When first hearing about ice cap melting and polar bears drowning in 2006, Peter and Maeva Elliott broke the piggy-bank, bought a boat and went on to see for themselves, as one does. They went through storms and ran aground. They tried fishing and survived on beans. They got sea-sick and lived in the same clothes for weeks. But in a true Australian spirit, during the Northern Hemisphere summer of 2008, they made the first East-West transit of the fabled Northwest Passage by an Australian crew. Along the way, they saw polar bears, walrus and all the Arctic animals they remembered from their childhood picture books. They talked to Inuit hunters, community leaders and scientists, and lost track of time in the Midnight Sun. They also witnessed one of the biggest ice melts ever recorded in the Arctic. This is an opportunity to see the amazing pictures they brought back from their journey and hear the story of two adventurers who could be your neighbours. The Elliotts will talk about ice and the impact of global warming on the Arctic. They will also tell you about what some scientists call the “Arctic Paradox” and will challenge you to think about its Australian version.