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 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 true Aussie 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.

Students will see amazing pictures and hear many stories of these grand adventures, set thoughtfully in the context of the impact of global warming on the Arctic.

Register for this
Education Day opens the Festival on Friday 20th February and is open to schools that have registered in advance. Upon registration, each school chooses their preferred program.

See Education Day page for details on how to register and make this event part of your school's program.

This event has been developed for Primary students.