Some children hear the word Museum and groan, roll their eyes and say 'plaintively ah mum do we have to ?'
So when you visit one and kids come to mind - it can only be a good thing. I went along to the Queensland Maritime Museum in South Bank and was pleasantly surprised by the "Hands on Deck" experience.
The children need to be of a certain age to appreciate this. There are also lots of steep steps that need to be carefully negotiated. What I am proposing is a short romp in the main Museum and then to head out to the dry dock and go aboard the HMAS Diamantina which is right by the Museum.
Young boys and girls of between 8 and 12 can have such a nice time exploring this enormous frigate which is open to the public. You can go down into the Boiler room and Engine room and marvel at the complexity of what it takes to run a ship or visit the Sick Bay where a surprise "being" awaits.
Or go along to the Wheel house and be astonished at the fact that the ship was driven but there was hardly any view out. The Captain would shout instructions down to the wheelhouse via a voice pipe. There is even a ship's dog waiting to give you a friendly smile.
Seeing how the men slept in hammocks and the limited space there was below deck really gives you a greater appreciation of how life on a ship must have been quite hard at times.
There are display cabinets with lots of information about the officers and their cabins, their uniforms and their jobs. You also learn the history of the ship and its contribution over the years. It makes the perfect birthday party outing which can then be completed with a picnic on South Bank.
The Museum is very easy to get to - Car parking is available in South Bank Parklands which is a five minute walk from the Museum. The train station is also very close by and the area is well served by buses. The Museum is open from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm.
The Museum is a not for profit enterprise and is largely run by volunteers so paying the small entrance fee also helps to keep this wonderful museum open and available to the public.
adults $12
children $6
family $28 (includes 2 adults and up to 3 children under 15)
- pensioners, seniors and students with card $11
