MAY 2017 VIRGIN AUSTRALIA 031
CALENDAR
WORDS
BELINDA QUINN
PHOTOGRAPHY
ADI GRANOV/KEYFRAME FOR
MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS
2012/©2012 MARVEL, ATLANTIC PRODUCTIONS, GETTY IMAGES, ROBB MCCORMICK PHOTOGRAPHYImmerse yourself in
Far North Queensland’s
tropical ecosystems at the
Cairns Aquarium. The $50
million development, set to
open next month, will be
one of the region’s largest
tourist attractions and
features an immersive
aquatic journey through
11 biodiverse zones.
“Many of the creatures
[are] rare, endangered, and
in some cases, never seen
before on display,” Cairns
Aquarium CEO and founder
Daniel Leipnik tellsVoyeur.
“More than 15,000 aquatic
specimens [will be]
displayed in 71 live exhibits.”
Highlights will include a
10-metre-high Deep Reef
Tank and a 400,000 litre
flooded waterways and
billabong exhibit displaying
glimpses of freshwater
sawfish and barramundi.
Visitors will be able to
see peculiar tropical
species such as Ribboned
pipefish, freshwater
whiprays and giant Mount
Lewis spiny crayfish.
Dedicated to awareness
and conservation, the
aquarium will establish ex
situ breeding programs for
endangered species, as
well as working towards
improving coral resilience
on the Great Barrier Reef.
There will be daily tours,
presentations and plenty
of animal encounters.
Pre-opening tickets
can be purchased at http://www.
cairnsaquarium.com.au.SEA CHANGE
Far North Queensland’s
aquatic life is centre-
stage at this new
tourist spot.D
iehard Marvel fans will have the
chance to see original props,
costumes and artworks from the
much-loved franchise at the Gallery of
Modern Art’s Marvel: Creating the Cinematic
Universe exhibition, opening late this month.
One of the biggest Super Hero collections
to reach our shores, the exhibit will take over
the entire first floor of GOMA, with three
galleries, interactive media and retail spaces.
Founded by pulp-magazine publisher
Martin Goodman in 1939, Marvel Comics
has a library of over 8000 characters,
whose interwoven cinematic storylines
are a point of interest for the museum.
“What makes the Marvel Cinematic
Universe so compelling is the way it distils
years of complex storytelling from iconic
comic books into an interconnected and
cogent cinematic realm,” GOMA’s associate
curator Amanda Slack-Smith tells Voyeur.
“We were keen to look at the films as
a holistic, fictional world, rather than
as individual cinematic instalments. By
dissolving these demarcations, we were
able to focus on the characters and their
relationships more closely, probing the
larger narrative arcs at play.”
The exhibit will host more than 500
artworks from Marvel’s archives and private
collections, and more than 200 original props
and costumes. Highlights include never-
before-seen set pieces from Thor: Ragnarok,
including the grand Asgardian throne room.
“There is something magical about standing
next to Thor’s hammer or Captain America’s
costume and shield,” says Slack-Smith.
27 May to 3 September; Brisbane;
http://www.virginaustralia.com/marvel.Experience the unified world of Marvel comics and
cinema at Queensland’s Gallery of Modern Art.A Marvellous World
MOVING KEYS
Pianist Kristian
Bezuidenhout
joins the Australian
Chamber Orchestra’s
Richard Tognetti to
take on Mozart’s
Piano Concerto
No 13 for the ACO’s
Intimate Mozart
event. 24 June to
9 July; nationwide;
http://www.aco.com.au.www.aco.com.au.june...
next
monthLET IT SNOW
Frozen comes to life this winter
for Disney On Ice. Hosted by Mickey
and Minnie Mouse, see the much
-loved film’s characters play out
the full enchanting adventure story.
2 June to 17 July; various venues;
http://www.disneyonice.com.