Archives: Discovery Centres

Buchan Caves are formed in 380 million year old limestone that was laid down when the area was covered by a shallow sea. Fossilised sea creatures are visible embedded in the walls of the caves. The caves include almost four kilometers of underground passages and chambers leading to six entrances. Local wildlife includes lyrebirds, boobook…

Update: the observatory in Rotary Park has now closed, and a new Port Macquarie Astronomy Science Centre will open 2024. In the interim, society open nights will be held on Friday evenings at the CWA, 11 Horton Street. An evening with the Port Macquarie Astronomical Association begins with talk about the objects in the night…

Experience the truly dark skies of the Australian outback from the Andamooka Observatory. Astrophotography workshops are available and there is an onsite bookshop. Andamooka is an opal mining settlement 30 km east of Roxby Downs in northern South Australia. The observatory is open from 5.30 – 9.30 pm Thursday and Friday, and 10am – 1pm Saturday….

The North Coast Regional Botanic Garden in Coffs Harbour opened in 1988 and incorporates several very different garden styles, from mangroves to a rainforest, Japanese garden, a greenhouse and a sensory garden spread over 20 hectares. There are five kilometres of paths through the garden, and guided walks are available each month. There are also…

The Whyalla Steelworks produces about 1.2 million tonnes of steel per year, using iron ore from the nearby Middleback Range. This 90 minute guided tour of the 1000 hectare site will take you past the coke ovens, blast furnace, rolling mills and casting plant. All participants must remain in the vehicle for the duration of…

The Bowali Visitor Centre in Kakadu National Park features exhibits about landscape and wildlife of the Alligator River system. Kakadu stretches south almost 200 km from the mouth of the river and is 100 km wide. The park is home to thousands of species of plants and hundreds of species of birds, reptiles, mammals and insects. You…

The Darwin Aviation Museum is operated by the Aviation Historical Society of the NT. The Museum is on the Stuart Highway and it backs onto the Darwin Airport aerodrome and RAAF base. The Museum opened in its current large purpose-built hanger in 1990. The collection includes a Boeing B-52G Stratofortress, a Cobra AH-1G attack helicopter,…

The Qantas Founders Museum is located on the apron of Longreach Airport, and incorporates the historic Qantas hanger, a modern museum building and the aircraft collection. The Museum has a collection of historical artefacts and displays, as well as the spectacular collection of aircraft including an ex-Qantas Boeing 747-200, Qantas’ first Boeing 707-100, and ex-Qantas…

The Tweed Regional Museum showcases the natural and social history of the Tweed area. Permanent displays include Land | Life | Culture, which shares unique cultural, biological, and geological stories that shape life in the Tweed Valley. The exhibition introduces the extraordinary richness of this environment and of life in the Tweed, including a touchscreen…

The Central Coast Marine Discovery Centre is volunteer run and is supported by the University of Newcstle Central Coast campus and the local council. The Centre has exhibits as well as live creatures on display, including seahorses, urchins, and an octopus. There are also have programs including occassional talks by researchers, movies, fish feeding, snorkelling…