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Canberra: Why Australia's capital needs to be noticed
The nation's capital is seen as dull, gray and best ignored -- here's why that's all kinds of wrong
Gray, you say? The nighttime floral display is spectacular during the annual Floriade show.For anyone who thinks that Canberra isn’t a travel destination, that it’s just for politicians and bureaucrats, think again. Australia’s capital has everything from the iconic symbols of a nation’s heart to the downright quirky and a few secret gems.
Any visit of less than three days wouldn’t even scratch the surface. Try these day-trip selections for proof there’s more to Oz than Sydney, Melbourne and the beach.
National Portrait Gallery
The NPG immortalizes the faces of famous Australians in a collection covering everything from history to politics and sport, but it’s the music and arts section that grabs my attention.
There’s the portrait of Deborah Mailman, the first Aboriginal woman to win an AFI Best Actress Award, an oil painting by Evert Ploeg that draws you in.
Other faces include a painting of Barry Humphries by Clifton Pugh, John Elliott’s photograph of Slim Dusty and David Rosetzky’s video portrait of actress Cate Blanchett, exploring aspects of her work and personality.
Australian Institute of Sport
“Interactive” is the key word for the first part of the 90-minute public tour at the Australian Institute of Sport.
Measure your flexibility, jumping height and reflexes against the buzzer. Try virtual cycling, rowing or skiing as the figure on the screen in front leans as you lean or turns as you turn.
Less energetic? Check out the changing display of sporting memorabilia, from Evonne Goolagong-Cawley’s Wimbledon glassware to Sir Donald Bradman’s batting gloves.
Then the athlete-guide takes visitors around the facilities, from the arena to swimming pool and more, explaining how the Institute helps train Australia’s budding sportspeople.
Cockington Green
Cockington Green Gardens, where some of the world's classic buildings are displayed in miniature
There’s one notable tourist attraction with an international flavor, where you can see Karlstejn Castle in the Czech Republic, a Norwegian Stave Church, the prehistoric rocks of Stonehenge in England and India’s Red Fort.
Oh, but you can’t go inside any of them, as these are miniature buildings on a scale of 1/18 - 1/100, sponsored by High Commissions and Embassies in Canberra.
Where am I? At Cockington Green, a family-owned and -operated attraction created by Doug and Brenda Sarah, which opened in 1979 with village scenes from England, and which has grown ever since.
Parliament House
Some things in Canberra, like those at Cockington Green above, may appear small but the importance of others seems magnified beyond reasonable proportion.
Consider the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition, whose verbal jousting in the House of Representatives chamber can be observed from the gallery by visitors -- check the website for sitting days and tour details.
One of the most striking things to see is the Parliament House Art Collection, comprising paintings of Prime Ministers from Edmund Barton through a succession of figures like Menzies, Curtin and Fraser.
Other uniquely Australian highlights are the Great Hall tapestry, based on Arthur Boyd’s painting of eucalypt forests in the Shoalhaven River valley, and the forecourt mosaic designed by indigenous artist Michael Nelson Jagamara.
National Museum of Australia
The preserved heart of wonder horse Phar Lap.
At the National Museum, there’s a 1950s pink caravan and an FJ Holden car, the interactive Eternity exhibition, where visitors examine the lives of ordinary and extraordinary Australians, and the Landmarks and Australian Journeys galleries, all of which evoke pride and nostalgia.
But it’s in the Sport area that some among us may see greatness.
For cricket fans there’s the Swan Richards collection of gear from some of the Aussie stars, like Bill O'Reilly's blue blazer, Wally Grout's gloves and Greg Chappell's baggy green cap.
Horse racing is represented too, with Peter Pan’s 1934 Melbourne Cup trophy and the legendary Phar Lap’s heart, unusually large at 6.35 kilos, both on display.
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