Spring In The Capital

Travel Talk - Spring 2004

Imagine the thrill of getting up close and personal with a cheetah, reaching out to stroke it if you dare. Or cruising the city streets at night in a hearse, getting bemused looks from the café set. Or enjoying afternoon tea in an art deco lounge, with all the glamour and style of yesteryear. Where do you think you might be? Surely not Canberra, the nation’s capital, a city which many people think of as little more than sterile streetscapes and politicians trading insults. As the seat of government, Canberra is different from other cities, but it wears its uniqueness with pride.

Look beyond the stereotypes and you’ll find plenty to keep visitors amused, interested and entertained. Many are experiences that you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. There’s the opportunity to tour the Australian Institute of Sport with an elite athlete, for example. Or you could mint your own $1 coin, see a 3.8 billion year old moon rock or marvel at canvases such as Jackson Pollock’s Blue Poles. You could bop along to the music at one of Australia’s most popular folk music festivals, or take a tour in a hearse with the master of mystery, Tim the Yowie Man. He’ll even show you the funeral parlour from which ASIO reputedly spied on the Russian Embassy during the Cold War.

You’ll find a sophisticated edge to the city in a huge array of restaurants and pavement cafes, and sample premium cool-climate wines produced by more than 30 vineyards. And when you’ve uncovered enough of Canberra’s secrets, you can take your time to explore some of the surrounding region. Less than two hours drive in any direction will have you skiing at the Snowy Mountains, taking a dip at the South Coast or enjoying some of the delightful villages and towns of regional NSW. One of the mistakes many visitors make is trying to see all of Canberra in a day or two. In fact, you should set aside at least half a day for the National Museum of Australia and half a day for the Australian War Memorial alone. And that’s not even scratching the surface.

Few people fail to be moved by the War Memorial, with its wall of names of the fallen and its impressively arranged exhibits. Stay around for the 5pm closing ceremony when a Scottish piper plays The Last Post in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It’s incredibly moving and definitely one of Canberra’s best-kept secrets. In many ways, Canberra represents a journey back to our roots. Even many locals are unaware that on display in Parliament House is a priceless version of the Magna Carta dating from 1297, one of only four known to exist in the world. It is an important part of our heritage, for in a sense, all written constitutions, including Australia’s, and all declarations of citizens’ rights, are its descendants.

The National Archives also has some fascinating documents on display, including the nation’s “birth certificate” - the original decree, signed by Queen Victoria, proclaiming Australia as an independent nation. Both the Archives and the War Memorial offer search facilities for people tracing their family histories. Most of Canberra’s national institutions are located in the Parliamentary Triangle, overlooking Lake Burley Griffin, a picturesque spot where you can hire paddle boats, aqua boats and canoes. Relax and enjoy the lake from one of several fine restaurants overlooking the water, such as Axis or Water’s Edge, or do a Sunday lunch or Thursday night dinner cruise aboard the MV Southern Cross.

Commonwealth Park, edging the lake, is one of the city’s greatest assets with its exotic and native plants, water gardens and trails for walking and cycling. The park is home to Floriade, Canberra’s annual spring festival, when more than a million flowers produce a riot of brilliant colours. The National Capital Exhibition at nearby Regatta Point is a fun place to kick off a Canberra visit, with interactive exhibits explaining the city’s past, present and future. Here you’ll find a laser-lit model of the city and Walter Burley Griffin’s winning design for the city. While there has been some deviation to the plan, Canberra remains a tribute to Griffin’s vision, and you’ll get a great bird’s eye view of it all from Telstra Tower or the lookouts on Mt Ainslie and Red Hill.

You’ll also see why the city is often called the “Bush Capital”, for its sprawling suburbs are separated by swathes of bushland. The locals make the most of it by walking, cycling and generally enjoying the great outdoors. And while you might take pity on them when you see temperatures plunge, it’s the four distinctive seasons that actually make the place so special. In winter, frosts and occasional fog clear to beautiful blue skies, spring brings the blossoms, summer days are long and lazy, and autumn turns on fabulous colours of red, orange and gold. Take off in a hot air balloon to really appreciate the city’s seasonal beauty and see some of our national icons from a different perspective. In March each year, more than 40 hot air balloons are launched in front of Old Parliament House as part of the Canberra Balloon Fiesta. It’s a spectacular sight.

The climate and topography make the region around Canberra ideal for outdoor activities such as paragliding and skydiving. Caving, canyoning and kayaking are available for those who love a bit of adventure, or you can get the adrenalin pumping by abseiling at Ginninderra Falls Gorge. Sporting enthusiasts will enjoy the Australian Institute of Sport. About half of the 360 athletes who train there live in, and while showing visitors around, they provide a unique insight into their life on campus. The tour includes Sportex, where you can test your reactions, measure how high you can jump, simulate skiing and see a tribute to some of Australia’s greatest champions. Motor sport enthusiasts can rev up the excitement a notch at the Summernats Car Festival in January and the Subaru Rally of Canberra which roars through ACT forests every May.

For those who enjoy more sedate pursuits, there are galleries, musical events and other cultural attractions. The National Gallery is noted for its blockbuster exhibitions, but there are smaller gems too, like the Nolan Gallery at Lanyon with its magnificent collection of paintings by Sir Sidney Nolan. Canberra is a treat for bookworms with numerous secondhand book stores and the National Library with its vast reading collection, brilliant exhibitions and delightful café. More than 100 years of Australian film, television, radio and recorded sound keeps visitors entertained at ScreenSound Australia, while music lovers can enjoy twilight jazz in the Botanic Gardens in summer, the National Folk Festival in March, and music by the lake every Sunday from September to March.

History buffs will enjoy unpeeling the layers of Canberra’s history, from the Aboriginal sites in Namadgi National Park, to the early European settlement at Duntroon, Blundells Cottage and Lanyon Homestead, to the post-Federation era. Calthorpes’ House, built in 1927, is a treasure trove of domestic history, perfectly preserved down to the clothes in the wardrobes and household bills in the pantry. Changi Chapel is another special place that gets overlooked in the rush to see Canberra in a day. A place of worship for men interned in the Changi prisoner of war camp in Singapore during World War II, it was later shipped to Australia, where it remained in packing crates, unnoticed, for 40 years. In 1988, it was reassembled in the grounds of the Royal Military College, Duntroon, and dedicated as a memorial to all Australian prisoners of war.

In fact, there’s plenty to see in Canberra without even getting out of the car. You’ll catch glimpses of The Lodge and Government House, and enjoy spotting the various foreign embassies, many of which are in their own traditional architectural styles. The Papua New Guinean, Indian, Chinese and Thai embassies are particularly striking. Canberra has plenty to offer young visitors too. Kids love Questacon with its hands-on science exhibits including an earthquake simulation; the National Dinosaur Museum; the beautiful old-fashioned merry-go-round in Petrie Plaza; and the Royal Australian Mint, where sadly there are no free samples.

Big and little kids alike love the meticulously maintained Cockington Green miniature village, the National Zoo and Aquarium with its behind-the-scenes tours, the Deep Space Communication Complex at Tidbinbilla, and CSIRO’s Discovery Centre, showcasing Australian research and innovation with a touch-sensitive 3D computer and virtual reality theatre. Canberra’s finest accommodation is the Hyatt Hotel, a 1920s building which retains its historic charm and understated elegance. Afternoon tea there is a treat. Manuka and Kingston are the hottest spots for eating out, while West Row in the city is also a thriving restaurant precinct. The area around Woolley Street, Dickson, is home to a small but interesting Chinatown. Benchmark Wine Bar on Northbourne Avenue has one of the country’s most extensive wine lists with around 700 Australian and overseas wines.

There are two excellent fresh food markets at Fyshwick and Belconnen, each with their own cooking school. Locally produced foods, along with high quality handcrafts, feature at the Old Bus Depot markets every Sunday and the Hall markets on the first Sunday of the month. There wouldn’t be many capital cities where vines grow within sight of a nation’s Parliament, but in Canberra it is possible to relax in the grounds of the Pialligo Estate vineyard and take in the view of the Parliament House flagpole. Only three cellar doors are actually located within the ACT, the biggest being the Kamberra Wine Company on Northbourne Avenue which offers daily winery tours.

Most of the vineyards are in surrounding NSW, in a region officially classified as the Canberra District. Visitors can follow several routes, with most of the wineries centred around Lake George or Murrumbateman. Madew Winery and Lambert Vineyard both have excellent cellar door restaurants. The charmingly rustic Smokehouse Café doubles as the farm shop for Poachers Pantry gourmet smoked foods and the cellar door for Wily Trout wines. It is on the Poachers Trail, a self-drive route taking in wineries, food producers, cafes, craft studios and bed and breakfast accommodation. Country Guesthouse Schonegg, one of the B & Bs on the trail, is ideally placed for exploring the Murrumbateman wineries.

Further along the trail, there are more B & Bs in Yass, where explorer Hamilton Hume lived from 1839 to 1873. His house, Cooma Cottage, is now a National Trust property open to visitors. About 14km further on from Yass, internationally acclaimed glass artist Peter Crisp has his studio in lovely gardens with a gallery selling lavender products, giftware and antiques. Other quaint towns worth seeking out are Gundaroo, Collector and Bungendore. Lynwood Café is the drawcard for visitors to Collector, while Gundaroo has a wine bar, the Cork Street Café, renowned for its gourmet pizzas, and Grazing, which serves superb modern Australian food and a huge selection of Canberra District wines.

Bungendore has speciality stores, antique shops and the terrific Bungendore Woodworks Gallery. Less than two hours drive south of Canberra will have you on the slopes at any one of a number of ski resorts, including Thredbo and Perisher Blue. Those on a tight schedule can do it in a day return trip from Canberra, by bus or light aircraft. Although a popular winter destination, the Snowy Mountains are less well known as a place to visit in summer. Yet this is the best time to do the walk up Mt Kosciuszko, Australia’s highest peak. It can be done independently or with a guide, and while it might not be the same as scaling the heights of the world’s greatest peaks, you’ll feel on top of the world.

FACT FILE

Accommodation packages: Canberra Getaways 1800 100 660.
Tourist information: 1300 554 114 or www.visitcanberra.com.au or www.capitalcountry.com.au
Canberra and Region Visitors Centre: 330 Northbourne Ave, Dickson.

© Christine Salins

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