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Canberra - The Nation's Capital

October 29th 2007 20:30
Canberra, the capital of Australia, is a modern city set within leafy surrounds and offers a vast array of national attractions that embodies the essence of Australia's culture, history and our unique way of life.

With a population in excess of 300,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and home to the Australian government Parliament House, the High Court of Australia and numerous government departments and agencies.

Canberra ACT



Canberrans live in a planned city; laid out on two perpendicular axes: a water axis stretching along Lake Burley Griffin, and a ceremonial land axis stretching from Parliament House on Capital Hill north-eastward along ANZAC Parade to the Australian War Memorial at the foot of Mt Ainslie.

Organised into a hierarchy of districts, town and group centres, local suburbs as well as other industrial areas and villages, there are seven districts consisting of many smaller suburbs.

Due to its inland location, Canberra experiences hot, dry summers (32 °C ) and cold winters (-5 °C) with heavy fog and frequent frosts.

As the capital of the country, Canberra boasts many national monuments and tourist attractions namely, the Australian War Memorial, Australian National Botanic Gardens, National Gallery of Australia and Telstra Tower (also known as Black Mountain Tower).

Telstra Tower


During the spring season, Canberra celebrates with a festival of flower and entertainment called the Floriade. Held annually at Commonwealth Park, it is considered the most important regular event for tourism in the ACT and the largest flower festival in the Southern hemisphere.

Canberrans enjoy a vast array of cuisines with many Chinese, Malaysian and Italian restaurants located in the City Centre, Dickson and Manuka.

For those planning on visiting the ACT, try and plan your visit to coincide with the wonderful Floriade festival in mid September to mid October. The weather is at its best during this time of the year and make sure you visit at least some of the following attractions.


Australian War Memorial

Australian War Memorial


The Australian War Memorial in Canberra ranks among the world's great national monuments. Sharply etched grandeur and dignity in its stylised Byzantine profile, contrast with a distinctively Australian setting among lawns and eucalypts, at the head of a wide ceremonial avenue: ANZAC Parade. Kangaroos, occasionally straying from nearby bushy hills, add to the physical impact.

Treloar Crescent
Campbell ACT 2612
AUSTRALIA

Floriade

Floriade


Every spring, Canberra's Commonwealth Park is transformed into a tapestry of colour with more than a million bulbs and annuals in bloom at this month-long free festival.

Commonwealth Park

Australian Parliament House

Australian Parliament House


The home of Australia's Parliament and the meeting place of the nation, Parliament House is located on a 32-hectare site on Capital Hill and is the focal point of Canberra, the capital city of Australia.

The unique blend of impressive architecture, a stunning art collection and beautiful landscape makes Parliament House one of Australia's most significant and popular cultural attractions.

Lake Burley Griffin

Captain Cook Water Jet


Lake Burley Griffin is Canberra's centerpiece and a significant number of national institutions and national public places are located on or near its shores.

The lake and surrounding areas are used for a wide range of recreational activities. There are lovely parks for picnics and areas for swimming as well as walking tracks and cycling paths.

Located on the lake is the Captain Cook Water Jet. Powered by two 560 kilowatt electric motors driving four stage centrifugal pumps, the water jet throws approximately six tons of water into the air at any instant, reaching a maximum height of 147 metres.



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National Folk Festival in Canberra

April 10th 2007 12:20
It is funny how things pass you by, but don't pass others by. 50 000 people apparently attended this year's National Folk Festival in Canberra, which is held yearly during the easter weekend. Personally, I didn't even know there was a national folk festival.

Canberra is of course better known for being the nation's capital and the home to Parliament House, the War Memorial and other "Nationals" - not just the party members, but also the gallery and museum. Makes sense that they would have the National Folk Festival then I suppose.

It suits Canberra in many ways to have this kind of music festival. Although I know of a more broad music past, it is a quaint town of a thousand roundabouts, Floriade, the flower festival and at the moment a conservative government, so I suppose the less offensive genre of folk suits Canberra more than say thrash would. (I say that, but it has been home to Metal for the Brain).

So anyway, keep Canberra in mind for next year's Easter Weekend if folk music is your thing. 800 performers and some decent crowds makes for a good event by the sounds of it!
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Is anyone else bored by the Australian media's coverage of the Brian Bourke affair? Talk about news creation. Despite the story being essentially nothing, the media has strung it out by asking man and his dog their opinion of Kevin Rudd having met with this Bourke character. The Government are loving it of course because it is taking focus away from their meetings with Ron Walker and company.

I hope people see through this. To me, the consequences of meetings with three men looking to move into the nuclear industry are much more significant to our nation's future than Kevin Rudd's meetings with a dodgy labor businessman. Yes, Rudd was idiot to meet with the man, but Bourke wasn't going to build nuclear power stations!

It's time for the media to get their shit together and let news dictate their agendas and not their agendas dictate what is news. That goes for all the networks, as the ABC have been just as bad as any other in this case.
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Politicising the return of David Hicks

February 19th 2007 00:04
So the news of today and the weekend is that should the process that is currently in place to try David Hicks actually happen, unhindered by the defence lawyers, David Hicks could be back in Australia by the next federal election.

Wouldn't that be convenient, Alexander Downer? The bloke has only been held without trial for the last five years, during which the American courts found the charges Hicks faced were unconstitutional. Many of the same people in the USA who said the original charges and trial process were unconstitutional think the same of the current charges, so you get a situation that means if Hicks is willing to cop charges he shouldn't even be charged with, in a process he shouldn't have to face, then he could be returned right in time for the Liberals to use him as ammunition for an election campaign


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The Government and Climate Change

November 12th 2006 22:43
I am going on a bit of trip lately with the issue of climate change. Despite it being relevant worldwide, the effects of climate change is really being felt in Australia. The drought is harsh, water restrictions are tight and pacific nations surrounding us are slowly becoming smaller as waters rise.

So what is going to be done about it? Up until about a month ago the Federal Government were saying nothing. The term 'sceptics' comes to mind, which is not a new thing when it comes to environmental issues and the Liberal/National Coalition. I would suggest talking about the environment would place them too close to those terrible maoists, the Greens, God forbid


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Australia as a secular society?

October 30th 2006 04:35
I ask the question in the title is Australia a secular society and I will answer it by saying increasingly so. Not long off becoming a high school teacher, I couldn't ignore the topic in the news today of John Howard announcing 20 grand would be available for public schools to bring in a chaplain if they wish.

You have got to be kidding


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Our capital city, Canberra, is full of facilities of an artistic, historic and institutional nature. It is the home of many museums, galleries and memorials because it is the nation's capital. It was chosen as the capital because it is located conveniently between Sydney and Melbourne. The problem is that despite being home to all these facilities and government departments which aid parliament, Canberra isn't where most people live. They tend to live on the coast - Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are much larger and have much more dense populations. Why? The ocean is probably a start, nightlife, sporting events etc, I would imagine.

Then why is it that certain parts of The Government want to centralise power, moving positions that make up part of state departments, where people can work where they want to live, to Canberra, where few people do


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The National Museum Canberra

July 21st 2006 05:57
national museum
Photo: John Gollings


I have written a few blogs about the nation’s capital, Canberra. It is a fine city, but it benefits from being the capital and therefore having some historical and educational institutions that other cities probably find it more difficult to establish.
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Gay couples cancel their ACT trip

June 13th 2006 13:32
I would suggest that after the decision of the Australian Governor General to not allow the ACT's law to permit same sex civil union's to go ahead would have forced a number of gay couples to cancel their trip to the nation's capital today. There is one more chance, with a motion going before the Federal Senate to overturn the Governor General's decision, but in my opinion it won't pass with a conservative majority in the upper house at the moment.

Parliament House Canberra
Don't let Federal Parliament put you off Canberra

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Cockington Green Canberra

June 2nd 2006 06:58
Cockington Green
It is pretty early in Winter for it to be snowing in NSW, but I can tell you it is well cold here and I’m not surprised it is snowing in Oberon and Blackheath – about an hour away in the Blue Mountains.

I know I have said it before, but I personally want to head somewhere warmer when it gets this cold. I do like the cold of winter more than the heat of summer as overall seasons compared side by side, but on certain days of winter I think of the warmth. Instead, I am off to Canberra tomorrow.

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Australian War Memorial

May 17th 2006 08:13
I like war history. I’m at a stage in my life where I regret having not taken up history with more enthusiasm in high school or at uni. I know it’s not too late and I am making a conscience decision to delve further into history. Why war history? Not because I am overly nationalistic – although I can be when faced with someone apathetic, but because I find the stories interesting. I don’t mind learning about historical foreign policy and countries war strategies, but I want them linked with individual cases.

The Australian War Memorial is somewhere that can assist you if you are having the same thoughts as me. Approaching what the war memorial offers at an age where your understanding may be more sophisticated is as important as a child’s experience. The Australian War Memorial is located in Canberra, Australia’s capital.

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Yet another series of blogs I am going to do is on where to take (or leave) kids while on your travels. A lot of places that are aimed predominantly at kids can be enjoyed by adults as well of course so depending what else you have planned, you’ll have to decide to go with the kids and enjoy their experience with them, or leave them to have your own day out on the town.

Questacon Science Centre is located in the nation’s capital Canberra next to Lake Burley Griffin and in the vicinity of many of Canberra’s institutional attractions. I’ve many fond memories of visiting Questacon on a few occasions growing up partly because I did enjoy learning but also because of its hands-on nature.

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