13 November 2024
6 mins Read
Step aside, Hemsworths. Take a hike, Vegemite. Australia’s biggest export is Bluey, a children’s TV series about a Brisbane-based family of blue heelers that has thoroughly bewitched the globe. In a spectacular, pastel-splashed effort to captivate fans’ imaginations via an entirely new medium, Bluey’s World is an immersive event staged in the Queensland capital that celebrates the phenomenon in ways most could never have imagined.
From a dance party in the depths of Bluey and Bingo’s wardrobe to decorating jumbo-sized pavlovas in the family’s kitchen, our first look at Bluey’s World (open now at Northshore Brisbane in Hamilton until September 2025) uncovers extraordinary moments behind every door. Here, we break down the masterstrokes you need to see now.
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Visitors to Bluey’s World are split into groups and taken on a guided 60-minute tour inside the 4,000-square-metre Northshore Pavilion within the Northshore Brisbane Precinct. Tasked to endlessly enchant your kids, the guides arrive as the Heelers’ garden gnomes (seen in episodes including Hide and Seek and Hammerbarn), brought to life by magical fairies (who debuted in Fairies but are also mentioned in later episodes), much to the delight of every kid in the room. Not only will parents have their little ones totally distracted for a solid hour, but those heaven-sent angels also nudge you when it’s time to usher your kids along. “Grown-ups, grab your squirts” was this very appreciative Australian Traveller writer’s cue to spring back into parenting mode when required.
You can jump on board a regular CityCat service to Bluey’s World (or drive as there’s plenty of free parking) but we suggest you go one better by hitching a ride on a limited-edition CityDog. Two very special ferries have been decked out to resemble Bluey and Bingo, with one dressed in the older sibling’s trademark blue hue and the other a vibrant orange. No matter which one you catch, the sisters’ wide-eyed faces feature on both, providing an exhilarating, photo-perfect prelude to what’s to come.
Your first step into Bluey’s World — which starts out the front of the Heeler house before the fairies open the front door — instantly teleports you to, well, the world of six-year-old Bluey. From the red and yellow garbage bins of Bin Night to the native purple cloud perennials planted at the foot of the old Queenslander’s façade, the details are deeply considered and flat-out beautiful.
At one stage, your group will move through a walkable blanket fort, inspired by the episode Cubby and complete with scribbles of arrows, a toilet, a clock and other tell-tale household markers. And that’s before you even get to the siblings’ bedroom, and the playroom, and of course…
While every new door presents a room worthy of gasps (and we heard audible varieties upon every new unveiling), the kitchen at Bluey’s World is a standout.
Whether you’re piling berries and sprinkles over gigantic pavlovas, building ham and cheese sandwiches while overlooking the backyard (more on that highlight later), cooking the famed Australian Women’s Weekly Duck Cake (honoured in the Duck Cake episode) in the oven or simply basking in the fact you can finally take photos (all rooms prior to the kitchen prohibit photography), the kitchen is indeed the heart of this home.
Once you’re done playing a round of Magic Xylophone with Unicorse (the very cheeky hand puppet from Unicorse who plays a central role at Bluey’s World), you’ll walk right through Bluey and Bingo’s wardrobe and into a darkened room made for unadulterated boogeying. No child is immune to the spell of Bluey’s gnomes, who dance around the room like absolutely nobody is watching. It’s end-to-end euphoric fun as racks of the kids’ clothing and Chattermax, Bluey’s favourite electronic toy, are projected in high-octane colour across the walls.
Organisers sold Bluey’s World as a tour of the Heeler homestead, but Bluey’s World also encompasses a slice of the great outdoors. At one stage of the tour, you’ll stumble across a tranquil creek, much like the one featured in the widely adored The Creek episode, filled with more impressive projections and set designs to recreate Bluey’s beloved open-air escape. Skip across rocks, hop between floods of tadpoles and spot a wallaby amid a remarkably cooling ode to Queensland’s natural beauty.
As iconic as the show’s canine stars, the Heelers’ Poinciana tree is world-renowned. Thankfully, this interpretation lives up to the hype. It looms dramatically over Bluey’s World’s sprawling backyard, decorated with the same paper lanterns seen hanging off the animated version in the famed Keepy Uppy episode. A family selfie is mandatory, as is taking a seat beneath its leafy branches as a series of inflated red balls take flight and squealing children live out their wildest dreams around you.
It wouldn’t be a kids’ day out without sufficient snacks. At Bluey’s World, they’ve got you covered with a variety of light bites or much heartier picks including a selection of pudgy-based pizzas inspired by the episode Pizza Girls.
Fans of the show will love the Golden Crown Takeaway shopfront, seen in the episode Takeaway, which dishes up spring rolls, gyoza and fortune cookies. Don’t leave without visiting Alfie’s Gift Shop, too, home to exclusive Bluey merchandise no visitor to this once-in-a-lifetime event will manage to resist.
Bluey’s World is now open at Northshore Brisbane. For tickets and further information, visit the website.
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