ITINERARY

THREE DAYS IN

Take a crash course in Australian history and culture in AT A GLANCE Canberra, ’s political and administrative centre.

The national monuments and galleries and bushland. Discuss your Australian of this planned, spacious city are all discoveries over dinner in Dickson, Civic, within easy walking distance of each Manuka or Kingston. Then nurture your other, radiating out from the shores of love of nature in Namadgi National Park, Burley Griffin. Peer into Australia’s where you can hike, bike, horse-ride, political past and creative culture as rock climb and follow a fascinating trail you circle the lake, then get up close of Aboriginal and European history. to its native vegetation in the gardens

DAY ONE

Capital attractions >> 2 nights Canberra Have breakfast on , >> Lake Burley Griffin where you can watch the joggers, >> Parliament House and cyclists, sailboats and determined dragon Old Parliament House on Capital Hill boat teams. This huge artificial lake is >> National Portrait Gallery Canberra’s centrepiece, surrounded by >> Views of Canberra from many of the national attractions. Hear >> Namadgi National Park Canberra’s story at the National Capital Exhibition, hear the chiming of 55 bronze bells on the National on and visit the War Memorial. Head to the Parliamentary Triangle to explore Parliament House and Old Parliament House on Capital Hill. Learn about the birth of Australia’s political documents at the National Library of system and visit the public gallery to Australia or check out Australia’s first watch Australian politicians debate constitution at the nearby National issues at Question Time. See famous Archives. Complete your Australian Australians on canvas at the National cultural immersion with a show at Portrait Gallery, pore over historical Canberra’s Theatre Centre in Civic. ITINERARY

USEFUL LINKS

Australian War Memoria> www.australia.com/en/places/ DAY TWO canberra/top-10-things-to-do Parliament House> Pioneers, art and weird science www.aph.gov.au Drive to the Australian National National Portrait Gallery> www.portrait.gov.au Botanic Garden, where the main path meanders through a Tasmanian National Museum of Australia> rainforest gully and a diverse range www.australia.com/en/places/ of native vegetation. Climb to Telstra canberra/top-10-things-to-do Tower at the top of Black Mountain National Gallery of Australia> for a coffee and sweeping views of nga.gov.au/Home/Default.cfm Canberra’s monuments and planned streets. Follow a walking trail through Namadgi National Park> the bush, past native plants and www.australia.com/en/places/namadgi animals and brilliant wildflowers Australian Alps> in spring and early summer. After www.australia.com/en/places/ descending, peer into the life of 19th australian-alps century settlers at Blundells Cottage and check out the exhibitions at the National Museum of Australia. Cross the lake for , a fantastic DAY THREE family attraction. Experience a volcano, go for a virtual six-metre free fall or play a harp with beams Namadgi National Park of light. When you’ve regained your Drive out to Namadgi National Park bearings, browse the nation’s finest for a day of bushwalking and outdoor collection of Australian art at the adventure in the Australian Alps. Explore National Gallery of Australia. In the forests of snow gum and alpine ash on evening, enjoy fine dining in Civic, the Square Rock walking track or do the Kingston, Manuka or Griffith. short climb to Booroomba Rocks for spectacular views. To really get back to nature, take the Mt Franklin Road into the rugged Bimberi wilderness. Keep an eye out for kangaroos, wallabies, crimson rosellas and northern corroboree frogs amongst the wet gullies and woodlands. Visit an early European homestead in Orroral Valley or trace the story of the Ngunnawal people, horse ride National Bicentennial Trail or who lived here thousands of years rock climb and abseil the craggy granite ago. Aboriginal campsites, ceremonial outcrops. Fish from mountain streams stone arrangements and rock art are in summer and cross-country ski the scattered across the park in around 400 winter slopes. Camp overnight or return places. Mountain bike the fire trails, to Canberra for some creature comforts.