Canberra

We left Sydney on the Tuesday morning thinking we would take a couple of days to get to Canberra, maybe a bit of free camping on the way.  However, the free campsites weren’t up to much with signs up saying “beware of the snakes” - hmmmm…enough to put us off staying there!  (We know they're about but we didn't fancy sharing a camp spot with them!)  So we phoned the campsite we were booked in for the Wednesday and arranged to go straight there.  We were meeting up with Judy (cousin from Cairns), Murray and their daughter Kirsty so it just meant we were there a night early.

Lake Burley Griffin

Canberra is the Capital of Australia and has it’s own State - the ACT - Australian Capital Territory.  Apparently when they were trying to decide where the capital city should be it was a toss up between Sydney and Melbourne - Canberra is in the middle so that’s where they put it!  It is an unusual city in that it was designed following an international competition in 1913, won by an American architect, Walter Burley Griffin.  His idea was to build the city in two halves divided by a lake and it‘s sort of built in expanding circles.  Building of the city was slow due to the two World Wars, however the old Parliament House was built in 1927 but it wasn’t until the early 1960’s that the river was damed and  lake was formed.

In 1988 a new, much larger, Parliament House was built on Capital Hill, it overlooks the old Parliament House and you can look down a long strip direct to the War Memorial and Museum.  It really is pretty impressive.
 

Anyway - we decided we would take the bus into the centre on the Wednesday morning - not a problem - the bus stop was just outside the camp site and we were soon in the centre (a bit of a different story coming back!)  We visited a small art gallery with paintings by Sydney Nolan … must say neither Geoff or me were very impressed - but then we’re not the ‘educated arty type’!

 

Because of the layout of the city it’s not the easiest of places to get about and walking from one attraction to another was not really possible.  Anyway, we had a wander around the centre; shops, lake, park etc before making our way back to the site for a cuppa with Judy and Co. On the Tuesday night we were invited along with Judy, Murray and Kirsty to have dinner with a cousin of Murray‘s.  How friendly and welcoming people have been!  We had a lovely time and again have met some wonderful people.  

The following morning Murray’s cousin, Janine and Brian, gave us a short tour to see the sites from the surrounding hills - however it was so foggy/rainy you couldn’t see anything!  What a shame.  But, we then went to the Imperial War Museum which was really moving - so much information and ‘stuff’ and a lovely Hall of Memory which homes the tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier and the Commemorative Courtyard where more than 102,000 names are engraved of those Australians who have died during wars since 1885.  The Pool of Reflection and the Eternal Flame.  We spent a couple of hours at this museum and it was well worth the visit.

Pool of Reflection

We then drove to Parliament House - an impressive building - which visitors are allowed to wander about.  Very modern, expensive, a lot of marble, and, in my humble opinion, not a patch on London’s Houses of Parliament!  (Sorry)

View from Parliament House down to Old Parliament House with War Memorial beyond

Parliament House

We had a lovely meal that evening with Judy, Murray and Kirsty before packing up the next morning to go our separate ways.  Judy and Murray to Bright in Victoria and us to Jindabyne in the Snowy Mountains.

So … Canberra … yes it’s the capital city of Australia - it was nice - but there’s really not a great deal we can say about it.  After the hustle and bustle of Sydney (and we’ve yet to experience Melbourne) I’m afraid we weren't too impressed.  
But then….we don’t have to be hey ….(Geoff) 

Anzac Parade