Canberra

Understand

History After a long tussle for supremacy between Melbourne and Sydney, the Australian constitution at federation in 1901 specified that a new Australian capital city would be built between the two, and seven years later the site for what would become Canberra was established. A design competition was held for the city in 1911 which was won by Chicago-based architect Walter Burley Griffin in 1912. The name "Canberra" was made official in 1913, beating out some endearingly wacky contenders including "Sydmelperadbrisho", "Wheatwoolgold" and "Kangaremu". However, much of Griffin's plan was not implemented during his lifetime in part due to the Great War, the Great Depression and conflict between Griffin and the commission tasked with implementing his ideas. To give just two examples, Lake Burley Griffin was part of his original design but only implemented in the 1960s, almost three decades after his death and the light rail system Griffin originally envisioned took over a century to see even the first line enter service. The Australian Capital Territory was created from land inside New South Wales, and originally governed directly by the federal government. In 1988 the federal government granted the area "responsible government" (aka "home rule") and the first local elections were held in 1989 with parties opposed to the very idea of a local government for the Capital Territory garnering significant support. Politically the local Legislative Assembly has often been a "hung parliament" with neither right wing Liberals nor left wing Labor able to govern on their own, but the office of Chief Minister has mostly been held by the Labor Party. Canberra is a highly planned city, its primary design conceived by the American architect Walter Burley Griffin, built on the shores of a man-made lake (Lake Burley Griffin). Populated at first largely by politicians and public servants, it has taken time to develop its own identity and culture. Extensive building of national facilities and museums has made it a unique destination. The planned creation of this new city was not without critics - cynics having said it was a "waste of a good sheep pasture". Not unlike Brasilia or other "planned capitals", Canberra's design has often clashed with the needs of its actual inhabitants and the somewhat awkward location chosen as a political compromise (and to develop the interior) has put it slightly off the beaten tourist path.

Geography

Lake Burley Griffin divides central Canberra. The central shopping and commercial area, known as "Civic", is on the north side and the parl

Getting there

By plane

1 Canberra Airport (CBR IATA). It serves Australia's capital city, and many nearby towns across the border in New South Wales. Major airlines serving the airport are Fiji Airways, Jetstar, Qantas, Regional Express, and Virgin Australia with flights from all Australian state capitals, as well as Nadi, which is a convenient stopover for those travelling from the Americas and the Pacific. Otherwise, Sydney Airport is the closest gateway airport with flights from many worldwide destinations, but also consider Melbourne as an alternative with easier terminal transfers.

The current terminal building, completed in 2013, is fitted with all the trimmings of a small modern airport, including aerobridges for jet flights and enclosed terminal areas. There are only a handful of food outlets and a single newsagent inside the terminal, with the meal options being expensive and low quality even by airport standards. ATMs and payphones are located on both sides of security. Qantas and Virgin have their own airport lounges within the terminal, and the waiting area for international flights offers fairly basic lounge-style services for all passengers. To keep yourself entertained you could venture around the terminal and its grounds to try to locate six public art sculptures that are on display. As Canberra Airport is fairly new and small, the process of passing through security at the start of a flight and collecting your luggage on arrival is usually very fast in comparison to the other capital city airports. Completing immigration and customs checks for international departures and arrivals is also much faster than at major airports. Taxis are available from the indoor taxi queue on the ground floor and cost $25 to Civic. Fares to Canberra's suburbs can be much higher, for instance at least $50 to Tuggeranong or Belconnen. Ridesharing service Uber operates in Canberra and is usually cheaper than taxis. Canberra Airport has a dedicated passenger waiting lounge located 20 metres from the ground floor exit of the arrivals hall. Canberra Airport is connected to Civic by public bus route R3. Services arrive and depart from outside the baggage claim area on the ground floor of the airport every 15 minutes or less during weekdays, and 30 minutes on weekends. The route is serviced by standard Transport Canberra buses, which do not include luggage racks for large suitcases, however most have space for medium-sized suitcases near the driver, and the buses are rarely crowded. A Single adult fare between Civic and the airport is $4.90 each way, or less if using a MyW

Getting around

Canberra is designed for cars and very spread out, so renting a car is the most practical option, particularly if you intend to venture beyond the city center. Public transport is usable but does not cover all points of interest, while renting a bicycle is a great alternative if the weather cooperates. Walking is not a practical option for most visitors.

By public transport Public transport in Canberra is affordable and generally punctual, with most parts of the city accessible by tram or bus. Journey planning can be undertaken using the Transport Canberra website or MyWay+ app (which also conveniently tells you how many kilojoules you'll burn!). Google Maps or Apple Maps are also usable. Civic is the main hub for public transport. The other town centres have smaller bus interchanges.

Fares The MyWay+ ticketing system covers all tram and bus services operated by Transport Canberra. There are three ways to pay for your journey:

Credit or debit card. A MasterCard or Visa credit or debit card is accepted, including those in a digital wallet like Apple Pay or Google Pay. Your fare is deducted from your card as you touch on and touch off each mode of transport. Trams have validators to touch before you board and after you alight. Buses have validators to touch as you board and alight. A failure to touch off each mode of transport will result in a fixed fare of $1.88. Travel card. A MyWay+ travel card can be purchased at select retail outlets or online. The card can be topped up at select retail outlets, ticket vending machines or online. The card costs $5 so visitors are usually better off just using a credit or debit card. QR code. A MyWay+ QR code can be purchased at ticket vending machines or online.

Tram

A 12-kilometre light rail line (R1) operates between the city centre and the northern suburb of Gungahlin. Trams run at 15 minute intervals outside of peak periods, with frequency increasing to six minute intervals during peak periods. The advantage for tourists is that it connects the many hotels on Northbourne Avenue to Civic and Dickson and also provides access to events at Exhibition Park in Canberra (EPIC). Note that Canberrans commonly refer to the light rail as the 'tram'.

Bus Transport Canberra buses, commonly referred to by the former operator name ACTION, cover the majority of Canberra, with reduced services on weekends/public holidays. While Canberrans whinge about it, services are generally reliable and it has a useful range of routes for tourists. If you're staying in or near Civic and intend to only visit the main tourist sites

See

Individual listings can be found in Canberra's district articles

Canberra, as the national capital of Australia, contains a lot of government buildings, and many of them are often open for tours. By far the most significant one is Parliament House in Capital Hill, but other important buildings include the High Court of Australia, Old Parliament House, the Government House, the Royal Australian Mint and The Lodge, though not all of them are always open to the public. There are other buildings that are of national importance too, such as the National Library of Australia and the Australian War Memorial. Most of the time, much of what to see in Canberra is located in South Canberra, or to be more specific, particularly more centred within Parliamentary Triangle which contains the High Court, National Archives, National Gallery, National Library, National Portrait Gallery, both the current Parliament House and the Old Parliament House and the science museum of Questacon. The other parts of South Canberra don't have as many points of interest, but they are nevertheless still great sights worth visiting. The most notable sight in South Canberra outside Parliamentary Triangle is the Royal Australian Mint. North Canberra too has several important sights, the most important of them all being the Australian War Memorial though there are many military sites in the east of North Canberra, particularly on Anzac Avenue.

Museums

Being the capital of Australia, the city has no shortage of museums for a city of its size. Many of its museums are in two particular districts, South Canberra, and Acton. Many of South Canberra's museums are mostly spread out evenly, while most of Acton's museums are part of the Australian National University campus, and as such, many relate to educational content that's found at unis. Not withstanding, there are plenty of museums in other districts too, just not as many – such as the National Dinosaur Museum in Gungahlin, which showcases a good range of dinosaur exhibitions in Australia, or the Canberra Space Centre, which is one of the premiere astrotourism sites in Australia.

Capital Hill The seat of Australia's federal government and legislature and a remarkable piece of modern architecture. Outside, the forecourt faces Federation Mall and has iconic views. Much of the inside is open to the public during business hours, and free tours are operated at certain times. On sitting days, you are allowed to view proceedings in the public gallery from 2PM onwards while viewing Question Time from the House of Representatives galleries can

Do

See the districts articles for more listings.

Ride Canberra's Mountain Bike Trails: There are several locations around Canberra to ride mountain bicycles, many of which are considered some of the best in Australia. See Canberra Off Road Cyclists (CORC) for locations. Canberra is also home to the largest 24-hour Mountain Bike Race in the world, held in early October each year. Helpfully between Civic and the War Memorial, walk through the Heritage-listed suburb of Reid. Observe the houses with leafy surrounds, the wide roads, little walking paths and recreation areas, in one of the oldest untouched Canberran suburbs. As (some) locals would say: “as Burley Griffin intended”. Geocaching. Canberra has an incredibly active Geocaching community. Explore Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, which is about a 40-minute drive south of Canberra via Tuggeranong Parkway and Tharwa Drive. There are a large number of walks which offer stunning views of the Brindabella Mountains. You can also take Ranger-guided walks or have fun with the hands on displays such as the interactive computer program on Tidbinbilla's bird species and look at the live animal displays. The gift shop sells an interesting range of clothes, toys, books, cards and souvenirs. Coffee and light refreshments are also available. Go tobogganing in Corin Forest, Tourist Drive 5, ☏ +61 2 6235-7333. Weekends, ACT school & public holidays, 10AM-4PM. This alpine recreation facility features a bobsled ride in summer, and snowplay and tobogganing in winter. It is high enough to receive natural snowfalls. Check the website or call before heading up that the road is open, and that there is snow. Free entry, rides from $7, all day pass $35. Go wine tasting in the Wineries around Canberra (most are outside of the ACT but all very close to Canberra). They are described as cool climate wines and some are very well known and regarded. Try Jeir Creek, Gallagher, Clonakilla or Lark Hill. There are '33 wineries within 35 minutes of Canberra'. Visit the Canberra Wineries website for more information. Learn to blow glass at the Canberra Glassworks and make either a paperweight or small glass in a short 20-40 minute lesson. The building is located near public transit and the cost is between $95-130. Learn more about the programs offered from their website. Take a scenic drive into the southern ACT - recommended by locals: Head south to Tharwa, and then take the road to Adaminaby. Take the signed road to Honey Suckle Creek. Very important historical site, this is where the signals from the Apollo 11 space landing were received,

Buy

Markets

Canberra is home to several markets, and they're scattered across the territory (except the country bits). Most of them operate during Sundays, and each and every market is different. Some of them may appear to be just "another plain old Sunday market" while others such as the Trash and Treasure Market, which is exactly the name of the market suggests.

Shopping malls

Being the capital, there are several shopping malls in Canberra. They don't exactly have the same availability as you would find in places like Sydney or Melbourne, but you have to remember that Canberra is 10 times smaller than either of those two cities. The important malls are as follows:

Canberra Centre in Civic is a large shopping mall in Civic, covering a large section of the central Canberra shopping district. It has department stores, food hall and eateries, specialty shops for adults and kids fashion both upmarket and basic. There are also electronics, books, CDs, souvenirs and Australian made products. City Walk is an outdoor pedestrian mall in Civic that is home to a large range of shopping outlets, alfresco dining and a few bars. The mall is also home to the Canberra Merry-Go-Round and the Canberra Times fountain. Belconnen Mall An enclosed shopping mall owned by Westfield in the Belconnen Town Centre to the north. Although it does not have as many clothes stores, it features a Myer department store, a K-mart, two supermarkets and a food court. It has three levels. Woden Westfield and Tuggeranong Hyperdome are the two major enclosed shopping centres to the south, in the Woden and Tuggeranong town centres respectively. Woden Plaza features a David Jones department store, a Big W, two supermarkets, approximately 200 specialty stores, and a food court. The Tuggeranong Hyperdome (further south) features a K-mart, a Target, supermarkets, a food court, and specialty clothing stores. Fyshwick is the suburb to shop for appliances, technical stuff, furniture, and homewares. It is also Canberra's "red-light" district. Most of Canberra's antique shops and several second hand bookshops can also be found here. The large Canberra Outlet Centre is also located in Fyshwick.

Boutique Lonsdale Street in Braddon (close to Civic) houses a growing number of boutiques which specialise in independent clothing labels, other designer objects, and many, many, coffee shops and casual restaurants. The southern end of Lonsdale Street is also the home to many of Canberra's outdoor clothing and camping stores as well as several bicycle shops. Manuka is another area that has boutiques and re

Eat

Individual listings can be found in Canberra's district articles

Canberra has many fine eateries, but beware – many will be closed on Sundays. There are large clusters of restaurants in Civic, Braddon, Dickson, Kingston and Manuka. An unusual feature of the Canberra dining scene is that some of the city's best restaurants are hidden away in small suburban shopping centres – locals often nominate these as their favourites. All public buildings territory-wide are smoke-free.

Cafes

Just like the rest of Australia, coffee culture in Canberra is strong and Canberrans make good use of their cafes, and as such there are cafes nearly everywhere. In most cafes, all the important Australian coffees (such as espresso, flat white or a mocca) plus a couple of additions like hot chocolate are a standard in nearly all cafes. On top of that, many cafes will also typically have what you can expect to find at most bakeries, modified to suit a cafe. However, do be aware that most of what you get in cafes in Canberra can get very sweet.

Dress codes Australians are generally casual and laid back though it's a bit more formal in Canberra, but still feel free to wear whatever you think suits well. Although most people make an effort to dress up for fancier restaurants, there is no requirement and both restaurants and diners alike are relaxed about dress standards, and so it is quite uncommon to see people wearing jeans at restaurants, especially among the younger generations.

Ethnic food Canberra has had authentic restaurants from every corner of the globe since the early 21st century. Still, it doesn't quite compare to the range found in the Big Four (i.e. Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth), but how much more can you expect from a city of just 400,000? If you're after ethnic food, you need not worry because Dickson Centre or the Dickson Shops in the suburb of Dickson, North Canberra should have you covered. It started out like any other shopping precinct but with the addition of many Chinese restaurants, it eventually earned the title of Canberra's Chinatown. It has since grown and now there are many Asian restaurants in general. There are also a few Indian and Italian restaurants too, but there aren't many, at least for the time being. Outside Dickson, there isn't really a place where you'd find so many concentrated restaurants with ethnic food. Braddon, Civic and Woden have quite a fair bit, but these are scattered throughout.

Fine dining As Canberra isn't very large, there are few fine dining options in Canberra. They are generally located Civic, North Ca

Drink & nightlife

Individual listings can be found in Canberra's district articles

Canberra's many bars and clubs will be closed on Sunday nights and early into the week. Civic can appear to be a ghost town but there are areas such as Bunda Street where you will always find some happening funky bars

Sleep

Individual listings can be found in Canberra's district articles Most of Canberra's hotels are in or around Civic or the suburbs which are adjacent to the Parliamentary Triangle. A few hotels have opened in the Belconnen, Gungahlin, Tuggeranong and Woden town centres. The availability of accommodation can be tight during periods in which Parliament is sitting - the schedule for parliamentary sittings is available here.

Mid-range Generally, it is not too hard to find mid-range accommodation in Canberra because practically nearly every hotel and motel in Canberra falls into the "mid-range" category.

Splurge

There are a number of splurge hotels in Canberra; many of them are located in South Canberra near Parliamentary Triangle. The price range is usually above $250 for a night, but this can significantly go up during holiday season, and Parliament sittings.

Bed and breakfast There are a number of Bed and Breakfast places just off Northbourne Avenue, in North Canberra. These tend to be mid-range, cost-wise, but are comfortable and refreshing if you are looking for a 'home away from home'.

Serviced apartments Serviced, short-term apartments are widely available throughout Canberra and are available for stays as short as one night. Amenities typically include kitchen, washer and dryer, and separate bedrooms. A full range of properties exist from budget to 5 star.

Go next

NSW regions:

Queanbeyan - located just across the NSW border Yass - Service town, near the road to Melbourne Goulburn - Country town, worth a visit if you are travelling onward to Sydney. Snowy Mountains - it's possible to spend a day skiing from Canberra, leaving early, and returning late. Batemans Bay - the closest ocean beaches to Canberra - just under two hours away. Collector - a small historic town 30 minutes drive towards Sydney. Famous for a kidnap and murder by bushrangers. A quick stop on the way to Sydney, or part of a local loop day-trip. Gundaroo - a small historic town north of Canberra, you can follow the range from Gundaroo through to Collector as a scenic alternative to the federal highway. Some dirt roads are involved (between Gundaroo and Collector, the road between Canberra and Gundaroo is all sealed). Bungendore - a small town 20 minutes drive from central Canberra, via Queanbeyan. Braidwood - a heritage listed town on the highway to the South Coast of New South Wales about an hour from Canberra