Boutique hotels
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Diamant Hotel Canberra
- Style
- Heritage-meets-modern design den
- Setting
- Lakeside urban village
Canberra Overview
Australian Capital Territory
- Cityscape
- Planned parliamentary capital
- City Life
- Cultural and political melting pot
Once the maligned centre of national government, Canberra’s stock has risen as a new generation of creative talent has given the ordered, staid city a much-needed breath of fresh air.
It wasn’t until Federation, in 1901, that it was decided a place had to be found to house the country’s capital city. Where Canberra now stands is the halfway point between rivals Sydney and Melbourne, and the cityscape is the grand design of Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahoney Griffin. With its eloquent architecture, central man-made lake and green feel, it's certainly a beauty. However, the capital's bloated population of civil servants and politicians soon earned it a rep for being boring – nice for gallery visits and walks through manicured gardens, but hardly cutting-edge. Recently though, an influx of artists, attracted by low rents and the sense of space, has injected new life into the city, while its student hordes put the emphasis squarely on parties of the non-political kind.
Completely Canberra
It’s the most important building in Australia, but Parliament House (www.aph.gov.au), opened in 1988, is quite the understated gem. Built into Capital Hill, grass covers the roof and its most dominant feature is an enormous Australian flag atop an 81-metre tall pool. The design by Romaldo Giurgola was the winner of a worldwide competition, but its merits are best seen from within. More than 3,000 artworks decorate the interior, including a 90,000-piece mosaic in the forecourt by Aboriginal artist Michael Nelson Tjakamarra, and one of only four known copies of the Magna Carta is on display in the Great Hall.
Local Knowledge
- Taxis
- Canberra Cabs (132 227; www.canberracabs.com.au) and Cabxpress (+61 (0) 2 6260 6011; www.cabxpress.com.au) are a good bet. Cars can be hailed in the street, booked or picked up at numerous ranks.
- Tipping culture
- While it’s not expected, adding 10 per cent for good service is appreciated. Round taxi fares up to the nearest dollar.
- Siesta and fiesta
- During the week, banks and shops usually open 9am–5pm. There’s late-night shopping until 9pm on Friday, and stores in the city generally trade all day on Saturday and between 10am and 4pm on Sunday. Most people go out for dinner at about 7pm and restaurants take orders ntil around 10pm. Bars and clubs stay open till late.
- Packing tips
- City chic for shopping, gallery-hopping and nights on the town, but casual and comfortable for cycling and walking around Canberra's gorgeous parklands and lake.
- Recommended reads
- Local author Marion Halligan's novels include The Fog Garden, named after a sculpture at the city's National Gallery, and The Point, set in a fine-dining restaurant on the banks of Lake Burley Griffin. Christopher Koch’s The Memory Room, partially set in Canberra, examines the futility of a spy's job in a country that operates on the fringes of world politics. For a compelling story of how both Melbourne and Sydney were overlooked as Australia’s seat of power, read Roger Pegrum’s The Bush Capital: How Australia Chose Canberra As Its Federal City.
- Cuisine
- Blessed with fertile countryside in all directions, Canberra restaurateurs and diners have access to an array of fresh produce, from Snowy Mountains trout to organic vegetables grown on the South Coast. Many of the local producers are represented at the Capital Region Farmers Market (www.capitalregionfarmersmarket.com.au) held at Exhibition Park on Saturday from 8am–11am. Some excellent vineyards, including Clonakilla Winery (www.clonakilla.com.au), Brindabella Hills Winery (www.brindabellahills.com.au) and Pialligo Estate (www.pialligoestate.com.au), also dot the region.
- Currency
- Australian dollar (AU$).
- Time zone
- GMT+10.
- Dialling codes
- The international code for Australia is 61; the state code for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is (0)2.
- Do go/don't go
- Canberra experiences extremes in temperature, ranging from 40°C in summer to zero in winter. Winter days generally start with frosty mornings followed by clear blue skies and plenty of sunshine. If you are a fan of flora, spring sees the city alive with blooms and so is a vibrant time to visit.
Don't go home without...
... getting lost on the seemingly simple road system. If you manage to get from one side of the lake to your destination on the other without going around the concentric whirls of the State Circle, Capital Circle and London Circuit three times each, you’re doing better than most.
