| Frank & Lisa's Amazing Cross-Australia Adventures |
| Canberra |
| This was technically my second trip to Canberra this year. However, since my first trip was to Ultimate Nationals, I didn't exactly get to see much of the city! So Frank & I were sharing our first experience touring the nation's capital. Because Canberra is in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), this was our 4th Australian state (out of seven). As seasoned national capital dwellers ourselves, we managed to hit all the highlights pretty efficiently... Of couse the walking tour maps did help a bit! |
| I would have to say that the most amusing thing about this relatively new and entirely planned capital city is its symmetrical design... The major attractions are built in a straight line so that you can view the War Memorial from Parliament and vice versa. From the war memorial you look down Anzac Parade and over Lake Burley Griffin to see Old Parliament with New Parliament standing directly behind it (pic below left). I still find it odd that such a new city has already felt the need to relocate parliament to a new building, but that is another story... From New Parliament House you look over Old Parliament House and Lake Burley Griffin, down Anzac Parade, to the War Memorial (pic below right). |
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| On our first afternoon we walked to the Australian War Memorial at one end of Anzac Parade. I admit that our seasoned captial status failed us as our plan for a quick stop to see a very impressive monument before heading down Anzac Parade and then on to Lady Burley Griffin Park all before sunset failed somewhat... As an aside, can you tell that the guy who designed the city's last name is Burley Griffin? Also note that the lush tree-filled park is on this side of the lake, but you can't see it because you can't put trees in the way of the view across the lake (they are only planted on either side)! |
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| Upon arrival, we found out that there is an extensive and impressive museum within the War Memorial's walls! We really only began to scratch the surface of World War I before they announced that the memorial was closing and that visitors should join them for the last post in the courtyard. Behind the courtyard in a huge domed room is a beautiful memorial. Spectators silently stood at one end of the courtyard viewing the remembrance pool and eternal flame as the last post played (pic right - taken before last post began). As it ended the copper doors to the memorial shut automatically and you could almost hear the emotion in the air as people quietly filtered out of the building. |
| on to more Canberra ...or |
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| Anzac Parade sports several more individual memorials down either side of the street (again very symmetrically laid out). At Lady Burley Griffin Park there were several more monuments and gifts to the Australian government. One such gift is a flagpole from Canada - a 36 meter high douglas fir (plus 3 more meters in the ground). It sports an Australian flag (pic left), but apparently they raise the Canadian one each year on July 1st. We got to see our share of maple leaf flags at the rugby, anyway (although I grudgingly admit to forgetting to pack mine). Another memorial was the Captain Cook Memorial (pic below) that maps out all of his voyages and major discoveries along the way, although you can't really see that in the photo. The springtime trees and cute boy made it more pictureworthy! |
| Northern Territory: Red Centre , 2 / Top End , 2 NSW & ACT: Hunter Valley / Sydney / Canberra , 2 Queensland Coast: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 South Australia: Barossa Valley / Kangaroo Island / McLaren Vale & Coonawarra Victoria: Great Ocean Road , 2 , 3 / Melbourne New Zealand (North Island): Aukland / Rotorua / Tongariro / Wellington (South Island): Nelson / Westland / Queenstown / Milford / Dunedin / Mt Cook / Christchurch |