Canberra and Australian Capital Territory

While Canberra and the Australian Capital Territory may be seen as the political center of the country, it offers much more—something for every tourist. Built according to a contest-winning design by Walter Burley Griffin (an American architect), Canberra is within New South Wales, 185 miles south of ever-popular Sydney. The city is set up in a triangle (dubbed Parliamentary Triangle) surrounded by the city’s four hills all centered around Lake Burley Griffin.

At the tip of the triangle is Australia’s Capital Hill with its Parliament House, the center of the country’s democracy. Two main paths come out of this central point: Commonwealth Avenue and Kings Avenue, which complete the base of the triangle through Parkes Way. Off Parkes Way runs Anzac Parade in line with Capital Hill towards the Australian War Memorial built in honor of Australians who died serving their country. Strewn throughout the city around these political landmarks, there are outdoor sculpture gardens, memorials, museums, and other interesting sights. One such important sight is the National Gallery of Australia. Owing to a unique history, Australia has a diverse culture and society. The National Gallery has been demonstrating this since 1982 through its assorted collections of art. The works range from ancient, indigenous Aboriginal artists to more famous modern artists including Jackson Pollock, Auguste Rodin, Claude Monet, and Andy Warhol. You can also tour the Royal Australian Mint where all of the 11 billion coins in circulation were produced. Tourists can view coins as they come off the press—over two million per day!

If living things suit your tastes better, Australia offers the Australian National Botanic Gardens, with over 90,000 plants, or the National Zoo and Aquarium, where they have organized the “Meet a Cheetah” and ZooVenture programs, where you can enter the animal enclosures for a more hands-on experience. If that is still too tame for you, the bushland that comprises 70% of the Australian Capital Territory is a must-see. You can drive right by native animals (kangaroos, emus, platypuses, and koalas) in the wild at the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve; swim, fish, or canoe in the Murrumbidgee River; or explore Aboriginal rock art and beautiful bushland views in Namadgi National Park.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/39/Griffins_triangle.jpg/640px-Griffins_triangle.jpg http://0.tqn.com/d/coins/1/0/u/1/-/-/Australia_money_coins.jpg http://i.ytimg.com/vi/MvdVomyrwfE/0.jpg Kindersley, Dorling. Eyewitness Travel Australia. New York: DK Publishing, 2010.