Everyone loves Old Parliament House and the Australian War Memorial but if you’re looking for even more reasons to keep visiting Canberra, here’s our Top 10 of the city’s exciting new attractions and best-kept secrets. By Paul Rodger.
Canberra GlassworksLike a phoenix from the flames, Canberra’s oldest public building, the Kingston Powerhouse, has undergone a stunning transformation and is now the Canberra Glassworks. Here you can view finished works in the gallery or watch artists creating works of art in the appropriately named Hot Shop. |
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The centre encourages you to get involved too. Sit down with one of the artists and create your own piece of glass art to take home. It’s great fun for the kids. Open 10am-4pm Wednesday to Sunday. Call 6260 7005 or visit Canberra Glass Works.
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Part of ANZAC Hall at the Australian War Memorial has recently been re-developed to host an exciting new sound and light show called Striking by Night. Watch as huge screens play out a solemn re-enactment of a daring night raid over Berlin in 1943.
At the heart of the exhibition is the famous Lancaster bomber G for George which was flown by Australian airmen. Learn how G for George managed to survive mission after mission, much against the odds, and how it was affectionately known as ‘Lucky’ by those who flew in it. Even the flight from Europe to its new home at the museum was a fraught adventure. Call 6243 4211 or visit Australian War Memorial. |
Children like to learn by touching and playing, and there’s nothing stopping them at the Australian War Memorial’s Discovery Zone.
Children can clamber aboard an Iroquois helicopter, they can scan the horizon through the periscope of a Cold War sub or take part in a water purification activity as part of a peacekeeping mission.
There’s even an ‘Odourama’ in the set of the First World War trench that conveys the smell of mustard gas (not real of course). It’s an environment designed to immerse visitors in Australia’s experience of war and its peacekeeping efforts. Call 6243 4211 or visit Australian War Memorial.
You can’t explore Canberra on an empty stomach so if you’re visiting over the October long weekend (Sept 29 – Oct 1), make a detour to the Murrumbateman Moving Feast in Canberra’s wine region.
Local wineries and food producers combine forces to match sumptuous food with premium wines. A $15 fee at each winery will buy you an entrée which has been chosen to complement that winery’s benchmark wine. It’s a gastronomic experience par excellence. Call 6227 5921 or visit Murrumbateman Moving Feast.
Perhaps you fancy a spot of your own cooking? Take a look around Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets but don’t start nibbling on your purchases or you’ll ruin your appetite for what’s to come.
At Flavours Cooking School, you can can learn to use ingredients that are in-season and available fresh from the markets, all under the supervision of award-winning chef, Jan Gundlach. His courses offer gastronomes the chance to learn how to cook using intuition and taste rather than strictly following recipes, and in stylish surroundings too. Call 6295 7722 or visit Fyshwick Markets.
Make your visit to the zoo that much more memorable by getting up close and feeding some of the animals. There are few things as exhilarating as having a lion roar at you from just a few feet away. Other fantastic experiences include cuddling a python or hanging out with a lively family of Colobus monkeys. It’s certainly unique but the $95-125 per person ticket may stretch the budget of most families.
If so, you’ll still get your money’s worth out of a general admission ticket. Make sure you visit Otay, one of the cutest bears you’ll ever meet. You might also see her cohort Arataki but hope that it’s not on a day when he’s in one of his grumpy moods. Call 6287 8400 or visit Zooventure Tour.
Film buffs can now enjoy some of cinema’s greatest moments at the NFSA’s new Arc cinema. Arc’s state-of-the- art projection equipment is able to screen movies in an array of formats, and its inaugural program includes classics like The Godfather as well as works by indigenous filmmakers.
If you’re planning on going, get there early for a unique pre-show screening of video art, dramatic lighting and soundscapes. It’s an experience in itself. Call 6248 2000 or visit National Film and Sound Archive.
Canberra Nara Candle FestivalThis Festival celebrates Canberra’s links with its Japanese sister city, Nara. Now in its fifth year, the Festival has grown to become one of the more interesting events on the calendar. Visitors are encouraged to participate in activities such as calligraphy, origami and lantern making. As the sun sets, the event culminates with the lighting of more than 2000 candles, illuminating Lennox Gardens in a soft glow. |
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This free event is on October 20, from 3pm-9pm at Lennox Gardens, Yarralumla. Contact 13 22 81 or visit Canberra Nara Candle Festival.
This is an oldie but a goodie. Buy a ‘3 in Fun’ ticket and gain entry to three attractions for the one low price. You can visit Cockington Green Gardens, the AIS to test your sporting prowess or Questacon where you can take part in over 200 hands-on exhibits. Purchase a ticket at any NRMA branch or call 13 11 22 to receive a further discount.
For a slice of country life only five minutes from Canberra, it’s worth visiting Pialligo Village. Located on rich plains where Aboriginal Australians once hunted and fished, you’ll find orchards selling fresh produce as well as plenty of gift shops to stroll through. It’s a tranquil haven that even some Canberrans haven’t been to.
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