Questacon: Canberra, AUSTRALIA

When we were living in the Netherlands, NEMO and the Museon were some of our favourite places to take our kids. I think that they liked it... after all, there were lots of hands on things to do, even if it was sometimes a touch too busy!

Since moving back to Australia, I have been keen to take our kids to the various science museums scattered around the country. And first off the ranks is the venerable Questacon in Canberra! I last took our oldest child here when she was still in barely walking and there was a mechanised dinosaur exhibit that we also took her older cousins to... she doesn't remember it at all. But she was really keen to revisit!

Sadly, on the morning of the outing to Questacon... our younger one decided that she didn't want to go... I told her that that was okay... she could just stand outside in the cold instead. So, she grudgingly came into the museum... determined not to enjoy it.

But as soon as we walked into the building... her eyes lit up and she was crazily excited to go and see everything. Bah... I told her that she wasn't allowed to enjoy it... she could do everything, but she would have to be a grumpy-pants while doing it. That didn't last!

You are fed up a long ramp to the top of the building, but along the way, you have lots of stations to tease your curiosity this microphone play back was a bit hit...

... as was this mesmerising marble being dragged around by a magnet in a circular pattern!

Okay... if I ever have a house that needs and can accomodate a chandelier... screw glass and crystal, I want this!

The first of about 8 galleries seemed to be a special exhibition... exploring humans and robotics. This actually looked really good, and you come down a long ramp with more galleries off the main descending walkway. If you think about it, I think they were imitating a double helix shape with the paths.

We got here a bit earlier at around 1030, so there wasn't too much competition for the exhibits. As it passed lunchtime, there was a marked increase in families... but at this time, it was mostly childless couples!

Okay, I regret showing them this... nightmare fuel for a few nights...

Not all of the galleries were quite so futuristic in design. Many had more mechanical exhibits... and others had a crafting element to them. One even had a huge van der Graff generator that would spit lightning ever 15 minutes or so... always attracting a crowd for the countdown!

In the central atrium there was this huge model of the moon... I think stitched together from satellite photos. Pretty impressive, and my younger one was obsessed with that... but unfortunately, the display area in that part was mostly written stuff and no interaction. But a nice place to just chill out under the great ball!

As we were snacking in the cafe area... well, these spinning designs for the lamps were definitely things that that I wanted in our house... but I was overruled by the girls... sigh, no taste!