Visiting Canberra - what to do?

Mælinar, it’s okay, light-hearted banter is a hobby of mine. You can stop justifying yourself to everyone. 😉

@Holden Caulfield – Not too sure what you are on about, but my ability to fix computers has scored me more bonus points than any academic achievement I’m aware of.

The fact its a hobby kind of means I like doing it, and I kind of like having a sideline backup plan handy just incase…

A doddle? Hardly. Sure..it’s not *that* bad, but it’s no doddle for a non-rider. Black Mountain is actually steeper than Mt Ainslie I’m sure.

RuffnReady said :

lol@Morgan. Dude, you actually have to be a cyclist, or at least quite fit, to ride up Canberra’s mountains! Around the Lake is a doddle though.

You’d be surprised how easy it is to get up those mountains. Black Mountain is a doddle, Ainslie a bit more but certainaly doable.

Mælinar said :

9. I play with Linux for a hobby

Here endeth the lesson.

Simplest way for it to stop is for WMD to stop acting like a fish out of water on every topic.

I am beginning to liken him to SGS actually, much to say, but quite naieve and immature when you break it down.

** Before you even dare responding to that WMD, I will ask you who SGS is in my reply, so do some research for a change. **

Hmm, actually, SGS drops off, WMD comes up – coincidence ?

lol@Morgan. Dude, you actually have to be a cyclist, or at least quite fit, to ride up Canberra’s mountains! Around the Lake is a doddle though.

I vote for annoying.

1. show them the AWM, NAA, OPH, any other place with an acronym except NPH and the NMA.
2. go to la scala for dinner
3. go to the adventure playground at Kambah – apparently it was designed for kids, flying fox is fun though.
4. go to booroomba rocks for the view, early morning best time
5. go to the canberra centre to show them what a sort of mall looks like. Go to tuggeranong Hyperdome, for the obligatory ugg boot spot game.

Well, I couldn’t say I ever found it funny….but it’s only now starting to annoy me, yes.

starting?

Deadmandrinking said :

Does anyone find ‘flap flap flap’ funny? C’mon, I want hands up here.

Actaully, it’s starting to get really, really annoying.

Mælinar said :

What do you do for fun? because you sound like a barrel of laughs.

1. I volunteer with the ACT SES
2. I am recreationally learning to fly
3. I study at CIT
4. Without WMD’s apparent prerequisite permission, I drink, beer even.
5. I homebrew a lot of aforesaid beer
6. I am raising two lovely children with Mrs Mælinar
7. I cook exquisite dishes for fun
8. I walk my dog
9. I play with Linux for a hobby

To break this statement down further just for the pure novelty of it all – here’s what I don’t do either:

1. Hang out with smokers, or anywhere near smokers
2. Hang out in malls, I only enter to pick up necessities, and hardly dawdle
3. Go anywhere near Civic, ever
4. Ask on public forums where I would take my newly formed friend to
5. Go to BMT, the AWM, the Nat. anything, Questacon, Queanbeyan, wineries, OPH, NPH, or any other sightseeing place unless its to show my kids or a visitor, newly formed or otherwise.

@JC – Dumbass. – oh @WMD flap flap flap. 3 and 5 are the same so you only had 8.

Poor dog.

Does anyone find ‘flap flap flap’ funny? C’mon, I want hands up here.

Read the comment before answering. I never stated, nor implied that I was even remotely considering contacting the admins.

Flap flap flap.

Gonna tell the admins are you? wah wah wah

Either the Admins think you are funny, or your borderline for some time in the timeout shed. Flap flap flap.

You had a bit of a wank about it before you started, yeah.

(It wasn’t that good really though, mate. Just letting ya know ;))

flappidy flap flap flap. flapp flap flap. I was responding to a question, I could ask the same of you, but my time would be forever wasted by such a gesture.

That, by the way, was a massive insult. Right up there with Winston Churchill V Lady Astor.

Oh, and why are you commenting on this if you hate the idea of it in the first place? Kind of fanning what you see to be a fire isn’t it?

“1. Hang out with smokers, or anywhere near smokers
2. Hang out in malls, I only enter to pick up necessities, and hardly dawdle
3. Go anywhere near Civic, ever
4. Ask on public forums where I would take my newly formed friend to
5. Go to BMT, the AWM, the Nat. anything, Questacon, Queanbeyan, wineries, OPH, NPH, or any other sightseeing place unless its to show my kids or a visitor, newly formed or otherwise.

@JC – Dumbass. – oh @WMD flap flap flap. 3 and 5 are the same so you only had 8.”

Wow, you sound like a really boring guy. No wonder all you do when you drink is send me posts.

What do you do for fun? because you sound like a barrel of laughs.

1. I volunteer with the ACT SES
2. I am recreationally learning to fly
3. I study at CIT
4. Without WMD’s apparent prerequisite permission, I drink, beer even.
5. I homebrew a lot of aforesaid beer
6. I am raising two lovely children with Mrs Mælinar
7. I cook exquisite dishes for fun
8. I walk my dog
9. I play with Linux for a hobby

To break this statement down further just for the pure novelty of it all – here’s what I don’t do either:

1. Hang out with smokers, or anywhere near smokers
2. Hang out in malls, I only enter to pick up necessities, and hardly dawdle
3. Go anywhere near Civic, ever
4. Ask on public forums where I would take my newly formed friend to
5. Go to BMT, the AWM, the Nat. anything, Questacon, Queanbeyan, wineries, OPH, NPH, or any other sightseeing place unless its to show my kids or a visitor, newly formed or otherwise.

@JC – Dumbass. – oh @WMD flap flap flap. 3 and 5 are the same so you only had 8.

Special uncut version:

3) Splat
4) Cry

1) Fyshwick
2) My bedroom

… thats as far as we go in a public forum… 😉

Mælinar said :

Give them a RA logon and tell them to go nuts.

Seriously – has it come to asking advice online how to have a bit of fun ? Are we that Americanised ?

Well I’m not really asking advice. I’m curious what other people do in Canberra. What do you do for fun? because you sound like a barrel of laughs.

Katie said :

Picnic at the Carillion
Head up Mt Ainslie to the lookout at sunset and take some wine Definately some cafe dwelling
Bushwalking in Namadgi national park
And a trip to your local for a pint or two, Phoenix or Wig N Pen for more colourful folk or up to Hippo or Knightsbridge if she’s more that type.

That does sound like a genuine rad day in da ol berra.

Careful Julius, you’re thread wasn’t good enough for the high and mighty Maelinar. Apparently, asking a genuine question about Canberra’s best spots is soooo American.

anyways, I have nine

1) Parliament House.
2) Questacon
3) Basement.
4) Service station.
5) Basement
6) Lighthouse
7) ICBM
8) Mooseheads
9) Drunk Tank.

martin75 said :

5. filthies in kingston for beer and darts
4. turner or canberra city bowls club for beer and lawn bowls
3. civic or uni pub for beer and pool
2. tradies dickson for beer and a bet on the dish lickers

finally

1. kambah tavern for beer and a fight

Well you certainly know how do get a laddie smashed.

CanberraResident said :

1. Nothing.
2. Nothing.
3. Nothing.
4. Is the Swedish babe fat? Walk from Conder to Harrison. Good exercise. Use the GDE to justify its expense.
5. Go along to a protest about a “cause” you know nothing about.

Well if you want her to be fat, sure whatever tickles your nipples? Hey I use the GDE! Do you have GDE envy? What would you rather that money be spent on? Education, health etc …waste of money!!!

5. filthies in kingston for beer and darts
4. turner or canberra city bowls club for beer and lawn bowls
3. civic or uni pub for beer and pool
2. tradies dickson for beer and a bet on the dish lickers

finally

1. kambah tavern for beer and a fight

shanefos said :

NPG is closed at OPH and Comm Place. You’ll have to wait until December for the new NPG to open.

Well there you go, thanks for the update.

sexynotsmart said :

Mid-afternoon walk around Lake Tuggeranong, and stumbling across a “Teddy Bear’s Picnic”. Opportunistic sausage sandwich and flinging crusts at ducks and swans.

ooOoo ditto !

War Memorial
Poacher’s Pantry
Markets
Bungendore leather/wood shops

Holden Caulfield said :

Pretty sure the Commonwelath Place site, that is on the lake foreshore is still open, but the permanent building, adjacent to the High Court, is still a construction zone.

NPG is closed at OPH and Comm Place. You’ll have to wait until December for the new NPG to open.

National museum. Make sure they go on the old paddle steamer (The Enterprise). That way they can go home with photo of themselves on the bridge of the Enterprise.
Play a round of golf at Gold Creek Country club. The kangaroos there are scored as a natural hazard.
Questacon – always a big hit with anyone under 75.
Bushwalk up Mt Ainslie (and watch out for the drop bears)
Cycle around LBG (and play spot the bunyip)

Picnic at the Carillion
Head up Mt Ainslie to the lookout at sunset and take some wine Definately some cafe dwelling
Bushwalking in Namadgi national park
And a trip to your local for a pint or two, Phoenix or Wig N Pen for more colourful folk or up to Hippo or Knightsbridge if she’s more that type.
People who don’t live here (and some that do) always bag this city which is great because nobody ever wants to come here and we get to have it all to ourselves. I really like this place, there’s plenty to do and see and not too many people here to screw it up.

sepi said :

New portrait gallery is down by the lake – anyone been yet?

Pretty sure the Commonwelath Place site, that is on the lake foreshore is still open, but the permanent building, adjacent to the High Court, is still a construction zone.

sepi said :

And once you are there you can check out the reptile centre over the road – it is very small, with about 20 big snakes in glass cages, but they freak out some european types who don’t see many snakes.

Then you could go to Cafe Injoy or whatever it’s called and freak out your visitor by showing them some locals.

b2 said :

Yes but Holden Caulfield, you can’t always guarantee that they will hop past. We always take people on that back road behind Mt Ainslie, between the ovals and the defence buildings, there are always roos there.

Yeah, it was a bit of a gag on my part. 😉

Give them a RA logon and tell them to go nuts.

Seriously – has it come to asking advice online how to have a bit of fun ? Are we that Americanised ?

1. Nothing.
2. Nothing.
3. Nothing.
4. Is the Swedish babe fat? Walk from Conder to Harrison. Good exercise. Use the GDE to justify its expense.
5. Go along to a protest about a “cause” you know nothing about.

Actually the bird aviary at gold creek is pretty good. It is a bit run down and small, but the parrots will sit on your shoulder – you can get some nice photos. They give you a tray of apple to feed the birds, and the birds will all flock around.

And once you are there you can check out the reptile centre over the road – it is very small, with about 20 big snakes in glass cages, but they freak out some european types who don’t see many snakes.

Splatted roo’s on most of the roads around canberra – could stop and cook one for said blonde, authentic bush-tucker!

Still having fun re-arranging these words around – “escort smoking hot Swedish”

Yes but Holden Caulfield, you can’t always guarantee that they will hop past. We always take people on that back road behind Mt Ainslie, between the ovals and the defence buildings, there are always roos there.

Portrait Gallery in OPH is closed, so don’t bother with that. A walk up a mountain is always nice, you can walk up mt ainslie from behind the war memorial in about 40mins. the AWM is a must see, and parliament house is pretty cool for visitors. And a nice pub, like edgars would be good too.

If they like tacky shit and want to be ripped off, then cockington green is def the place to go, really you could spend a whole day out at gold creek, go to the dinosaur museum and everything. It’d leave them with a good impression…

A took a guy from Darwin around for a day (about 18 months ago).

We went to Questacon, the front of New Parliament House, through the War Memorial, up Mount Ainslie, through Fyshwick and then to the Airport DFO.

Questscon was his favourite (he was 23 at the time).

Drive up Red Hill at dusk for dinner. See kangaroos on the way up, then sample some in the restaurant.

Gundaroo pizzas for lunch – check out the 1880 jail in the front yard.

New portrait gallery is down by the lake – anyone been yet?

New wine bar near ANU is meant to be nice.

Wig and Pen for local beer?

Great place to spot those roos is the ADFA sports paddocks on the other side of Fairbairn Ave (the Campbell Park side). at dusk they all gather there for a big feed.

NoAddedMSG said :

Head out to the Ainslie/Duntroon/Airport area at dusk for some Kangaroo spotting – wild Kangaroos so close to urban areas are pretty cool to tourists.

Why go out of your way when you can have Roos hopping right past your front door. The last two suburbs I’ve lived in Canberra have seen such sights, haha.

Back on topic, I’d say War Memorial, for sure, also the National Museum and Parliamentary triangle. A bit twee, I suppose, but all very Canberra, and worthwhile IMO. Is the Portrait Gallery still running at OPH? If so they usually have good things on and it’s always nice to compare both Parliament Houses as well. If your imaginary friend happens to be here this weekend then the Open Day for Parliament House’s 20th birthday is this Saturday (when the admins post up my story you can discuss it in more detail there…). A walk around Lake Burley Griffin takes just under an hour, or longer if you stop and enjoy the sights a bit more, and is pretty easy going.

Cockington Green for anyone who genuinely likes kitch, or has the kind of sense of humour that is amused by a model dead person lying squished by (lifesize) horse poo while model monks stare at the sky.

Morning tea picnic up Mt Ainslie so the guest can marvel at how little city is actually visible through the trees (makes you realise just how fitting “Bush Capitol” is).

Head out to the Ainslie/Duntroon/Airport area at dusk for some Kangaroo spotting – wild Kangaroos so close to urban areas are pretty cool to tourists.

Scuba Diving in lake burley griffin. A must for anyone who is keen on mud and carp.

Cycle round the lake. National library visit. Kingston bus depot markets. Coffee in kingston or manuka. Walk: Booroomba is good – shamble from Bulls Head carpark up Mt Gingera is even better, it’s easy and gives amazing view out to Jagungal, but you can also see the MLC tower in Woden! Visit a pub in Bungendore or Yass. Question time in parly house.

There is nothing like getting up early, riding up Black Mountain (the view is spectacular especially at 7 in the morning), then taking a leisurely ride around Burley Griffin and finishing somewhere like Gods at ANU for breakfast. This is the city of the bicycle, and the best way to see it is on a bike. Same deal for the walk/ride to the top of Mt Ainslie, I love the view looking down Anzac Pde to the Houses of Parliament.

We might think all of those bad school excursions to Canberra with dreary museums are a fate worse than death and f*ck now we live here too, but I have heard different views from foreign tourists. I served a customer in the shop I work in the other day who is American, here with his wife and young family on holiday, he was genuinely interested in all the national monuments, Parliament, he was amazed the lake was man made and told me all about the Griffin exhibition; and his kids loved Questacon.

I think we are far too harsh on our fair city, I mean we are roughly similar in size to Hobart, not Sydney, but do you ever hear Tasmanians complaining about how shit their city is? Australians are taught from a very youngage that canberra is a massive school assignment, their parents and the Sydney Morning Herald tell them its boring, we’ve been indoctrinated.

Your smoking hot Swedish babe can do me.

LoveBump’s mother was clogging up the spare room for a couple of nights. So we have recent experience in this very issue.

Turner to Monet. The old bint is a bit of a ‘Sunday Arts’ type, so that was the highlight.
Mid-afternoon walk around Lake Tuggeranong, and stumbling across a “Teddy Bear’s Picnic”. Opportunistic sausage sandwich and flinging crusts at ducks and swans.
Early Dendy session, then coffee and people-watching at CocoBlack.
La Scala.
Glassworks.
Getting to the airport early.

Nice work futto, sadly all too true!

A hard question…….. The War Memorial would probably top the list for me…….. A bush walk, probably somewhere like Booroomba Rocks to give them an idea of the typical Aussie bush…….. Civic on a Sunday for a coffee. Many interstate guests I know have commented how dead the CBD is on a Sunday. Ghost town is the term they use. Love it or hate it, it’s still part of Canberra (the fact we don’t have five million people that is), oh and we’ve got the most cafe’s per capita so you’d have to include that in the five! …… ……. The Cotter / Tidbinbilla area. Nice on a motorbike this time of year, some areas with great colour, the “Sanctuary” that has not long opened at the Nature Reserve is pretty good (especially for free!) and the nearby Tracking Station is something you won’t get elsewhere in Australia……. And maybe something like Parliament house during the open day that’s comming up. If not on the open day then I might suggest the National Museum. I’m not the biggest fan of the Museum, but they have a lot of Australian stuff there that would be an eye opener to our ‘Smoking Hot Sweedish Friend’ 🙂 Sure there’s more that will be suggested but I’ve tried to think of things that are unique to the ACT area.

LOL @ futto

5. Create a steering committee to write a brief on possible activity’s that could be carried out. For extra fun, you can also make risk assessment report on each activity. Hopefully the weekend will be over at this time, and your guest can leave with a true sense of Canberra.

4. Drive around and look for cars with fog lights on. Get in to an argument with your friend about whether they are actually fog lights or driving lights. Bonus points if you get on the GDE and bitch about the fact it is one lane.

3. The Tuggeranong hyperdome has one the highest UBPH (Ugg Boots per hour) in the southern hemisphere and can be enjoyed for a whole afternoon.

2. If you are of the same gender as your guest, you could get married. oh wait….

1. Get them to buy a house so you will have something to talk about when they visit. Canberra people love to discuss renovations, rent prices, and other domesticated things.