No problem, LN. If you're driving at night in the mountains, just remember to watch out for wombats on the roads. They're slow, they're weighty, and a friend who came across one late at night tells me they can do very nasty things to a Saab's sump. If you go to Thredbo, you can take the chairlift most of the way up Mt Koszciusko and walk the rest of the way to the summit. At least you'll be able to say you scaled Australia's highest mountain, even if it is only a tad over 7000 ft. You can also have a round of golf at Thredbo's 9-hole course, but in snake season you should not contemplate retrieving your ball from the rough. As the rough is my natural home, my one round was expensive.

Questacon is the name of the National Science Museum, and it is one of the best I've seen. Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve is huge, complete with large paddocks that you can walk through to view various marsupials. Also, check out the lavish Canberra Space Centre, which is part of NASA's Deep Space Tracking Network. Giant radio dishes dot the valley, including those that are still tracking Voyager. Finally, pay a visit to Mt. Stromlo Observatory, where you can get a tour of their 74-inch research telescope. The Exploratory Centre has some really fine hands-on astronomy exhibits.

ALF, they're all good suggestions, except that the Mount Stromlo observatory was destroyed in January 2003 by the bushfires that also destroyed 500 Canberra houses. While I haven't been up there lately I understand that it's in the process of being rebuilt. Otherwise you're right on the money.

I'm really sorry to hear that! Was the telescope destroyed too?

Yes, the Mt Stromlo telescopes were destroyed. The full story is at
http://msowww.anu.edu.au/fire/

The pine plantations around Mt Stromlo, and on the western fringes of Canberra's suburbs, created firestorms more intense than even the native eucalypt forests.

Hi LN
Speaking of watching out for animals at night - I dare say, you will/should watch out for the Kangaroo's here in Canberra. Something I think us Canberrans are kind of use to seeing hop along as we drive to or from work (I work in offices that's surrounded by bushland and we get roo's sitting around while we eat our lunch outside).

Unfortunately, you also see alot on the side of the road...another common site in canberra....Still, what would it be like not coming to Oz and saying you saw a Roo - albeit not hopping! (just kidding!)

Yes, Thredbo is worth it.

The fires were pretty intense (I live on that side of town) and although a few suburbs away, I was amazed of the intensity - a Saturday that will be in the minds of many a Canberran.

Cheers

Just to scare the visitors I have vague memories of it snowing on Christmas day in Canberra on year (perhaps sleet is a better description.

However I also have memories of my Dad hijacking foreign visitors from cocktail paryties for half an hour to go see the semi-tame kangaroos on Mt Ainslie (behind the defence offices off to the left as you drive from the war memorial to ADFA)

Another suggestion if you are in Canberra in season is to go and watch the Brumbies play (Rugby Union)