The largest inland city in Australia, Canberra lies in the Australian Capital Territory – an area that was carved out of New South Wales in the early 20th Century to become the home of the new national capital.
With Lake Burley Griffin – named after the American landscaper who won the contract to design the new city – as its centrepiece, Canberra is a vibrant and welcoming city surrounded by natural parks and has a population of some 350,000 people.
Canberra hosts many of Australia’s national treasures with the National Gallery, the Old and New Parliament Houses, the Australian War Memorial and the National Botanic Gardens among the most popular. The city also houses the Australian Institute of Sport.
The city boasts more than 300 restaurants and bars with Kingston, Manuka and Dickson just some of the suburbs that offer a wide choice of cuisines from Chinese to Australian. West Row is said to be Canberra’s ‘eat street’, while Bunda Street also has numerous cafes.
Canberra has a lively entertainment culture catering for musical tastes from jazz to jungle with venues such as the Gypsy Bar, the Phoenix Pub, the Wig and Pen Brewery and Irish theme pubs PJ O’Reilly’s and King O’Malley’s popular haunts.
Accommodation in Canberra ranges from $50 to more than $150 a night, although there are cheaper options in surrounding areas like Queanbeyan. Places to consider include the Acacia Motor Lodge, Comfort Inn Downtown and Canberra Central Appartments.