Canberra - Australia

Canberra is Australia’s federal capital and also better known as a city ‘scattered through a park’, offers besides a lot of greenness and lakes, also some interesting sights, monuments and museums.

Stroll through the city and have a look at some impressive historical and architectural buildings, such as the High Court and the Old Parliament House.

For those who want to spot rare birds, it might be a good idea to plan a day trip to the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve (+02 6205 1233) that is only some kilometers away from the city Centre of Canberra.

Established as part of Australia’s federation in 1901, Canberra houses the national parliament, federal government departments, the High Court of Australia, the Australian War Memorial, and several other important institutions.

Canberra is comprised of five large "town centers" that lie in the valleys of the Canberra region.

These are Central Canberra, Belconnen, Woden, Tuggeranong and Queanbeyan (actually in New South Wales). For tourists, Central Canberra is the only major area of interest, but the presence of the other centerers will explain why the size of Canberra’s population seems so out of proportion with it’s low-built appearance.

These other centerers are also en route to local wilderness from central Canberra.

Canberra is very different from most Australian capital cities. Firstly, it is relatively young (established ~1927) and secondly, it’s planned development has excluded the presence of buildings on any surrounding hilltops, or that are over fifteen stories high.

Thus visitor’s may be slightly under-awed by Canberra, but don’t just turn around.

Explore the sites and appreciate the presence of so much wilderness within a city. You will realize that Canberra is a great place to explore, relax, and learn.