4 Things to know before visiting the Museum of Underwater Art – An evolving masterpiece

Nestled within the sublime scenery of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in Townsville, North Queensland is where you will stumble upon the Museum of Underwater Art. The brainchild of renowned underwater sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor, the Museum captures and successfully puts on one of the grandest of shows, adding to the appeal of the Great Barrier Reef itself. The installations highlight a number of spheres ranging from reef conservation, restoration, and education as part of what is the 1st of its kind in the entire southern hemisphere. Further, the Museum also acts as both a marine laboratory and a conducive habitat for a vast array of marine mammals that inhabit these waters. Visitors such as travellers, marine students, and scientists will have the unique opportunity to admire, appreciate and monitor coral development through a series of underwater cameras that have been strategically placed for this purpose. However, the underlying theme of the Museum is the value and tradition of the First Nations people that have been expertly showcased whilst bringing to light the stories of these reefs that have been narrated and passed down from generations of old.

Installed alongside The Strand which is Townsville's famed jetty, The Siren is an integral component of the Museum which pays tribute to Takoda Johnson of the Wulgurukaba People considered one of the two owners of the land in this part of Australia. What makes the Ocean Siren stand out is the fact that at the heart of its allure are a series of LED lights that change colour pertaining to the temperature of the ocean. On a more serious note, the changing colours on the sculpture highlight the rising sea temperatures to which our planet is being subjected to. A good time to call by The Strand would be during dusk as this is when this attraction comes into its own en route to thrilling many a gathering.

Greenhouse structures are associated with land but when it comes to the topic of the Museum of Underwater Art, things are done a tad differently. This is because the Coral Greenhouse sculpture located at the John Brewer Reef is not just a work of art but a 9-meter long stainless steel greenhouse at the bottom of the ocean! What's more? Travellers visiting the Greenhouse will be left in awe by its 20 reef guardian sculptures, each depicting a marine life student and above all, will be educated on the role of the Coral Greenhouse which was built in order to dispel ocean undercurrents that prevail in this region. Added to this is the fact that the said attraction is the 1st ever underwater building put together by an artist coupled with the sheer magnitude of same which makes it the largest installation of the Museum to date.

Aiming to establish and educate visitors of the culture of the indigenous people and the reef with regards to the area known as Palm Island, the Museum of Underwater Art has taken steps to facilitate the aforementioned. Therefore, plans are in place to develop, design, and install a creation that would best represent not merely the pristine surroundings of the largest island as part of the Great Palm Group but also of the traditional owners and the Palm Island community as a whole. If you are planning on coming over to Australia in the near future, then consider including the Museum of Underwater Art in your travel itinerary, and further, take note of Oaks Townsville Gateway Suites which is one of the Townsville Australia hotels worth staying at before visiting such tourist destinations in the State of Queensland.