Its been about 15 years since we holidayed in Canberra and we're currently here for 4 days.
Very pretty, lovely pink and white flowering trees everywhere, but without doubt the worst place to navigate your way around.
The War Memorial was fantastic, but a real maze trying to find your way around. I turned up with a Maccas coffee in hand and got told at the entrance I couldn't bring it in. The guard was a bit taken aback when I handed it to him and said him he could get rid of it (no rubbish bins in sight). The funny part was you could buy takeaway coffee in their café inside !
Then we went to Westfield shopping centre in Belconna (or similar) to buy some bottled water from Dan Murphys. What a shocking shopping centre - without doubt the worst laid out and signed Westfield centre we have visited anyway in Aust. We got lost trying to find the "pink" car parking area and no security staff or hosties around. Eventually found our way out only to find they had blocked most of the exits so workers could wash the signs down (before the centre opened would surely have been better for customers). Like many others - locals - we drove through all the various 3 levels of car parks to finally get out about 20 mins later. And all the shopping centre carparks charge you for parking in them !!!!
Going to Parliament tomorrow (if we can work out how to get into the car parking) so will complain to the Oppoisition Leader about the city seeing as Tonys overseas at the moment. No doubt we'll be invited to lunch in the Ministers dining room.
Then Foriade on Saturday if we don't end up on the wrong bus and then thankfully out of this place on Sunday.
Don't plan on coming back for another 15 years - reckon Ive gone through a whole box of headache pills after driving in this nightmare place
But, it is a pretty place (for the benefit of those of you from Canberra)
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Cheers Bruce
The amazing things you see when nomading Australia
Wow! For a minute or two we thought you had taken a wrong turn, and ended up on the M4 into down town Sydney. FEW! No wonder you ended up with a Headache.
You won't have that trouble, coming our way.Promise.
The "Nations Capital" where decisions are made right, wrong or just different. So let it be for what it is. A "Government town" that has grown on the back of the public service, all sectors of defence, 5 universities plus a high tech environment that supports small business. The planned city that was designed by Walter Burley Griffin and provides green corridors between suburbs today boasts a population in excess of 400,000. The city has what is called Belconnen being the North, Canberra City, and Woden being the South side. Each area has a major shopping complex called a "Town Centre" and works very well for the Canberrans. The parking is free for the first 2 hours at these major centres. As to visiting some of the most revered National treasures with a cup of coffee in hand such as The Australian War Memorial well that in itself makes me wonder??? Parliament House parking is NOT free, however one the largest Flower Festival's in the country is FREE to all.
For someone that does not call it home, but has spent 30 years in the Capital while raising a family like many Canberrans the place offers huge opportunities, is unique and does not need to rely on the tourist $.
The "Nations Capital" where decisions are made right, wrong or just different. So let it be for what it is. A "Government town" that has grown on the back of the public service, all sectors of defence, 5 universities plus a high tech environment that supports small business. The planned city that was designed by Walter Burley Griffin and provides green corridors between suburbs today boasts a population in excess of 400,000. The city has what is called Belconnen being the North, Canberra City, and Woden being the South side. Each area has a major shopping complex called a "Town Centre" and works very well for the Canberrans. The parking is free for the first 2 hours at these major centres. As to visiting some of the most revered National treasures with a cup of coffee in hand such as The Australian War Memorial well that in itself makes me wonder??? Parliament House parking is NOT free, however one the largest Flower Festival's in the country is FREE to all.
For someone that does not call it home, but has spent 30 years in the Capital while raising a family like many Canberrans the place offers huge opportunities, is unique and does not need to rely on the tourist $.
JohnR
Well said John, my thoughts run along similar lines.
As you say, Canberra is our nations capital, not a tourist destination.
JohnR. I obviously need to explain the coffee thing to you a little more clearly. Like all public buildings, I expected the Memorial to have some rubbish bins outside or adjacent to the entry. They were none. I had no intention of walking inside with a coffee ! The other point I made was that their internal coffee shop was selling takeaway coffee. This was the point I was making.
As for not needing tourist dollars - I suggest you ask the retailers here if they do or don't need the extra millions spent here by tourists. The two shopping centres that we visited, the one in the city and the other at Belconnen are very big and if looking at many of the shops, two hours of free car parking doesn't cut it.
Both you and Santa are wrong in saying Canberra is not a tourist city. According to the Information Centre here, Canberra has more visitors (tourists from overseas and through Aust) than any other capital city in the country. I guess that makes it a tourist destination !!!!
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Cheers Bruce
The amazing things you see when nomading Australia
The rubbish bin thing will because of the perceived terrorist threat. Rubbish bins have disappeared from railway stations in Brisbane for that very reason as a consequence of the G20. Canberra has a lot to offer tourists. Lovely drives into the hinterland with stunning views and close proximity to snow fields etc. Lots of historical small towns all within a comfortable days drive. Also you get to experience the four seasons something we don't really see in Brisbane. I remember touring Canberra when seeing the embassies of foreign countries was a big deal, the "heavy" security at the Russian compound during the cold war. Many "national" buildings and art galleries to see as well as the pantomime called question time in parliament. I think Canberra has a lot to offer. You just have to sus it out.
don't get me wrong - Canberra is a beautiful place and the flowering trees are fantastic at this time of the year and plenty of sites to see - including the galleries and national buildings Blair mentions.
My moan is its difficult to drive around (even with GPS) and even harder to find shops. I've had to google Woolworths, Coles, their Servos and get addresses for my GPS as they all seem to be well hidden and poorly signed up. Have travelled and stayed in Sydney and Melbourne, which are MUCH larger, and not had these problems there
And you may well be right about the terrorist rubbish bin thing Blair - I just found it a bit cynical you couldn't take coffee into the Memorial (which is fair enough) but they sell takeaway coffee from their indoors café - maybe the ban is more for commercial reasons than stopping people tipping or spilling liquids on displays
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Cheers Bruce
The amazing things you see when nomading Australia
We were there about 4 years ago, though we stayed in Queenbeyan as we preferred the caravan park there, we drove all around Canberra for about a week and had no trouble at all.
Owning a GPS is the way to go. It directed us to all the tourist spots without trouble.
If you are touring Australia a GPS is an essential piece of equipment in my opinion (especially in the cities) as long as you use it in conjunction with a map and a bit of common sense.
All tourist spots were well layed out and user friendly and we loved our time there.
On a side note. I prefer the Sydney War Memorial as it was a bit more poignant to me though, whereas the Canberra one was more like an amazing war museum.
Cheers
Jon
-- Edited by Hylda&Jon on Friday 11th of September 2015 11:59:56 AM
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Home is where we hang our hats - Home now in Yamba NSW
Both you and Santa are wrong in saying Canberra is not a tourist city. According to the Information Centre here, Canberra has more visitors (tourists from overseas and through Aust) than any other capital city in the country. I guess that makes it a tourist destination !!!!
Evening Bruce,
"Canberra has more visitors (tourists from overseas and through Aust) than any other capital city in the country."
Big call there mate, my research certainly doesn't support this statement, perhaps you can provide some figures in support of the claim.
Santa. Read my post again.......then you will know where I got told that piece of information. I don't waste my time researching trivia like this - Im simply repeating what I was told by those who you would expect would know this sort of detail
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Cheers Bruce
The amazing things you see when nomading Australia
Santa. Read my post again.......then you will know where I got told that piece of information. I don't waste my time researching trivia like this - Im simply repeating what I was told by those who you would expect would know this sort of detail.
This is also off topic anyway - my post was not about how many tourists/visitors come here - simply part of a longer comment I made and quoted what I was told by those who should know
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Cheers Bruce
The amazing things you see when nomading Australia
Well, I'm glad someone has stood up for my home town. Just think of the circles as very large roundabouts.
Belconnen shopping centre I find, would be very unfriendly if you have a tall rig or towing a caravan. There are few places to park. It is a very large centre but I still find it quicker to get a bottle of milk there rather than my local neighbourhood centre. The Canberra centre mall is three times bigger and I still have to remember where I parked so I don't get lost.
After about 4hrs I'm all shopped out and that costs $2 with the first two hrs free. Its mainly in place to discourage office workers parking all day and taking up spaces. You could always go out and come back in before the two hrs are up. The best place to park is in the grocery shopping parks not the multi level ones.
The Canberra centre mall is three times bigger and I still have to remember where I parked so I don't get lost.
GPS is very handy especially if it has points of interest. I have lived in Canberra for 25yrs and use the GPS frequently when I go somewhere I am not familiar with.(like down south)
I will say, at the moment I'm feeling a bit homesick, as currently I'm out in the middle of nowhere and haven't been to a mall for about 3months.
I like Canberra, lived there for a while in the eighties, my son was born in the hospital they blow up , so he doesn't have anywhere to call home now!
I liked that you could drive around without all the visual pollution of commercial Golden Arches , red chooks, and giant domino boards screaming at you.
When the government poured money into the town it was well kept, not sure now.
I like the four seasons as some one else said , and all the surrounding areas and quick access to the south snowy fields and pretty quick to Sydney these days.
What I didn't like at the time I lived there if you weren't part of the public service you kinda lived on the outer. We made some life long friends having said that.
Once you get to understand the layout it is a good place to drive without a van, I would setup at queenbeyean as well.
It's a shame in my opinion That the politics have disintegrated to a circus and don't add value to our nations capital much.
Love the old parliament building tour , good value
I grew to love Canberra and surrounds over the 10 years immediately prior to my retirement. It's a great place to live (for both oldies and young families) - once you get to know Canberra, you find it has a rich and diverse subculture. BUT as a destination for touists, I agree it can be a nightmare. I'll be back visiting friends later in the year. If you're travelling there, consider staying either at the van park at Queanbeyan or at EPIC ( showground northside of Canberra).
Lived there and surrounds for 25 yrs. you just have to remember you cannot go around the block or you end up in the next suburb!!!
Beautiful place to look at in the spring and autumn, very different attitudes to the rest of Australia and I have to say the two yrs I lived in town before moving to the farm were the loneliest of My life. Apparently it wasn't the done thing not to work.
Conversation when meeting someone for the first time
1. Which department does your husband work in?
2. What level is he?
3. When they found out I was a stay at home mum they turned on their heels and left!!! They of course had a real job and then spent QUALITY time with their kids on the weekends ....
However I did meet some very nice genuine locals born and bread. For some reason I feel that when people move there they feel they are immediately better than the rest of us. All in all I made some very good friends in my 25 yrs but most of them in the rural setting where we lived. It is no doubt a very unrealistic existence living in town.
The bins thing is quite common however not only there. It is becoming more and mo common in public areas. A sign of the times I guess.
Went to Floriaide today. The flowers for the most part have yet to open and I guess it will be about 2-3 weeks before it will be spectacular. The only flowers out fully were the pansies. Most others were just budding
We were at a Big W and got served by a middle aged guy. Without us saying anything (other than a smile and hello) he said youre too friendly to be local. He said hes been living in Canberra for 3 years now and his heart has frozen (his words) as the people are rude and weird (his words). Im sure that theres plenty of nice people here but I guess what Evie says is probably correct - a very inward looking, government department driven population. Despite all the negative things I have said, its a lovely place with no slummy Melbourne type city buildings and suburbs. Just difficult to find specific places (with or without a GPS - which we have).
Today we also had all the bikers arriving supporting the police injured and killed - they say about 2000 turned up and that was a great sight - just miles of bikes in a row being escorted by police
And the weather has been perfect - not too cold at night and about 18-20 in the day
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Cheers Bruce
The amazing things you see when nomading Australia
