Canberra Attractions & Things to Do 
  Australian Capital Territory (ACT) 
              
              Activities in Canberra 
               
              Parliament 
                                                                                House 
                  Built 
                  into 
                  the 
                  peak 
                  of 
                  Capital 
                  Hill, 
                  is 
                  the 
                  focal 
                  point 
                  for 
                  the 
                  whole 
                  of 
                  Canberra. 
                  The 
                  interior 
                  incorporates 
                  Australian 
                  artworks 
                  and 
                  is 
                  designed 
                  to 
                  embody 
                  the 
                  spirit 
                  of 
                  democracy. 
                  Visitors 
                  can 
                  take 
                  a 
                  guided 
                  tour, 
                  have 
                  lunch 
                  on 
                  the 
                  terrace, 
                  or 
                  view 
                  the 
                  story 
                  of 
                  Australian 
                  democracy 
                  in the 
                  theatrette. 
                  You 
                  are 
                  also 
                  welcome 
                  to 
                  observe 
                  Australia's 
                  political 
                  process 
                  if 
                  your 
                  visit 
                  occurs 
                  when 
                  Parliament 
                  is 
                  in 
              session.   
              National 
                Gallery 
                of 
                Australia 
                The 
                National 
                Gallery 
                has 
                the 
                finest 
                modern 
                art 
                collection 
                in 
                the 
                southern 
                hemisphere. 
                It 
                has 
                more 
                than 
                70,000 
                works 
                which 
                range 
                from 
                European 
                Old 
                Masters 
                to 
                contemporary 
                Aboriginal 
                artists, 
                and 
                is 
                renowned 
                for 
                its 
                inter- 
                national 
                blockbuster 
                exhibitions 
                and 
                permanent 
                gems 
                such 
                as 
                Jackson 
                Pollock's 
                Blue 
                Poles. 
                A 
                wander through 
                the 
                Sculpture 
                Garden 
                will 
                introduce 
                you 
                to 
                many 
                exciting 
                works 
                by 
                Australia's 
                foremost 
                sculptors, 
                and 
                the 
                wonderful 
                "fog 
                sculpture" 
                shrouds 
                the 
                garden 
                and 
                lily 
                pond 
                in 
                a 
                delicate 
                white 
                mist. 
                Follow 
                a 
                path 
                through 
                land- 
                scaped 
                greenery 
                to 
                Mirrabrook, 
                an 
                outdoor 
                restaurant 
                beside 
                Lake 
                Burley 
              Griffin.  
               Canberra 
                Railway 
                Museum 
                The 
                Museum 
                is 
                located 
                at 
                Geijera 
                Place, 
                at 
                the 
                end 
                of 
                Cunningham 
                St, 
                in 
                Kingston, 
                not 
                far 
                from 
                the 
                Canberra 
                Railway 
                Station. 
                Relax 
                at 
                the 
                Museum 
                while 
                you 
                experience 
                the 
                golden 
                age 
                of 
                railways. 
                Open 
                Saturdays, 
                Sundays 
                and 
                Public 
                Holidays 
                1 
                to 
                4 
                pm, 
                except 
                Christmas 
                and 
                Boxing 
                Days. BBQ 
                facilities 
                are 
                available 
                at 
                no 
                charge.  
                                                                               
                                                                              National 
                                                                                Portrait 
                                                                                Gallery 
                Situated 
                in 
                Old 
                Parliament 
                House 
                and 
                opened 
                in 
                1994 
                the 
                gallery 
                is 
                in 
                an 
                early 
                stage 
                of 
                its 
                development. 
                Exhibitions, 
                built 
                around 
                a 
                theme 
                are 
                changed 
                every 
                four 
                or 
                five 
                months 
                and 
                include 
                artworks 
                borrowed 
                from 
                public 
                and 
                private 
                lenders 
                some 
                of 
                which 
                have 
                never 
                been 
                exhibited 
                before.   
               Questacon 
                More 
                like 
                a 
                movie 
                set 
                than 
                a 
                museum, 
                Questacon, 
                the 
                National 
                Science 
                and 
                Technology 
                Centre, 
                is 
                a 
                hands-on 
                science 
                centre 
                which 
                takes 
                visitors 
                through 
                a 
                maze 
                of 
                scientific 
                knowledge 
                and 
                endeavour.  
               National 
                Film 
                and 
                Sound 
                Archives 
                National 
                Film 
                and 
                Sound 
                Archives 
                houses 
                Australia's 
                film, 
                television, 
                recorded 
                sound 
                and 
                radio 
                heritage 
                dating 
                from 
                the 
                1890s.  
               Australian 
                War 
                Memorial 
                Australian 
                War 
                Memorial 
                is 
                a 
                national 
                shrine 
                and 
                museum 
                with 
                a 
                vast 
                collection 
                of 
                exhibits, 
                militaria, 
                relics 
                and 
                paintings 
                documenting 
                Australia's 
                military 
                history.  
                National 
                Botanic 
                Gardens 
                On 
                the 
                slopes 
                of 
                Black 
                Mountain, 
                the 
                National 
                Botanic 
                Gardens 
                covers 
                50 
                hectares 
                that 
                focus 
                on 
                over 
                6000 
                species 
                of 
                native 
                flora. 
                The 
                misted 
                rainforest 
                is 
                a 
                highlight; 
                there's 
                a 
                walk 
                among 
                medicinal 
                plants 
                used 
                by 
                the 
                Aborigines; 
                there 
                are 
                guided 
                tours; 
                and 
                the 
                eucalypt 
                forest 
                numbers 
                over 
                600 species.  
              Australian 
                Reptile 
                Centre 
                Canberra 
Situated 
                  at 
                  Gold 
                  Creek 
                  on 
                  the 
                  Barton 
                  Highway, 
                  the 
                  Australian 
                  Reptile 
                  Centre 
                  Canberra 
                  provides 
                  a 
                  dynamic, 
                  professionally 
                  presented 
                  educational 
                  venue 
                  of 
                  all 
                  things 
              reptilian. 
                Lanyon 
                Historic 
                Homestead 
                A 
                visit 
                to 
                Canberra 
                should 
                include 
                Lanyon 
                Historic 
                Homestead, 
                a 
                superb 
                reminder 
                of 
                19th 
                century 
                rural 
                living, 
                and 
                historic 
                Cuppacumbalong 
                with 
                its 
                art 
                and 
                craft 
                centre, 
                cottages, 
                restaurants, 
                picnic 
                areas 
                and 
                river 
                swimming. 
                Continue 
                on 
                to 
                Namadgi 
                National 
                Park 
                which 
                embraces 
                a 
                region 
                of 
                sublime 
                landscapes 
                including 
                alpine wilderness. 
                It 
                covers 
                more 
                than 
                a 
                third 
                of 
                the 
                Australian 
                Capital 
                Territory.  
               The 
                Deep 
                Space 
                Communication 
                Complex 
                in 
                Tidbinbilla  
                Just 
                south 
                of 
                the 
                city, 
                is 
                operated 
                jointly 
                by 
                the 
                Australian 
                Department 
                of 
                Science 
                and 
                NASA. 
                The 
                Visitor 
                Centre 
                features 
                spacecraft 
                models 
                and 
                audio-visuals; 
                there 
                are 
                maps 
                and 
                information 
                on 
                guided 
                walks. 
                Nearby 
                is 
                Tidbinbilla 
                Nature 
                Reserve 
                where 
                emus, 
                kangaroos, 
                koalas 
                and 
                other 
                native 
                fauna 
                can 
                be 
                seen 
                in this 
                natural 
                habitat 
                tucked 
                in 
                amongst 
                the 
                mountains.  
               National 
                Aquarium 
                Australian 
                Wildlife 
                Sanctuary 
                Located 
                in 
                the 
                heart 
                of 
                Canberra 
                see 
                colourful 
                living 
                coral, 
                sharks, 
                moray 
                eels, 
                murray 
                cod, 
                crocodiles, 
                kangaroos, 
                waterfowl 
                and 
                much 
                more. 
                Telephone: 
                (06) 
                287 
                1211 
                Facsimile: 
                (06) 
                288 
            0477    |