Australia 2019: Canberra Highlights

Canberra is the capital city of Australia. Located at the Northern end of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Canberra was founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation. Despite being the largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall in the country, Canberra has a laid-back and relaxing “small-town vibe.” The country’s capital offers an amazing mix of history, art, food, and the outdoors.

Canberra is located near pockets of bushland, so city dwellers can still enjoy the quiet natural beauty of mountains, valleys, and lakes. Within the city limits, there are rows of interesting cafes, breweries, modern architecture, and renowned art galleries. Aside from being the seat of government of the country, Canberra is also known for housing many of the nation’s most important museums, including one that contains a priceless collection of Aboriginal art.

Canberra was our second major stop on our multi-city trip around the beautiful country of Australia last year. After a week in Melbourne, we took an overnight bus to Canberra where we stayed for two days before heading to Sydney. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory, about 660 km north-east of  Melbourne and 280 km south-west of Sydney, making it a good place to stop between the two major cities.

What struck me the most about Canberra is how organized, well-planned, and clean the streets were. It felt very uncrowded with lots of green spaces, parks, and scenic lakeside views.

This planned city was originally designed by Walter Burley Griffin, a major 20th-century American architect. Within the central area of the city near Lake Burley Griffin, major roads follow a wheel-and-spoke pattern rather than a grid^.

We got to visit a few major tourist spots around the city thanks to my mom’s writer friend from Bikol, Merlinda Bobis and her partner Reinis, who are based there. They took care of us pretty much the whole time, picked us up, and dropped us off at the bus station, took us out to some great restaurants, and hosted us for dinner.

I didn’t plan anything for this Canberra leg of our trip except for visits to craft breweries near our apartment, which my dad and I checked out during some free time.

City Centre

While in Canberra, we stayed at Capital Executive Suites, a boutique-style hotel located just two blocks north of the City Centre, and right in the center of Canberra’s cultural hub: Braddon.

The hotel offers facilities such as a gym, and a sauna. The hotel was right across Haig Park, an urban park in the suburbs of Braddon and Turner in Canberra where some buildings were covered with nature-inspired street art. In fact, most of the street art I spotted in Canberra was very nature-inspired and added some character to the buildings.

Our first lunch at the City Centre before sightseeing was at Dobinson’s, a bakery and café known for its pastries, coffee, freshly cooked breakfast, lunch, and selection of drinks at affordable prices. The proudly Australian-owned and operated bakery which first opened in the town of Kyogle over 125 years ago is a favorite among locals.

Canberra Carousel

A picturesque and historic carousel sits at the center of Petrie Plaza in the Canberra Central Business District. This merry-go-round started operating in 1914 at the St Kilda Esplanade in Melbourne and after extensive restoration work was installed in Canberra in 1974.

The classic carousel continues to delight children and adults with its old-world charm. It adds character to the City Walk area and is a nice landmark.

Australian National University

Canberra is considered one of Australia’s most affordable ‘top cities’ and is a bike-friendly university town. The city is home to the Australian National University, regarded as one of the world’s leading research universities in the world.

The main campus in Acton encompasses seven teaching and research colleges, in addition to several national academies and institutes. We enjoyed walking around the beautiful campus grounds.

BentSpoke Brewing Co.

Our stay in Canberra was pretty short, so I decided to make the most of the free time by checking out a few breweries nearby. At the top of my list was BentSpoke Brewing Co., a bike-themed brewery that originated in Canberra. Their brewpub in the central Canberra suburb of Braddon, where they serve a wide range of beer and cider all brewed on-site, was just walking distance from where we were staying, so my dad and I decided to check it out.

I loved all the bicycle-themed decor of the brewery, from the wheel plant-holders on the walls to the beer taps with bike pedals and gears. Even their beer flight came in a customized carrier with a bike handlebar. This was a very nice pleasant afternoon visit.

Brew Nation

From BentSpoke, we bar-hopped over to Brew Nation, a small neighborhood bar that serves a variety of craft beers from different Australian Brewers. They had nine taps, mostly pouring local beers from breweries such as Pact Beer Co, Capital Brewing Co. and Zierholz.

Visitors are free to bring their own chips or bar chow. Very nice friendly service. The bar also has beers on tap and cans for takeout, which I got for our dinner later that night.

Canberra Centre

The next morning, we visited Canberra Centre, a large shopping center located in the northern section of the Canberra City that’s been designated an Australian Capital Historic Site in 1997 to buy some souvenirs and supplies from a pharmacy. At this point in the trip, I had developed some kind of allergic reaction to all the pollen. As beautiful as spring is, pollen season runs between September and October, and can cause hay fever and asthma. 

One of the flagship stores of interest at the mall is Haigh’s Chocolates, Australia’s oldest family-owned chocolate maker. Established in Adelaide in 1915 by Alfred E Haigh, the bean-to-bar chocolate making company is now in its fourth generation of Haigh family ownership.

Black Mountain Tower

We got the most amazing view at the  Black Mountain Tower (or Telstra Tower), a telecommunications tower and lookout that is situated above the summit of Black Mountain in Canberra. The tower is owned and operated by Australia’s largest telecommunications company, Telstra Corporation.

The Black Mountain Tower has become one of the most symbolic landmarks in Canberra and a major tourist attraction. The whole area of Black Mountain is protected from development by the Canberra Nature Park and is predominantly covered in native bushland and is a haven to native wildlife.

Rising 195.2 meters (640 ft) above the mountain summit, this Canberra landmark offers panoramic views of the city and its surrounding countryside from an indoor observation deck and two outdoor viewing platforms.

The viewing platforms provide 360-degree views of Canberra and the surrounding city and countryside including stunning views of Lake Burley Griffin.

National Museum of Australia

The National Museum of Australia lies on the shores of Canberra’s Lake Burley Griffin. The Museum’s stunning architecture provides an extraordinary place to explore the rich and diverse stories of Australia and its people.

The Museum tells the comprehensive story of Australia from 65,000 years ago to the present day through compelling objects, ideas, events, and displays. The museum preserves and interprets Australia’s social history, exploring the key issues, people, and events that have shaped the nation.

The museum houses more than 7,500 Australian, Asian, and Aboriginal artworks across 13 different galleries. The most compelling galleries here are focused on indigenous histories and cultures, European settlement, and people’s interaction with the environment.

It was eye-opening and heartbreaking to see the artwork showing the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from across the continent in First Australians in several galleries.

Lake Burley Griffin

From the museum, we made our way closer to the lakeside. Lake Burley Griffin is an artificial lake in the center of Canberra, completed in 1963 after the Molonglo River – which ran between the city center and Parliamentary Triangle – was dammed. It is named after Walter Burley Griffin, the American architect who won the competition to design the city of Canberra.

Several important institutions, such as the National Gallery, National Museum, National Library, Australian National University, and the High Court were built on its shores, and Parliament House is a short distance away. The surroundings, consisting mainly of parklands, are popular with recreational users, particularly in the warmer months. Though swimming in the lake is uncommon, it is used for a wide variety of other activities, such as rowing, fishing, and sailing.

The lakeside stroll was our last sightseeing stop before heading back to our hotel for a good night’s rest. After another night in Canberra, we made our way the next morning on a five-hour bus ride to Sydney, the capital of New South Wales and the most populous (and popular) city in Australia and Oceania. Next stop, Sydney!

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