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act
 A
tour of Australia, the world’s biggest and sunniest island,
is not complete without visiting the monumental Australian
Capital Territory.
The pursuit of politics, power and parliamentarians is not the
only focus of the Australian Capital Territory. It has all the
desirable elements of a memorable holiday; national parks, nature
reserves, floral festivals, science centres, shopping, and
wineries. Canberra was designed by American Walter Burley Griffin
around three lakes, and it is a harmonious blend of orderly town
planning and aesthetically pleasing architecture.
The focal point for sightseeing is the ‘Parliamentary
Triangle’. Allow four hours to visit the highlights;
Parliament House on Capitol Hill, Old Parliament House, National
Portrait Gallery, National Library, National Museum, Science
Centre and the National Capital exhibition. The Parliament House
tour is very informative, and the building showcases Australian
timbers and wonderful arts and crafts within impressive marble
and granite structures. Take a little time to reflect at the
Australian War Memorial, regarded as one of the world’s best
war museums. Stop and admire the Captain Cook Memorial Jet
fountain, which has the capacity to send seven tonnes of water
140 metres into the air.
 Canberra is a city of many parts, and when
you are satiated with the stylish architecture, you can begin to
savour other diverse pleasures. The ideal place to start is the
popular restaurant area of Civic, noted for excellent food and
wine, and its pleasant surroundings. Canberra has over 300
restaurants and 30 boutique wineries and is known as
Australia’s ‘Cool Climate Wine Capital’. The
Canberra Centre is a pleasant shopping venue and the most popular
markets can be found in the Old Bus Depot in Kingston.
Physical culture is avidly pursued and Canberrans are very proud
of Canberra Stadium, home to local soccer, rugby league and union
sides. You can take an interesting tour of the Institute of
Sport, where elite athletes are trained. The visitor can indulge
in many outdoor adventures while in ACT, including the luge and
flying fox at Corin Forest, plus abseiling, white water rafting,
tandem skydiving and ballooning at other locations.
 Nature lovers are well catered for at the
giant Namadgi National Park, Botanic Gardens and the Bird Walk
Atrium which houses 500 bird species. The National Dinosaur
museum has impressive giant skeletons and the Reptile Centre has
real live slithering creatures. Science and technology are
prominent at the CSIRO Discovery Centre and the Deep Space
Complex. Mount Stromlo Exploratory gives you great views of the
heavens, while the Telstra Tower provides a stunning bird’s
eye view of Canberra.
Visitors don’t come to Canberra solely to see the seat of
government. They come for the total experience; shopping, wining,
dining, sightseeing, adventure, and learning what it really means
to be ‘Aussie’.
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