Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory. It is enclaved within New South Wales and is regularly referred to as Australia’s “Bush Capital”.
Because of its elevation 650 metres (2,130 ft) and distance from the coast, the Australian Capital Territory experiences four distinct seasons, unlike many other Australian cities whose climates are moderated by the sea. Canberra is notorious for hot, dry summers, and cold winters with occasional fog and frequent frosts. Many of the higher mountains in the territory’s south-west are snow-covered for at least part of the winter. Thunderstorms can occur between October and March, and annual rainfall is 623 millimetres (24.5 in), with rainfall highest in spring and summer and lowest in winter.
Australian Capital Territory Destination
Canberra
Canberra is the purpose built capital city of Australia, located in the Australian Capital Territory in the south-east of New South Wales. It is a planned city, with national monuments, museums, and galleries all built around large man-made lakes. A bush capital - Canberra is also a great place to enjoy the outdoors, with excellent cycling, gardens, parks, bushwalking and nature reserves.
Many people who live in Canberra are not originally from Canberra, having usually moved there to study or take up employment with the Australian Government. A common pattern is that people from other parts of Australia move to Canberra, study or work for a few years and then return to their place of origin or move on to elsewhere. As this means a constant influx of new arrivals to Canberra, you should not be reluctant to ask for directions and the like from locals - they are more than used to it and usually only too happy to help.
Canberrans on the whole are easygoing, friendly and tolerant people who have the highest levels of education and income in Australia. Ethnically, Canberra's population is more diverse than most regional areas of Australia, but nowhere near as culturally and linguistically varied as Sydney and Melbourne.
Canberra can get just as hot as anywhere else in Australia during the summer months (November-March), with temperatures above 30ºC a frequent occurrence from December through to March. It can get bitterly cold during the winter months (June-August) owing to its altitude and proximity to the Snowy Mountains. Overnight temperatures in winter frequently drop below zero and tend to hover around 10ºC during the day. However, it is usually a clear, brisk cold, and rarely a dull, damp cold. It rarely snows in Canberra, and when it does it does not stick on the ground for more than a few hours.
Canberra is less humid than Australian coastal cities. The hottest days are often mitigated by welcome, cooling, mountain breezes, particularly towards the end of the day, and the temperature drops overnight.
Things To See & Do in Canberra
Museums
Australian War Memorial – Treloar Crescent (top of ANZAC Parade, at the other end from Parliament House), ph +61 2 6243-4211 or +61 2 6243-4598 (for recorded information), fax +61 2 6243 4325, [17]. Daily 10AM-5PM. Not just a memorial, this is one of Australia’s premier museums, covering Australian military history from Federation to the present day and including fascinating exhibits of equipment, memorabilia and battle dioramas. You could easily spend a full day here (it has a café, or bring a picnic lunch if the weather is nice and sit on the lawns at the front). Anzac Parade, leading up to the War Memorial has a number of memorials to different wars and those involved in wars. Free entry, allow 4-7 hours.
Wildlife
Visit the National Zoo and Aquarium – 999 Lady Denman Drive, Weston Creek ACT 2611. (Take Parkes way and follow directions), (02) 62878400, [57]. This privately owned zoo and aquarium offers the standard service plus special tours that allow interaction with the animals. The range of tours offers opportunities to interact with animals (feed or touch) including tigers, lions, cheetahs, giraffes, bears, dingos, elands and snakes. The tours are quite special and certainly worth it if you love animals. Make sure that you turn up at the “Check in time” instead of the start time as the two are different.
