How do you entertain a fourth time visitor to Canberra? Well, try some killer kangaroos, take in a few cake stops, yet another sunset up Mount Ainslie and a picnic in a hailstorm, and add one final mix of bustling crowds and traffic (where the hell did that come from?!). Hooning around was very much the order of the day as Caroline visited on her last weekend in Australia (such is the power of Canberra… feel the power!).
On Saturday we headed south to Namadgi National Park, a serene if somewhat bleak landscape of high valleys and rocky outcrops, home to hundreds of kangaroos lurking in bushes and old ruins.
On Saturday we headed south to Namadgi National Park, a serene if somewhat bleak landscape of high valleys and rocky outcrops, home to hundreds of kangaroos lurking in bushes and old ruins.
Having successfully negotiated those pesky roos and surviving a rather nice picnic we popped into Lanyon homestead, still down to the south of Canberra and so national trust-like we could be in Dorset. Or Wilts. I had yet another disappointing cream tea, but that was as much as I expected from this country, the scones were okay though.
It wasn’t all rural tranquillity though, what with the hustle and bustle of downtown Canberra, coach parties on Mount Ainslie, waiting to be seated at restaurants and marathon runners and cyclists everywhere. Phew, I think I need to get away from all this chaos!
Up on Mount Ainslie, all was pretty much the same as ever, barring the inordinate amount of people watching another fine Canberra sunset.
Down in Kingston, the people were smartly dressed and enjoying the inner south scene (well not at Filthy Mc Faddens), and a scary looking plate of Balmain Bugs and pasta kept the chilly evening at bay.
The next day took us past several runners in the world famous Canberra marathon as we crossed over the lake to the National Museum of Australia. What can you say… typical museum… some stuffed animals, Indigenous stuff, a hills hoist or two, some gold nuggets and iconic Aussie sporting memorabilia. Plus the slightly odd Garden of Australian Dreams.
Up on Mount Ainslie, all was pretty much the same as ever, barring the inordinate amount of people watching another fine Canberra sunset.
Down in Kingston, the people were smartly dressed and enjoying the inner south scene (well not at Filthy Mc Faddens), and a scary looking plate of Balmain Bugs and pasta kept the chilly evening at bay.
The next day took us past several runners in the world famous Canberra marathon as we crossed over the lake to the National Museum of Australia. What can you say… typical museum… some stuffed animals, Indigenous stuff, a hills hoist or two, some gold nuggets and iconic Aussie sporting memorabilia. Plus the slightly odd Garden of Australian Dreams.
Now some might say the Garden of Australian Dreams is actually down on the south side of the lake, though today it was more like the Garden of Hitchcock Nightmares as the bells tolled, the leaves turned blood red, the swans turned black and the apocalyptic storm swept in. Perfect for a picnic in the car.
It seems Canberra survived the apocalypse and reverted to just about normal in the late afternoon, where I went for a walk and didn’t take any pictures, so I can’t take any of the credit for these!
So that’s another catch up from the heart of the nation, the national capital, Canberra that is, the only place in Australia where the Olympic torch can be seen as it is lobbed into the lake. Coming up, a mini tour of the south east as I am off to Victoria later in the week and then onto Sydney and inland NSW.
So that’s another catch up from the heart of the nation, the national capital, Canberra that is, the only place in Australia where the Olympic torch can be seen as it is lobbed into the lake. Coming up, a mini tour of the south east as I am off to Victoria later in the week and then onto Sydney and inland NSW.
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