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General News

25 September, 2024

Family fun holiday with a side of learning

When I was asked to make the trip to Melbourne to attend and review activities with my children, Bohdi and Lucas, I was excited, but a bit hesitant.

By Zoey Andrews

Bohdi and Lucas found T.Rex 3D at Imax both entertaining and educational.
Bohdi and Lucas found T.Rex 3D at Imax both entertaining and educational.

As a solo mum to two boys aged seven and 11, and having been born and raised in a country town, I had never been to the city by myself.

But I knew I'd be kicking myself if I didn't go.

(A night of luxury at the five-star Sofitel certainly was the factor that sealed the decision.)

So off we went.

We travelled by train both to and back from Melbourne, and that was an experience in itself and one the boys loved.

I highly recommend this method of travel if you aren't a city driver or just don't want to negotiate city traffic.

Public transport in the city was easily accessed, and with Google Maps we got briefly lost only a couple of times.

But onto the exciting stuff.

Into the Sun is a family favourite as the boys’ movements generate the growth of plants on screen.
Into the Sun is a family favourite as the boys' movements generate the growth of plants on screen.

We packed all the activities into just one day, beginning at ACMI.

ACMI, located in Federation Square, is a museum celebrating and recognising film, gaming and TV with events, exhibits and screenings.

We attended "Beings" by Universal Everything and found it to be fun, interesting, quirky and unique.

I'd be lying if I said only the boys had the opportunity to dance, move and play in the interactive exhibition, bringing characters on screen.

I couldn't resist a turn, standing on the designated spot and letting my movement dictate and generate the on-screen movement of a bubble or character - or in the case of one display, plants.

There are four different interactive zones, and although children were predominantly the main users while we were there, I wasn't the only adult taking a turn when they thought no-one was watching.

Artwork themes included Friends, Infinity and Tribes.

The bright and large screens make for great viewing, and the different sounds - loud and quiet at different times - combine with lighting to create an enthralling experience.

The boys and I agreed our favourite interaction was "Into the Sun".

The exhibition is open until Sunday October 6 and runs daily from 10am to 5pm.

Tickets are $20, with under 35s $15, children (4 to 14) $7 and students $10.

There are numerous other exhibitions to enjoy at ACMI - a lot of them free - and I highly recommend allowing lots of time to check them all out.

With Victoria - a 66-million-year-old dinosaur fossil.
With Victoria - a 66-million-year-old dinosaur fossil.

Our next stop was the Melbourne Museum and, as my youngest is a dinosaur enthusiast, it was one we were all excited for.

We attended Imax and watched T-Rex 3D, which we found was not only educational but fun and interesting as well.

The film follows a group of children and palaeontologists on a dig for dinosaurs who discover remains at Hell Creek.

It features a good mix of animated dinosaurs and information to engage viewers of all ages.

Armed with all this new knowledge, we headed off to meet Victoria - the fossilised skeleton of a 66-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex.

It was a bit surreal standing in front of her, and I caught myself in awe - both of her size and the life she must have lived.

And let's be honest: it's not often you get to be in the company of authentic dinosaur remains.

Her fossil is comprised of 199 bones and covers a length of more than 12 metres, standing almost four metres tall.

She is one of the five biggest and most complete T-Rex individuals in the world - the other four are located in the US - since an entire T-Rex is yet to be found and most finds are less than 50 per cent complete.

Although Victoria is the real star, there are plenty of other activities to explore and facts to learn from the exhibition, and the kids absolutely loved going from display to display.

The exhibition is open until October 20.

Tickets are between $14 and $32.50, and you can add on the Imax T-Rex 3D experience for between $10 and $15.

I highly recommend a family trip to Melbourne to experience both ACMI and the Melbourne Museum these holidays as it's an experience the children will be talking about for a long time after.

Our room view from Sofitel on Collings Street.
Our room view from Sofitel on Collings Street.

After a busy day, the boys and I enjoyed a luxurious stay at the Sofitel on Collins Street, in the heart of Melbourne CBD.

With beautiful city views from the 48th floor and comfort and luxury everywhere we looked, we couldn't have been happier with our stay.

For those locals who can't get to Melbourne to see the amazing dinosaur exhibit, Museums Victoria's 'Museums in a Van' will be visiting Horsham Plaza all next week with a free, hands-on, pop-up program inspiring families to dive into nature and science.

From Monday September 30 to Friday October 4, families can explore collections of fossils and taxidermy objects, including a life-sized replica of a Muttaburrasaurus skull, a Diprotodon and a Megalodon tooth.

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