National Science Week’s Unearthed in Mackay

Two brothers loved exploring Unearthed as part of National Science Week where a spider specialist shared a few secrets about arachnids. See the photo gallery.

Whitsunday brothers Noah and Oliver Webb loved exploring Unearthed as part of National Science Week where a spider specialist shared a few secrets about arachnids.

Both Noah, 12, and Oliver, 9, said their favourite part was the virtual reality “straight up”.

“You’re in one world and then you go to a whole different spot,” Oliver said.

“Also I think … some of the experiments were pretty cool with the metal bending and the holograms,” Noah said.

The brothers also enjoyed looking at the Richmond Pliosaur fossil.

The Richmond Pliosaur fossil was displayed at Unearthed at the MECC. Picture: Janessa Ekert

Mother Tina Webb said the family had travelled from Airlie Beach “for soccer and for this” event held at the MECC on Sunday.

“It looked amazing,” she said, adding the event really stretched across different age brackets.

“There’s lots for really small children as well as it’s really engaging with all of the digital support for older kids … the VR element.

“It really sort of appeals to children of all ages and that’s why it’s really great for families.”

The Whitsunday brothers loved all the exhibits at Unearthed. Picture: Michaela Harlow

Exhibits included megafauna from the Mackay region and prehistoric sea monsters, from real fossils to digital models; live science experiments, music and talks; drones, robotics and virtual realities.

There was a chance to battle it out in a Minecraft competition, meet Queensland Museum Network curators and get creative with the art of science.

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One of the most popular exhibitors was Dr Mike Rix, who is a spider specialist.

“I love them,” he said, calling the arachnids “endlessly fascinating and misunderstood”.

On display at the Unearthed event were live trapdoor spiders including a tarantula from the Bowen and Mackay area.

“We’re just trying to break down some of those barriers,” he said.

“We’re trying to talk people through some of their concerns, some of their fears and show that most Australian spiders are not dangerous.”

Queensland Museum principal scientist Dr Mike Rix, who is a spider specialist, at the Unearthed event during National Science Week in Mackay. Picture

Dr Rix, who is a Queensland Museum principal scientist, said he had been involved in field work in the Mackay region over the past three days looking for new species of trapdoor spiders.

“They’re actually quite common in Central Queensland,” he said.

“But they live very secretive lives, they live deep underground in burrows.

“People find them very interesting.”

Dr Rix said he and the team had found “a few” new spiders in the past few days.

“Most of Australia’s spider species are actually unnamed, they’re new to science, so there’s a huge amount of work to do to document that biodiversity,” he said.

The project he was involved with was focusing on a particular group of trapdoor spiders called “wishbone spiders”.

“There’s probably about 150 species across Australia and it’s our job to name about 100 of those,” Dr Rix said.