Red Hill ridge separates the central Canberra valley from the Woden Valley to the south and affords excellent views of both Canberra and Woden (the city’s first ‘new town’). Most likely named after the red soil in the area (or perhaps the autumn tree colours), the summit is 734 metres high. Like Mount Ainslie and Black Mountain Reserve there are numerous walking/cycling tracks on Red Hill. Continue reading “Red Hill Lookout – Why so called?”
Government House is the home of Australia’s Governor-General, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth IIs representative in Australia. The current (2017) Governor-General is His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd). Continue reading “Government House – The GG’s Pad – From a Distance”
Readers familiar with Canberra, and readers of others of my Canberra reviews, will know that the ‘centre piece’ (or is it the pièce de résistance?) of the planned city of Canberra is a large artificial lake named after the man engaged to design a custom built capital city befitting of the then newly created Commonwealth of Australia (1901). Continue reading “Scrivener Dam and Lake Burley Griffin”
Let me state upfront – if you are coming here to see banks of mature trees as you might find in other arboretums then you will be sorely disappointed. Apart from a bank of mature Himalayan cedars and Cork oaks all the other trees are less than (most significantly less than) 10 years old. Why is this so? You ask. Ok, you don’t but I am going to tell you anyway! Continue reading “National Arboretum (And Bonsai Collection) – Where Are The Trees?”
I will start with a confession. I didn’t come up with the title of this review – The Royal Australian Mint beat me too it.
The Royal Australian Mint in Canberra produces all of Australia’s coins (Australia’s notes are made in Melbourne). Continue reading “Visit the Mint – It Makes Cents!”
While small and easily viewable in ten or fifteen minutes, the Canberra Beijing Garden which opened in 2014, is a lovely spot on the banks of Lake Burley Griffin to sit and meditate or just relax and enjoy the serenity. So take your time and sit for a while. Continue reading “Canberra Beijing Garden”
On 13 July 1997 over 100,000 people (nearly half the population of the city at that time) gathered on the south shore of the western basin of Lake Burley Griffin for what was billed by the local Government as a celebration and great family day out. Continue reading “Katie Bender Memorial”
After a number of years fundraising and having (after seven years of asking) secured land from the Federal Government the Canberra Scots set about building a statue to the memory of the famous Scottish poet, Robert Burns. No sooner had work on the statue commenced in 1935 then a bill for £4 10s, being the first annual land rent, arrived from the Government. This affront was not going to be taken lightly and the quick thinking and “generous” Scots promptly dispatched a honeyed note (or was it a poisoned chalice?) to the Government offering the statue to the people of Australia. The Government couldn’t refuse and on accepting it accepted that it had to pay land rent to itself. The canny Scots had their Burns statue and the government had been outfoxed. Continue reading “Robert Burns – For Auld Lang Syne”
Before you ask there is no Theatre 1 or 2 in Canberra.
Theatre 3 is a small (read cosy) theatre with a capacity of less than 200, situated in the grounds of the Australian National University. Continue reading “Theatre 3 – Cosy Little Quality Theatre”
One of Canberra’s most popular attractions is the biennial (two yearly) Open Day at the Canberra International Airport. The event takes place in late March or early April with the next one being in 2018. Continue reading “Canberra Airport Open Day”
The Rambling Wombat 