am – 2pm
Fred is a friendly ferry who works around Sydney Harbour. Together with his ferry friends Bill and Lou, Jean the jolly submarine, Pete the Pelican and Fred's Captain, the sleepy koala, they have adventures around the harbour.

Face painting - 11am – 3.30pm
Have your face painted with nautical inspired designs.

Photo opportunity with Lighthouse on legs - 10.30am –11.30am and 2.30pm – 3.30pm
See if you can find our friendly red and white striped lighthouse roaming the shores of the museum for a picture perfect moment!

All Harbour Hoots family day activities and the Going Places exhibition are included in the museum’s Big Ticket entry: $27.00 adult, $16 child, $70 family. The Australian National Maritime Museum, in Darling Harbour, is open from 9.30am to 5pm daily.