family outing: melbourne museum

This is a Product Talk by Nuffnang which means that I was given complimentary passes to the Melbourne Museum in exchange for an unbiased review.

Yesterday I found out that I weigh as much as a freshwater crocodile. Comforting? Not so much. But fun? Indeed!  

We were lucky enough to score some free passes to attend Melbourne Museum as part of their school holiday program which included watching a performance of Tiddalik the Thirsty Frog.

I was a little concerned that Jaxon would be bored with the performance, but he giggled and participated throughout the entire 20 min performance. And my husband and I walked out of there with grins on our faces - enjoying just as much as our 6 year old. The two Aboriginal performers were engaging, funny and highly entertaining as they narrated, danced and joked their way through the family-friendly story.

watching the entertaining performance of Tiddalik

Unfortunately, Tiddalik the Thirsty Frog is only running until this Tuesday the 31st of January, so if it's something you think the kids will be interested in, I recommend scooting along to check it out before it wraps up.

After Tiddalik, it was time for a bite to eat. Being pregnant I was wary of whether the museum cafe would have some safe and friendly options for me (not being able to eat pre-prepared fruit salad, sushi, salads and deli meats). I was sure my options would be limited to one or two unsavoury menu items. But I was wrong. 

As tempting as the cake display looked, I opted for a spinach and ricotta pastry which was delicious. Jaxon was satisfied with a dinosaur kids pack which contained a vegemite and cheese sandwich, pop-top fruit juice, sultanas and caramello koala. And the husband? Well he went for a meat pie. Perfect! Lunch sorted. Onto the rest of the museum.

Where to start? There's so much to see! With my baby-brain (read: lack of common sense), I let the husband take charge and he suggested with start down one end, and make our way through all the galleries on that level before proceeding onto the next. That made sense.

penguins floating through the foyer

tiny fish surrounding a large fish

There is so much to see that you can quite easily spend half a day at the Museum exploring, eating and enjoying watching kids faces light up as they see things they've never seen before.

Jaxon spying some birdies in the Forest Gallery

I lost count of how many times Jaxon screamed "mum, dad, look at this... mum dad look at this" whilst at the museum. We would barely get to where he was and he'd be off to the next thing screaming it out again.

wouldn't you love to have a pet dino?

just like a crystal pom pom!

this crystal formation looks like it's out of a sci-fi flick

We definitely didn't get this level of excitement from him last time we visited Melbourne Museum. So it just goes to show you that you shouldn't discount it if you've been before. This time around, it was a whole new experience. Not just for him, but for mum and dad (that's us) also!

the chimney reconstructed in the rainforest following Black Saturday
stands as a symbol of the devastation bushfire can cause

up close and personal with a room full of amazing animals

you wouldn't get to see this gorgeous creature up close in real life

the boys wishing we could ride a tram like this one!

I saw so many things that I don't remember seeing last time around. It could be that I wasn't paying as much attention, or that I was paying too much attention to where Jaxon had run off to and didn't get to experience it properly last time.

colourful tapestry adorning he museum walls

enchanting illustrations in Cole's Funny Picture Book

It's definitely fair to say that we all had favourite parts in the museum.  Jaxon's was seeing all the creatures (dead or alive) up close in the Science and Life Gallery. Mine was also the animals, but I also quite enjoyed a trip down nostalgia lane with the historic installations in the Melbourne Gallery. 

goofing around in a pyramid of mirrors (Children's Gallery)

vintage advertising

more amazing tapestry

couldn't resist this 'typewriters through the ages' installation

just one more colourful tapestry

So if you haven't been to Melbourne Museum before, or haven't visited in a while, I highly recommend that you re-acquaint yourself with all that it has to offer. It really is a great day out for the whole family. And adult tickets are only $10 PLUS kids are FREE!

Now listen up my lovelies. I have one FREE Melbourne Museum adult pass to give away. And remember, kids are free so it means that you can take yourself and the kids along for zilch (parking and food not included)!  The pass is valid until 30 June 2012, so you'll have plenty of time to take advantage on a weekend or even the next school holidays.

To enter, all I need you to do is leave me a comment on this post. I will randomly select a winner this Friday the 3rd of February. You have until 8pm on Friday to leave a comment.

Thanks for all your comments. This competition is now closed!