Canberra
Canberra is a city of wide streets, gardens and beautiful parks. The botanical garden leads visitors along paths through the Australian fauna. The old Parliament House is impressive, but is now made of the modern parliament building in the shade. This imposing Byzantine-style War Memorial is one of the main attractions of the city. The huge artificial lake Burley Griffin, will be offered on the boat trips, was named after Canberra’s famous architect. Blundell’s Cottage is reminiscent of the time when the country was still predominantly used for agricultural purposes. The mid-19th Built-century Church of St. John the Baptist is older than the city itself, the stained glass window designs show from the pioneer days. About 70 km south of the city, the Space Centre Tidbinbilla Deep Space Tracking Station, also called the Canberra Space Centre. In addition to models of space ships, there is also an information center about space travel. In the nearby nature reserve Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve visitors eat kangaroos out of hand. North of the lake lies the Australian Museum, National Gallery (an excellent collection of Australian art), a magnificent state library and a center for science and technology.
Excursions:
The landscape around Canberra is quite mountainous, the 825 m high Black Mountain is the once-controversial telecom telecommunications tower (195 m). The view from the revolving restaurant is excellent in the tower. From a helicopter or hot air balloon you can also enjoy a nice view.
The Snowy Mountains are located south of Canberra, New South Wales and offer wonderful slopes for skiing in winter. In summer, bush walks, horse riding and water sports are recommended. Several tours are offered to the surrounding area.
National Parks and Nature Reserves
About half the country consists of nature reserves and national parks. 40 km southwest of the capital of the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve near Tharwa, which offers a wealth of fauna and flora of Australia. The park is open daily from 09.00-18.00 clock (longer in peak season). A number of bush paths are available, where visitors can watch the kangaroos, wallabies, koalas and birds in the natural environment. Further south is Namadji National Park, with a large number of prehistoric sites and rock drawings of the natives. The Jerrabomberra Wetlands are a haven during the dry season for the majority of water birds from surrounding areas. For more information, visit the Information Centre of the ACT is available. Telephone: (2) 6207 9777th Internet: www.act.gov.au / environ
