The vast Commemorative Courtyard at the Australian War Memorial. Photo / VisitCanberra
The vast Commemorative Courtyard at the Australian War Memorial. Photo / VisitCanberra
Canberra might have less of a profile than other hotspots, but its national galleries, cultural attractions and thriving restaurant scene deserve a place in the spotlight, writes Brett Atkinson.
What to see:
First envisaged as a memorial solely to Australia's involvement in World War I, Canberra's Australian War Memorial was eventually completed in 1941 when the planet was engulfed in World War II. Crowned by an eternal flame and a chapel protecting the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier, the cloisters of the memorial's Commemorative Area frame the Pool of Reflection, where the names of 102,000 Australian casualties of war are inscribed on bronze walls, tinged scarlet with a vertical carpet of thousands of red poppies left by families. Adjacent WWI and WWII museum galleries both resonate with the Anzac brotherhood of Kiwi troops.
Treasures at the National Library of Australia include Captain James Cook's journals from the HMS Endeavour, a handwritten list of HMS Bounty mutineers, and the original musical notation of Waltzing Matilda. Adding to Canberra's Anzac story is the critical 8000-word report written by Australian war correspondent Keith Murdoch – father of media magnate Rupert Murdoch – sent from Gallipoli in September 1915, and credited for partially influencing the retreat of Anzac soldiers from the battlefields a few months later.
Canberra's National Portrait Gallery has a wide range of art featuring famous Australians. Photo / VisitCanberra
Every picture tells a story at Canberra's National Portrait Gallery. Highlights include a Day-Glo pop art rendering of singer Nick Cave, contrasting with his work's moody Gothic echoes, and 18th-century portraits of British maritime explorers Cook and the Bounty's disgraced William Bligh.
What to do:
Designed as a planned city around Lake Burley Griffin, Canberra is a great place to explore on two wheels. Canberra's Share A Bike project has bike rental stations around the city. A popular route is the full 28km perimeter of the lake, while bridges make it easy to break a journey down into shorter journeys.
Lake Burley Griffin has a pathway around its 28km perimeter, popular with walkers and cyclists. Photo / VisitCanberra
Mulga Bicycle Tours offer guided experiences around the city, including a twilight tour taking in the poignant Last Post ceremony at the Australian War Memorial. To get out on Lake Burley Griffin, tootle around in an electric-powered self-drive GoBoat. The boats even include a compact onboard table, just made for a relaxed waterborne picnic.
Where to eat:
Courtesy of its role as the nation's capital and the subsequent need for Australia's politicians and parliamentary press gallery to be well fed, Canberra has an excellent restaurant scene. Three main areas showcase the best of the city's culinary nous, each offering a different ambience.
Standout restaurants amid New Acton's mix of parks and public art include Monster Kitchen at the Ovolo Nishi hotel, while Mocan & Green Grout does the city's best brunches. This is the part of town where you're most likely to see Aussie politicians conferring conspiratorially at a secluded table.
North-east of the nearby city centre, Braddon is a former light industrial area where panelbeaters and paint shops have been repurposed as cafes and bars. Check out Lazy Su's for Asian-inspired shared plates and Corella Bar for creative takes on Australian seafood.
South-east of the city centre, the Kingston Foreshore area offers Canberra's best lakeside dining. Try inventive Thai flavours at Morks, or world-famous-in-Canberra flame-grilled treats at Brodburger. From 9.30am to 2.30pm on Sundays, Kingston's Old Bus Depot Market is the place to be. Pick up local cheese and fresh bread for a lakeside picnic, or feast on Ethiopian, Laotian and Argentinean flavours from the international food court. It's a good spot for arty and crafty gifts, too.
Where to drink:
Just like our own national capital, Canberra is fuelled by coffee, craft beer and cocktails. New Acton's Cupping Room teams the city's best coffee with vegan and vegetarian flavours, and the Kyo Coffee Project and Barrio Collective Coffee are two caffeine-infused haunts along Braddon's Lonsdale St.
The Cupping Room is one of the city's favourite coffee haunts. Photo / VisitCanberra
Braddon's BentSpoke Brewing is the city's pioneering craft brewery – try the hoppy Crankshaft IPA – while Capital Brewing's stylish taproom is a good stop after exploring the walking trails and protected birdlife of the Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature Reserve. For cocktails, maybe with a side order of eavesdropped political gossip, push open the unmarked wooden door at Molly, a stylish 1920s-style speakeasy.
Getting There:
Air New Zealand flights to Sydney from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch link to direct flights to Canberra on Qantas. By road, Canberra is three hours south-west of Sydney.
Where to stay:
One of a trio of designer hotels now enlivening once-staid Canberra – also see QT Canberra and Ovolo Nishi – the East Hotel is a standout in leafy Kingston. Onsite, Agostini's is a much-loved Italian restaurant, while it's a short walk for more good eating and drinking along the Kingston Foreshore. Rates are best on weekends when most of Australia's parliamentarians have returned to their home electorates.
