Canberra
 

Considering a 10 day trip to Canberra in early July. It's been on our radar for awhile, but we're just now getting around to seriously considering it. Looks like it's a bit of a hassle to get there as flights from Perth go via Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne and are in the 5-7 hour range.

When we mention Canberra most folks respond with "why?", so we're not terribly confident that it's worth a 10 day investment, but on the other hand, we tend to like things other people don't, so...

Just wondering if anyone out there in Fodorland has any recommendations/thoughts regarding Canberra and environs, as it seems we might need a little push to start the ball rolling.

Our interests include walks/hikes, cool weather, communing with nature and good food. We also enjoy, to a lesser extent, city attractions, markets and the odd museum.

It is, especially for you two who are used to & like cold weather.

One of the grizzles from the Sydneyites is it's "too +%# hot in summer & too ]%}* cold in winter." I've survived & had a great time in every season ( and Canberra does have real Spring, Summer, Autumn & Winter) - so can wholeheartedly encourage you to make the trek.

It's a popular thing to pooh hoo Canberra, but when you go, engage the brain before the mouth - there's a lot to like about it, the surrounds and it's proximity to both the south coast and the snowfields.

My 2cents? Go for it, book early, especially if you want to flip down to the snow, remember the rug rats are on holiday.

Have a look at the Canberra website, also NSW south coast, southern highlands.

Watch out, we might pull on a GTG - it's equidistant from Sydney & Melbourne!

Besides - how can a place that our great friend NeilOz chose to live in not be worth a visit?

It's only a 3 - 4 hour drive from Sydney, depending on how long you spend browsing at Berkelouws antiquarian books & having coffee enroute.

OTOH, if it works better for you, fly into Melbourne & drive up from there.

Thanks Bokhara, food for thought.

Forgot about school holidays, which we avoid like the plague. We're flexible though, August will work too.

Right now we're torn between a return visit to SA or a visit to Canbarra. SA is easier, much closer, and there's so much we missed last time. Oh dear, choices, choices.

There are lots of free museums. The war memorial in particular is huge. The museum of democracy and the portrait gallery in the Old Parliament house are good as it the tour of the old parliament. The archives just behind the old parliament house has a good but small display including the original constitution act of the British government.

The National Gallery will have world class exhibits.
http://nga.gov.au/exhibitions/DEFAULT.cfm

The Mint is worth a look. The National museum is eclectic but interesting.

The merry go round in the centre of the city is very old and used to be on St Kilda beach.

Mt Ainslie and Black mountain offer great views. Back mountain has a short walk.

The Carillon is magnificent. Get a tour and be there when it is played.
http://www.nationalcapital.gov.au/in...233&Itemid=198

The Telstra tower has a revolving restaurant which was good dozen years ago.

There are lots of walks around the lake.

We did a dawn balloon flight which went right don the middle of the lake.

Ginninderra waterfalls just out of the city are lovely.

Tidbinbilla tracking station is interesting as it the observatory at Mt Stromlo.

There is heaps to do, but it will most like likely be cold (for us) although from memory not too rainy at that time of year. Jeans, a warm jacket and a beanie is all you will need.

Get a brochure and check the opening times. The Mint for instance was closed on Tuesdays when were there.

The school holidays should not be too much of a problem. Most will head north to the sun. The ski fields may be bit busy but not too bad.

It is the only "Australian" looking city. There are few English style buildings nor street lined with English trees. It is also the place you will see the most Australian flags flying and a wide variety of depictions of our coat of arms. These various depictions are worth looking at in their own right.

Ten days will give you plenty of time to explore at leisure without feeling rushed. It will allow you to take a day or two at each of the major museums.

For people who generally don't like cities, we have been to Canberra several time. It has more of a feel of a large country town.

Be careful with your navigation - it is a city of roundabouts and dual carriageways. Often if the thing you want to go to is on the right, you will have to turn left!

Enjoy. It is well worth seeing.

I like Canberra a lot. If you take in the hinterland you could easily spend a week if not longer.

For accommodation in Canberra my favourites are University House, Hotel Kurrajong and Olin's. Don't miss Ottoman for upmarket Turkish food.

Adding to Peter's list there's also the Drill Hall Gallery on ANU campus, Canberra Museum, plus the Film and Sound archives, they often have evening screenings, Sidney Nolan Gallery is also worth visiting, it's near to a historic homestead.

The Botanic Gardens is also worth a visit, great lizard spotting place.

Thanks Peter and Susan, great info.

And don't forget the National Library with its Treasures Gallery -

https://www.nla.gov.au/exhibitions/treasures-gallery

and other exhibitions - the recent Mapping Our World exhibition proved to be very popular -

http://www.nla.gov.au/exhibitions/mapping-our-world

and if you'll be there in August, check out the Canberra Then and Now photographs -

http://www.nla.gov.au/exhibitions

And then there's the National Portrait Gallery, one of my favourite Canberra buildings, which has a very pleasant cafe and - take note of this as parking in the area can be difficult to find and will shortly be all metered - free basement parking after about 0945 - enter from King Edward Terrace via the one way street which goes first, past the Portrait Gallery (keep an eye out for the sign on the <i>right</i> showing car spaces available in the basement carpark to the <i>left</i>), then the High Court, before swinging around to the National Gallery, and its underground carpark -

http://www.portrait.gov.au/site/index.php

Red Hill lookout offers other panoramas, yet another restaurant choice (haven't been), and often kangaroos on the drive up and down.

And there is a lot more to see than the different panoramas again at the National Arboretum which opened just last year -

http://www.nationalarboretum.act.gov...tum-highlights

Thank you very much farremong, most helpful.

Honestly Melnq8, Canberra has so much to offer ( including some pretty good wineries ) I'd encourage you to go, irrespective of the possibility of rug rats on the loose.

Well, it's certainly refreshing to hear all the positive feedback regarding Canberra - ask someone in Perth and they look at you askance....Can where? And no, it's not because I talk funny. We'll give this some serious thought, thank you all.

We had a delicious meal at The Chairman and Yip last time we were there.

I like Canberra but to be honest I'm not sure if it could fill 10 days. If you have to go via Adelaide or Melbourne then would you consider combining canberra either another destination still? Say 5 days canberra, 5 days Adelaide?

That's a distinct possibility cathies, but I think then we'd not have enough time in SA. There's just so much on my wish list.

Arghhhh...

On another note altogether I thought you will appreciate the following.

My daughter and SIL flew Sydney to Perth last weekend for a wedding. At about the half way point the pilot announced they were flying into bad weather and didn't have enough fuel to cope with a storm. Detour to Adelaide to refuel, sat on the Tarmac for several hours. Total trip time - just over 8 hours! Oh, and no bad weather at all! They weren't happy. My daughter is one of those annoying flyers who falls asleep either on the Tarmac or as soon as the wheels leave the ground. Not so my SIL who has ants in his pants 24/7 and hates flying because he can't sit still.

>>Can where?<<

It is a quirk of our History - WA nearly didn't Federate with us and NZ nearly did!

We could have had WA as another country and NZ as a state. The boat from NZ arrived late and WA changed its mind and just got in.

Further to the Federation lesson. The ACT and Canberra were purposely created to stop the rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney.

Melbourne of course being the better city was the home of the first Federal parliament until the temporary parliament house was built in Canberra. It was designed to last 50 years but lasted closer to 80 before the new one was built on the hill.

Sometimes WA feels like it's own country. The topic of secession comes up a lot around here, which I guess explains the local attitude towards Canberra in general.

< Sometimes WA feels like it's own country.>

I can relate to that, when I spent about 3 months in WA as a hippy bum in the 1980's, there was only ever talk of "going east". Never a mention of states or cities, just east.

Canberra will be likely freezing in July or August, but then I see that will suit you.
There's some great countryside within easy striking distance if you get tired of the city.

Good on you for wanting to see your adopted home Australia. I bet there's plenty of Aussies who've never been to our capital.

Cheers
Caroline

I'm guessing there are a lot of Aussies who've never been to WA either.

Apparently not much has changed sartoric. Everything is over east. Need a part for your air con? There will be a six week wait because it's over east. Need agave nectar? Have to special order it from over east. Want to take advantage of an airline special? Sorry, only good for those living over east.

Haha, sorry to laugh, but in did :)

Hate autocorrect, sorry to laugh, but I did !

When I used to spend a week a month in Perth in the 80's & 90's there was a local joke about " The Maggi" visiting.

In an era of "management gurus" & " efficiency experts", largely from Californian stables, the locals were singularly unimpressed with the "wise men from the east" telling them how to suck eggs.

There were some very funny days with the "blow flies" thinking they were "kick'n ass" with the western boys.

Mel - I've been as cold in a howling gale down St George's Terrace in July & August as I've ever been in Canberra in Winter.

I know your frustration though. We were setting up a new office & I ended up flying back to Sydney, buying & freighting furniture & equipment over faster than I could have had it supplied there.

OTOH, there's an enormous amount to like about Perth. The people, lifestyle, landscape, access to brilliant waterways ... And the New Edition bookshop in Freo with a flat white on a lazy Sunday morning.

Ah yes, the infamous St Georges Terrace wind tunnel...it can get quite fresh through there.

Currently sitting in the perpetually-under-construction Perth Airport, which is improving bit by bit and should be almost up to snuff by the time we leave OZ for good.

Naturally, we're headed over east...sort of...flying to Auckland and then on the the US. Much needed cool weather ahead.

"quite fresh"?
It's positively Brass Monkeys along there when it's blowing!

Have fun & come "home" to us soon!

We've been to Perth and I liked it. Our daughter and SIL lived there for a few years. We had a good holiday, but bokhara2 I think The Little Creatures Brewery is more my style. We spent a few days in Perth then headed to Margaret River for another few days, about 10 days in total. It was a good holiday.

I'd rather be still living in Canberra than back in Sydney, but like Cathies I don't know I'd recommend a 10 day visit, particularly in the winter months (for me, April would be the pick, combined perhaps with a swing through north eastern Victoria and/ or the NSW south coast).

For real or make-believe state secessionists watch their enthusiasm wane when it is suggested that yes, areas within their state might secede from the remainder - for example, the mining parts of WA from Perth and the rest of the state, or FNQ from the rest of Qld.

Probably a function of age and opportunity, but from what I can gather I'm among the comparatively few Australians who had been to every state and mainland territory before venturing overseas. (I've probably been to more US states, even if mainly Greyhound bus stations, than most Americans, but that's another inconsequential story.)

Ah Canberra. Fond memories of almost 3 years living there in the '80s. Tidbinbilla and the climb to Gibraltar Rock; the view from Mt Ainslie; trips to Batemans Bay/Narooma/Nowra via Braidwood, drives to the Snowy Mts Southern Highlands, Wombeyan Caves. The War Memorial, the National Gallery, the High Court, Parliament House (under construction when we lived there). Black Mt. and the Telstra Tower - a revolving restaurant with great views of the city (is it still there?). Trips further afield to Sydney (many times), Coonabarabran and the Warumbungle Ranges (great hiking!), Canowindra. Cool-sounding out-of the-way places like Captains Flat, Bungendore, Wee Jasper, and Collector. Not to mention the ephemeral Lake George.

Hope to see you Sept 7-8 in Perth Mel!

You've probably been to more US states than I have farrermog, I can only claim about a dozen. I've been to all but NT and Canberra though...not too bad for a yank.

I should be around in Sept Ralph. It'd be great to meet up.

If you make it to Canberra, I'm sure I know at least a couple of Fodorites who will hop on down for a GTG.

I've got the gear - I've spent Christmas in Germany! ;)

Hi, we were in Canberra in early February for a few days and I enjoyed it more than I expected to. We hadn't been there for a long time and couldn't remember anything other than it was cold. Well in Feb it was incredibly hot, like having a hot hairdryer blow right in your face. Just as well we like hot weather.

We drove up from Melbourne and as we entered the outskirts of Canberra I was thinking, what the hell? It looked like no one lived there, there were no houses, no people, just lots of dry country. Once we reached the city area it was better but it does have a very artificial feel, as it's a planned city and hasn't grown organically like most cities, where they started years ago near a river or the sea, for trade, then spread out from there. Canberra just feels like it's been plopped down in the middle of the paddocks.

Anyway, I've done some reports on Trip Advisor but we liked the free tour at Parliament House, the Bus Depot Market on Sunday morning was good, the views from the top of Telstra Tower were great - the restaurant is permanently closed according to the visitors centre. By the way we got a good deal on accommodation at the visitors centre when we arrived.

There are a few areas with restaurants and shops, like the area in the centre near Bunda St, also Manuka, Dickson and Kingston.

We had 2.5 days there, and continued on to the coast and round to Melbourne in a big circle. 10 days sounds like too long there for me but if you love museums etc that would keep you busy. We were a bit underwhelmed by the National Portrait Gallery, I think I was comparing to the one in London. We also drove around the area where most of the embassies are and cracked up when we saw the enormous security at the US embassy compared to the complete absence of even a front fence or gate at the Greek one.

Kay

Canberra is quite a good place for a lost weekend, even in winter - the galleries and museums are very good. Our favourite before children was the National Gallery. You can go up to the top floor and enjoy a tea or coffee and a light meal and there is a nice view. We used to be members but don't get there as often nowadays.

Manuka shops is nice for shopping and cafés; however, we sometimes stay at the Waldorf (apartments), where you are nice and close to the Canberra Centre and can self-cater from the supermarkets there (Supa-Barn, Aldi).

Lavandula

All this talk about hold cold it is in Canberra is making me laugh. Weenie Aussies:)

Don't laugh, Mel - all that Perth heat will have thinned your blood & you'll be as woosy as us soon ;)

Like Bokhara, I've got the gear, too...I spent Christmas in Scotland. ;)

Couple of hours drive to Canberra. You can bypass Berkelouws, I believe.

Lunch somewhere????

"You can bypass Berkelouws, I believe"

Really, Margo? Good heavens! How do you know? Have you tried it?

My Mum used to call it, "The Berkelouws Triangle / Black Hole of Berkelouws ".

I'm always up for a day or two in Canberra, so lunch or dinner is fine with me.

:)

Pleasing to note the old merry-go-round is still in the centre of Canberra. We were there with friends about 24 years ago, and all 4 of us were absolutely fascinated by it, reminiscing about "the days when . . . ". We visited a place called Cockington Green, had a beautiful lunch up the Telecom Tower, dodging kangaroos/wallabies on the way up and down. Unfortunately our friends had been to Canberra several times before so we only had 2 days there, and didn't have much chance to explore beyond the centre. I do remember going into the Parliament and seeing a wonderful display of wall-hangings, as well as a small shopping area out near Cockington Green where we chatted with a lady who looked after baby kangaroos whose mothers had been killed. We stayed at a very comfortable motel in Queanbeyan.
I am following this thread with interest to learn more about Canberra as I would like to return some time in the next few years.

Canberra - things to do, continued

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-...02-1mdaoh.html

Melnq8, I'm sorry I missed seeing this thread before now. (I've been away from any computers.) Anyway, as a Yank who lived in Canberra for a number of years and who traveled to every state in Australia when we lived there,I believe Canberra is a fabulous place not only to live in, but also to visit. In fact, my husband just got back from a business trip there and I sure wish I could have joined him.

You've already received some excellent recommendations for things to see and do. I know you have lived in Australia for awhile now, but if you are like me, you never get tired of seeing native animals in the wild. One of our favorite excursions in Canberra was doing the Yankee Hat Hike in Namadgi National Park. You can always be guaranteed of seeing a lot of kangaroos along this easy, 6km RT trail. And at the turnaround point is a large rock with Aboriginal rock drawings. The last time we did this hike was in the month of August and the weather was glorious--cool and crisp with bright blue skies. That's very typical of Canberra's weather in August.

Another attraction which I don't think has been mentioned is the Lanyon Homestead. We very much enjoyed tramping around the grounds and learning about life on an early Australian homestead.

As much as I love Canberra, I'd have to agree that 10 days is perhaps too long for a stay there, but you could easily fill 6 - 7 days. With the rest of your time, you could take an excellent driving trip in the region. We once made a long weekend (3 - 4 day) trip to Dubbo, Forbes, Parkes, Orange and Cowra. These small NSW towns are very interesting.

And I hope you soon get to visit NT, my second-favorite location in Australia.

hi,

You can sometimes get flights direct to Canberra from Perth, I did it when I had to go, they were mid week flights though so not too sure if thats suitable.