1. EXPLORE THE ICONS OF AUSTRALIA
Home to some of the country’s most significant collections of cultural objects and art, you’ll want to budget more than just a day to explore Canberra’s galleries and museums. Make the most of your visit with Cultural Attractions of Australia, who will give you exclusive insider access to rarely seen spaces. At the National Museum of Australia, for example, a curatorled tour will help history come alive, while at Australian Parliament House, you’ll enjoy a sumptuous high tea before exploring the corridors of power. Behind-the scenes guided tours are also available at the National Gallery of Australia and the Australian War Memorial.
culturalattractionsofaustralia.com
2. VISIT THE NATIONAL ARBORETUM CANBERRA
Not all of Canberra’s collections are behind doors or enclosed in walls. That’s what you’ll discover when you travel just six kilometres from the city centre to the National Arboretum. Home to 44,000 trees from over 100 countries, themed landscape gardens, and a beautiful bonsai collection, it’s one of the world’s largest living collections of rare, endangered, and significant trees. Spend your afternoon walking or cycling through the 250-hectare site, or take a guided Ngala Walk on Country Tour, which will introduce you to native bush tucker and Aboriginal cultural practices.
3. FEAST YOUR WAY AROUND CANBERRA
Put on your stretchy pants—you’re going to need them for today’s wine and dine around the capital city. With award-winning restaurants, distilleries, and wineries dotted throughout this foodie paradise, it can be hard to choose just where to head, so leave it up to the experts to introduce you to the region’s best makers, growers, and chefs. Hop from one eatery to the next in Braddon with Eat Canberra Food Tours, tour the wine region in a black London cab with Van Du Vin, or discover local gin and craft brewers with Dave’s Tours.
vanduvin.com.au daves.com.au/canberra
4. MEET THE LOCALS
You can’t leave Australia without meeting its most famous residents, including the many marsupials and monotremes that call the ACT region home. With its predator-free fenced area, Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary promises a unique encounter with native flora and fauna. See if you can spot the eastern bettong with its distinctive white belly, the spotted-tailed quoll, or the elusive echidna. Open 24/7, the grassy woodland area comes alive on its twilight tours, with kangaroos, wallabies, and tiny sugar gliders coming out to feed in their natural environment.
5. RELAX IN LUXURY
A Canberra holiday isn’t just about what you can do and see—it’s also about valuable time spent with your loved ones. Nothing exemplifies this more than a stay in one of the city’s unique lodgings. You can soak in the bath while watching tigers prowl at the all-inclusive Jamala Wildlife Lodge, or get back to nature with a glamping experience with Cubby and Co in one of its bell tents set amongst the vines. Or sink into luxe surrounds directly in the city’s centre at Ovolo Nishi, which was designed by more than 60 artists, and architects to reflect the surrounding Australian landscape and culture.
