Canberra is a unique place where city style meets the beauty of the Australian bush, and Canberra offers everyone plenty to do and see!

This national capital is just over three hours’ drive from Sydney, or less than seven from Melbourne, and is the seat of Australian Government. The city offers more than politics – an eclectic mix of restaurants, wineries, shopping, entertainment, galleries, museums and world-class monuments and attractions – all within easy reach of accommodation.

The city’s pride for sport and recreation, coupled with an international reputation for the arts, theatre and culture, provides the best of both worlds.

A wealth of attractions and hidden surprises make a visit to Canberra an unforgettable experience. The Canberra-Capital Region Holiday Planner 2004 tells you everything you need to know about Canberra and the experiences you can enjoy during your visit. You’ll find there’s so much to do that you’ll want to linger and enjoy what the city and region has to offer. Use this Planner as a starting point to build your itinerary.

Canberra is for everyone, so come and see this totally unique national capital soon.

Canberra at a glance

History
Located on the ancient lands of the Ngunnawal Aboriginal people, the city’s name is thought to mean ‘meeting place’, derived from the Aboriginal name Kamberra.

Canberra is a young and modern city with a population of 320,000. Today people of the world meet in Canberra – through the national parliament, universities and a vibrant diplomatic community. Canberra is proudly the political and cultural hub of Australia.

Canberra’s special contrast of nature and urban living was planned to perfection in 1911 by Canberra’s master designer, Walter Burley Griffin. He certainly had the tourist in mind when he designed Canberra, with most of the city’s attractions within easy walking distance of one another, and a few no more than a 10 minute drive from the city centre. For more information on Canberra’s history and visiting the national capital go to www.nationalcapital.gov.au

Location
Canberra is located 150 kilometres inland and 571 metres above the Pacific Ocean. Situated in a 2400 square kilometre territory, the Australian Capital Territory, it is surrounded by national parks, bush and mountain ranges.

Population
320,000

Weather
Canberra has distinct seasons – summers are warm to hot; in autumn millions of trees turn gold to red; winters are crisp and cool with occasional frosty mornings clearing to blue skies; and in spring, Canberra comes alive with glorious floral blooms.

Season        Average Min        Average Max (degrees celcius)
Spring ................5................................19
Summer.............12..............................27
Autumn................7...............................20
Winter..................0...............................12

Banking Hours
Banking hours are generally Monday to Thursday 9.30 am – 4.00 pm; Friday 9.00 am – 5.00 pm. Most branches have Automatic Teller Machines (ATM) which operate 24 hours.

Retail Shopping Hours
Retail shops are generally open from Monday to Thursday 9.00 am 5.30 pm; Friday 9.00 am – 9.00 pm; Saturday 9.00 am – 5.00 pm and Sunday 10.00 am – 4.00 pm. Hours vary at smaller shopping centres and in the city of Queanbeyan.

Canberra’s areas
There are seven distinct areas of Canberra which designate a cluster of suburbs and to which ‘locals’ often refer when describing locations. To the north of Lake Burley Griffin are the areas of Gungahlin, Belconnen and the Inner North. To the south of the Lake are areas known as the Inner South, Weston Creek, Woden Valley and Tuggeranong. Refer to the maps later in this planner for a guide to where these areas are.

Public Holidays
Accommodation bookings are recommended particularly on weekends when public holidays fall or during school holidays.

Public holidays 2004     Celebrated on
New Year's Day................1 January
Australia Day....................26 January
Canberra Day...................15 March
Good Friday.......................9 April
Easter Monday..................12 April
Anzac Day..........................26 April
Queen's Birthday..............14 June
Labour Day........................4 October
Christmas Day.................27 December
Boxing Day........................28 December

School Terms 2004 (all other dates are holiday time)
Term 1...............................30 January to 8 April
Term 2...............................27 April to 2 July
Term 3...............................19 July to 24 September
Term 4...............................11 October to 17 December

School Terms 2005 (times for other terms not yet available)
Term 1...............................7 January to 8 April

Who’s in the know?
For tourist information, visit the Canberra and Region Visitors Centre (CRVC). The Centre is centrally located on Northbourne Avenue and welcomes over 300,000 visitors a year. Friendly staff can offer a wealth of information and services on Canberra and the region. Visitors can explore brochures and maps to plan their stay. The centre is daily except Christmas Day. Opening hours are 9.00 am – 5.30 pm on weekdays and 9.00 am – 4.00 pm on weekends.

Canberra and Region Visitors Centre
330 Northbourne Avenue, Dickson ACT 2602
Tel:................0-262-050-044               or               1-300-554-114 (Freecall)
Fax:................0-262-050-776

For information on accommodation, packages or to book a stay in Canberra, call Canberra Getaways on 1800 100 660 or go to www.visitcanberra.com.au

Canberra’s ‘must-see’ attractions

Most of Canberra’s major attractions surround the shores of Lake Burley Griffin in what is known as the Parliamentary Triangle. Located between Capital Hill and Canberra’s picturesque centrepiece, Lake Burley Griffin, all of Canberra’s ‘must see’ experiences are here.

Magnificent art, science and historical collections combine with world-class exhibitions and interactive displays that highlight Australia’s heritage, achievements and contemporary lifestyle.

The National Capital Exhibition, at Regatta Point, is a good place to start. The centre tells the story of Canberra – how the city was planned and built. You can discover all there is to know about Canberra since the 1920s.

Having won the national award for Best Major Tourist attraction three years running, the Australian War Memorial has now been inducted into the Australian Tourism Awards Tourism Hall of Fame and attracts over one million visitors every year. In ANZAC Hall, you can see the Lancaster Bomber, G for George, and the Japanese midget submarine that attacked Sydney Harbour in 1942.

Visit the High Court of Australia, the highest court in the Australian judicial system, which has three court rooms open for public viewing.

An unexpected gem is the National Archives of Australia which holds a vast and vibrant collection of historic documents and government records and features many interesting exhibitions.

Nearby, the National Museum of Australia features ground-breaking exhibitions based on three main themes – Land, Nation and People – and is the first museum in the country devoted to the stories of Australia and Australians.

See changing international exhibitions, unique Australian artworks and enjoy lunch in the surrounding outdoor Sculpture Garden at the National Gallery of Australia. From the Gallery you may even hear the bells of the National Carillon, a bell tower set atop its own island on Lake Burley Griffin.

The National Library of Australia offers behind-the-scenes tours which show how the collection of books, manuscripts, newspapers, maps and paintings are stored and displayed in magnificent ever-changing exhibitions.

Visit the historic halls of Old Parliament House where democracy developed in Australia. The House made headlines for more than 60 years as home to Australia’s Federal Parliament. The building also houses the National Portrait Gallery, which has a superb permanent collection of portraits featuring people who have helped to shape the nation and regularly changing exhibitions. A five minute walk towards Lake Burley Griffin will take you to the Gallery’s annexe at Commonwealth Place. It features contemporary portraits with a focus on photography.

At Questacon – the National Science and Technology Centre you can have fun with hands-on science exhibits from six different galleries. As well as more than 200 exhibits, it also has its own theatre troupe performing science shows.

Parliament House embodies Australia’s democratic spirit. It features a significant contemporary art collection and a landscape that complements the design of the building. You can even book a seat to watch Parliament in session.

Enjoy special presentations and screenings, and see television commercials, comedy sketches and programs from the past at ScreenSound Australia – the Australian radio, film and television archives.

Test your skills and fitness in the interactive Sportex exhibition at the Australian Institute of Sport, and at Telstra Tower zoom up in the lift and catch sensational views of Canberra, the national attractions and the surrounding countryside.

Need more information? Click onto www.visitcanberra.com.au or www.citysearch.com.au; drop into the Canberra and Region Visitors Centre on Northbourne Avenue or call 1-300-554-114.

Family friendly attractions to entertain the kids

With many holiday activities on offer for all age groups, as well as special school holiday programs for children, a visit to Canberra can be exciting and jam-packed with great things to see and do.

First stop when you hit the national attractions would have to be Questacon – the National Science and Technology Centre. Experience an earthquake, get close to a lightning bolt or freefall six metres down a vertical slide.

Kids will love the hands-on interactive exhibits in K-Space at the National Museum of Australia. In Our Place, kids can play in the cubbies, then enjoy storytelling in the Story Place set inside a Boab Tree. The National Gallery of Australia also offers a variety of children’s programs and exhibitions.

The whole family will enjoy seeing television commercials, comedy sketches and products of times gone by at ScreenSound Australia, and kids love playing dress-ups in the Australian War Memorial’s Discovery Room.

Head just out of town to Gold Creek Village, which is full of family-friendly attractions, craft shops and eateries. Hold a python at the Australian Reptile Centre, step back in time to the prehistoric past at the National Dinosaur Museum and hand- feed birds at The Bird Walk Walk-In Aviary.

Feel like a giant in Lilliput at Cockington Green Gardens as you wander through this delightful miniature English village. Kids love it!

Hire a bike or paddle boat and ride around or sail on Lake Burley Griffin. At nearby Scrivener Dam, you’ll find the National Zoo and Aquarium where you can take the two-hour behind-the-scenes ZooVenture tour* and hand feed tigers, lions, bears and monkeys. The younger kids will love the specially designed kids tour.

Children can test their strength and athletic skills at Sportex at the Australian Institute of Sport. And don’t miss a visit to Telstra Tower to catch sensational views of Canberra and the surrounding countryside.

See the historic dish that returned the first images of man on the moon at the Canberra Deep Space Communications Complex, or go on a cosmic adventure through the universe at the Canberra Space Dome and Observatory.

Need more information? Click onto www.visitcanberra.com.au; drop into the Canberra and Region Visitors Centre on Northbourne Avenue or call 1-300-554-114.

Be guided around Canberra

Canberra offers a range of tours to suit all tastes and budgets. You can take a day tour with one of many tour operators taking in the major city sights, nature reserves, or perhaps to explore and sip your way through the Canberra District Wineries. Take a half or full day tour with Go Bush Tours and experience the beauty of Namadgi National Park. Or for something more personalised, choose where you want to go with Idol Moments Canberra Private Tours.

For a unique way to see Canberra, board a red Canberra City Sightseeing double-decker bus. Enjoy this useful tourist service, complete with commentary in various languages, which travels on a circuit around the city every 80 minutes. You can stay on board for a full orientation tour of all the major sights, or hop on and off as you please.

Board the MV Southern Cross which departs daily for a leisurely cruise on Canberra’s picturesque Lake Burley Griffin. It’s the perfect way to see most of Canberra’s major buildings, beautiful parks and the foreshore areas of the Parliamentary Triangle.

For the adventurous, tour on a Harley Davidson motorbike with Fun Motorcycle Tours, or drift over the city in a hot air balloon. You may even like to take a flight over the scenic Brindabella Mountain Ranges with Heli Air.

Murrays Coaches have several winery tours which will take you to the region’s wineries to experience great wines and fabulous gourmet food.

And prepare to be scared on Destiny Tours’ Weird Canberra Ghost and History Tour. In a restored hearse you’ll tour 20 Canberra sites of crime, haunting and murder.

Need more information? Click onto www.visitcanberra.com.au; drop into the Canberra and Region Visitors Centre on Northbourne Avenue or call 1-300-554-114.