Remember Mr Squiggle? You can see him in Canberra now!

Kassia ByrnesBy Kassia Byrnes
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Two cultural giants have arrived in Canberra.

As a child of the 90s, I don’t have enough time to count the hours I spent with my siblings watching Mr Squiggle, the enthusiastic, pencil-nosed, artistic man from the moon. Even after I was too old to delight in guessing what the random lines and dots might turn into, watching the bubbly Mr Squiggle and listening to the dull, gloomy tones of his blackboard was a soothing way to relax after school. Well, it’s time to whip out the nostalgia because Mr Squiggle is coming to the National Museum in Canberra.

Until 13 October 2025, the free exhibition Mr Squiggle and Friends: The Creative World of Norman Hetherington is putting this beloved puppet front and centre, to celebrate his ABC TV show of the same name that aired from 1959 to 1999.

Mr Squiggle is joined by other iconic characters of the show: Blackboard, Rocket, Bill Steamshovel and Gus the Snail. And, of course, the mastermind behind the hit TV show Norman Hetherington, whose collection of more than 800 objects, including puppets, artworks, scripts, costumes, props and sets was acquired by the  National Museum in 2024 and forms the main part of the exhibition.

“We can’t wait to share this exhibition with parents and grandparents who grew up with  Mr Squiggle and allow them to reconnect with their childhoods, and to bring along the next generation to experience Norman Hetherington’s particular whimsy, humour and magic,"  said National Museum director Katherine McMahon.

squid games korean tv show
Discover the shows, music and fashion making waves from Korea.

After finishing in Canberra, the key puppets in the show will tour nationally. While the National Museum turns to an entirely new cultural phenomenon: the Korean ‘wave’. From megastars of K-pop and K-drama, to the Oscar-winning film Parasite and hit Netflix show Squid Game, to singer and rapper PSY, who gave the world dance hit Gangnam Style: exhibition, Hallyu! The Korean Wave will run exclusively in Australia at the National Museum (the first time in the Southern Hemisphere) from 12 December 2025 to 10 May 2026.

The exhibition will be accompanied by live Korean music, dance, and food for a full immersion into the Korean cultural experience.

Kassia Byrnes
Kassia Byrnes is the Native Content Editor for Australian Traveller and International Traveller. She's come a long way since writing in her diary about family trips to Grandma's. After graduating a BA of Communication from University of Technology Sydney, she has been writing about her travels (and more) professionally for over 10 years for titles like AWOL, News.com.au, Pedestrian.TV, Body + Soul and Punkee. She's addicted to travel but has a terrible sense of direction, so you can usually find her getting lost somewhere new around the world. Luckily, she loves to explore and have new adventures – whether that’s exploring the backstreets, bungee jumping off a bridge or hiking for days. You can follow her adventures on Instagram @probably_kassia.
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This geological wonder is hiding in the heart of Victoria

    Michael TurtleBy Michael Turtle
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    Mythical, historical and most of all, spectacularly beautiful, Buchan Caves demands you take your time – and a tour. 

    In the pools of water, so still they could be mirrors, the reflections of the stalactites make these limestone towers seem even taller. Almost 400 million years ago, an underground river carved through the rock to create the Buchan Caves . Now, artworks created by dripping water adorn these subterranean galleries: stalactites hanging from the ceiling, pillars connecting some to the ground, even curtain-like wave formations clinging to the stone.

    Caves House
    Visit the caves for the day or stay onsite in the campground or at the self-contained Caves House. (Image: Ben Savage)

    “This is called the Fairy Cave because it’s full of fairy dust,” a guide tells visitors as they enter a cavern glittering with “calcite that’s solidified into thousands of tiny little diamond shapes”.  Buchan Caves is Victoria’s largest cave system, but Fairy Cave is a highlight and, along with nearby Royal Cave, is accessible only by tour. Naturally cold, naturally dark, these caverns deep below the surface light up as the local experts tell their stories. 

    couple walking in cave
    You’ll need to book a guided tour to see the caves. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    Among the hundreds of caves, some can be easily accessed from the surface. For instance, a casual stroll along the FJ Wilson Interpreted Walk, as kangaroos watch on from beneath acacia trees, leads into the 400-metre-long Federal Cave and its natural steps of white limestone. A slightly longer track, the Granite Pools Walk heads through soaring forest down into moss-covered gullies where the calls of lyrebirds trill through the leaves. 

    A quick history lesson on Buchan Caves 

    Buchan Caves
    Buchan Caves are a must-visit attraction in Gippsland. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    Among the geology and the nature are millennia of history. This part of East Gippsland connects the high country to the coast and was long a place of refuge for the local Gunaikurnai people on seasonal migrations to the mountains. Archaeological studies show humans lived here up to 18,000 years ago, with artefacts such as small stone tools found around the site. But not too far into the caverns – oh no! The Gunaikurnai didn’t dare venture deep into the dark at Buchan Caves, telling stories they were inhabited by gnome-like nyols (small grey-skinned creatures that could steal memories). 

    Buchan Caves Hotel
    The Buchan Caves Hotel was rebuilt after burning down in 2014. (Image: Jess Shapiro)

    By the early 1900s, more people had started to hear about these incredible caves and so the Moon family set up home at the site and started to run tours below ground for intrepid visitors. More than a century later, their historic residence is available as accommodation, with the three-bedroom house sleeping up to eight people and now equipped with modern amenities the Moons could only have dreamt of. 

    But whether you stay overnight or just spend the day here, it’s worth taking your time to explore more than just the main caves, to get a deeper understanding of one of Victoria’s fascinating geological attractions.