New exhibition takes kids on a Voyage to the Deep

by Jude Timms on 27 Nov 2014 This summer children are invited to release their inner aquanaut and explore the mysteries of the deep in an exciting new adventure land opening at the National Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour – Voyage to the Deep: Underwater Adventures.

Based on French author Jules Verne’s 1870 classic 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas, the exhibition brings to life the deep-sea adventures of Captain Nemo, his fantastical Nautilus submarine and the mythical world he inhabited.

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!

Kids can then slip on a dive suit and venture through the world below the waves, including the octupus’ garden with its giant clam shell and a giant squid to slide down, and then wander through the maze of seaweed in the kelp forest. They can also hunt for treasure in the wreck of a Spanish galleon or explore the lost world of Atlantis.

Visitors will also learn real facts about our oceans today, from information on different ocean habitats and their sea creatures to the devastating impact of ghost nets (discarded or abandoned fishing nets) on marine wildlife.

In fact over the last few months, the museum has been working with Ghost Nets Australia to create a large sculpture of a coral bombora or ‘bommie’ out of ghost nets and other marine debris which features as part of the sea-floor environment of Voyage to the Deep.

And during the school holidays, there’s plenty of associated activities to keep families entertained when visiting Voyage to the Deep. Don’t miss the kids’ craft and dress-up sessions, ghost net weaving workshops, and tours for the under 5s.

There’s also a fun new family theatre show from the award-winning Money Baa Theatre Company – Captain Nemo’s Nautilus. The 45-minute shows will run twice daily from 4 January to 25 January (excl. Saturdays) in the museum’s theatre and is included with entry to Voyage to the Deep.

Voyage to the Deep opens to the public on 10 December 2014. Entry is included in the museum’s Big Ticket $27 adults, $16 child/concession or $70 families (two adults + three children).

Voyage to the Deep has been developed by the Australian National Maritime Museum and will remain on show until April 2015. For full details about the exhibition and the associated school holiday activities, click here or call 02 9298 3777.