Canberra - Our Nation’s Capital

I went to Canberra recently (23&24 Feb). After 7 years in Aussie I thought it was time to travel south from Sydney and do the patriotic thing, don’t you know.

Actually I went there to see the Canberra Show (mainly the alpacas) and do a report for my little newsletter. Anyway... after arriving at the show and making my way through the fun fair (carnival, fair ground or side show alley, whatever) I saw all the animals including the cows, goats, sheep and finally the alpacas. After the alpaca I also treated to camels too! I also learnt how to use a single tail whip. That was cool until I caught my shoulder. That hurt…a lot! After a hotdog and a slushie we left to check into the hotel.

Now, you may not know this but Canberra is a city set around a very large lake. Parliament house is on one side of the lake and surrounded by a road system made up of circles, that links to the city by a bridge across the lake goes to the city, which is also set in the centre of circular roads. The whole thing is great on a plan and looks stunning on a map, but when you are driving around it for the first time it makes for very interesting navigation. A way into the Hotel was found eventually!

Later, after a shower and change of clothes (the showground was very dusty) dinner was very much in order. The restaurant was called Waters Edge’s and very nice it was too. It boosted a very limited menu and cost a fortune but it was worth every penny. The food was divine and service was second to none. Jess the manager and Joshua ensured the four hours where passed with the consumption of great food, wine and an atmosphere that would be rivalled in the best establishment around the world. I would recommend it to anyone travelling to the area.

Sunday started with a shock to my system. Firstly, I was up in time for breakfast on a Sunday, as if that wasn’t enough, someone, and an evil someone, snuck (sneaked, hid, secreted, disguised, covertly inserted) a piece of grapefruit in with my orange, I thought it was blood orange!. It was mean. I eat pretty much anything, but that one fruit type is so off the charts in uckyness for me I can’t even describe it!

Anyway, after I had recovered it was a short drive to the Telstra tower. The highlight of that was seeing a kangaroo bounding through the bush below, the views were pretty good too.
The Australian Museum was good, but it didn’t have enough old dusty stuff in cabinets. It had ‘displays’. Tasteful collections of a few items tied together with very wordy plaques. It’s great for the kids, not so great for an old stuff/junk queen like me.

A drive around the Embassy district was fascinating. You could tell just by looking at the walls and gate houses which country was paranoid and which wasn’t. I took a few photos of the prettier looking ones until I saw a Diplomatic Protection Service vehicle trailing. An exit was made rapidly, which probably made me look all the more guilty. Ohh…well!

The Royal Mint brought a surprise. The drive around the city streets had failed to turn up an ATM (cash point), the streets are all wide with great dividers and huge verges, shopping centres are hidden way away from the main streets, (which gave the whole town a clean spaced out sterile look) so after the show the day before, I had a grand total of 85c in my wallet. I needed cash. I thought the one place that would have cash would be the mint. Wrong! A little machine just inside the display area proudly announced you could make your own dollar with just $2.50 (don’t ask;-). Again, I’m a bit of a tourist trap magnet and wanted to make my own dollar. So I walked up to the man in the shop, when I stopped in front to him h said ‘you look like a lady on a mission’. I explained my dilemma and he gave me $2.50. Yes, that’s right, he gave me $2.50. I suppose if anywhere can give away money it’s the place they make it. The rest of the displays where entertaining and fun to look at (if you like that sort of thing).

After a brief stop for chips and cash, the drive for home started.

(longish - 762 words)