Tourists visiting Canberra?

Good luck! We’ve sold our second bedroom spare bed last year after 3 years of having only two visitors! I think the main reason people come and visit Canberra is because they want to see a friend/ family here not to see the ‘wonderful’ scenery or weather that Canberra can offer. 🙂

Hence, I’m a big fan of Canberra and always think Canberra is a great place to live. So some ideas:
– Take the guests around the town including the night scenery from the top of mt. Ainslie
– +1 for Poacher’s pantry (don’t forget to book first unless if you come at around 2 pm)
– Winery tours (Clonokilla and the like)
– Visit markets (every Saturday farmers’ market in Epic or the Hall Markets on first Sunday each month)
– Visit Federation square (have morning tea at the best cupcakes place, Cherry Seed and then roaming around the gift shop next to it or go to Adore tea for high tea (thousands of teas available)
– Go for a cooking class at the Belconnen market at the Piazza (Wed-Sunday)
– See something different at the Street Theatre
– Lunch at Grazing restaurant
– +1 for Wee Jasper

So many things to do in Canberra… just too little time 🙂

If you want a short time waster – visit the National Bonsai & Penjing Collection of Australia. It is in the old caretakers cottage in Commonwealth Park – adjacent to Stage 88. It is open every day from 10 – 3pm – entry is free. There are over 30 beautiful bonsai from all over Australia.

no.6 said :

good luck … even my own mother from UK said she wont be visiting me here again !!!!!!!

i agree with the museum comments — complete waste of $$$$ —

lol. My European mother was more diplomatic and said she “would not want to live here”. The whole scenery and bush experience was totally wasted on her. 🙂

good luck … even my own mother from UK said she wont be visiting me here again !!!!!!!

i agree with the museum comments — complete waste of $$$$ —

Swimming with dolphins at the coast. Trying a surf lesson if he doesn’t already surf?

Reminds me why we are so lucky to live here. Mountain tracks and lots of walks one direction and amazing coastal treks the other. No end of wildlife to observe!

A short and sweet trip is the round trip up to Brindabella Station and back. When you get there its like an oasis. Have a picnic by the creek and watch the trout swim past. Read up on the history beforehand and it makes it even more worthwhile. Franklins (as in Miles Franklin) really made their claim up there.

Glad to hear the Stables are open. We stayed there one night when they had a comedy festival on. Very rustic but lots of fun. Also glad to see the lake is up to the bridge now.

Agree with the Araluen trip. Yes, its windy and slow but gives a completely different perspective on the run up the Escarpment instead of Clyde Mt.

braddonboy said :

Great trip blowers – do it regularly myself – and Blue Waterholes is a great place to camp.But note that Long Plain Road, along with a lot of other roads in the high country, are closed from the June long weekend to the October long weekend.

Plus one, blowers and braddonboy. Love it around there and Coolamine Homestead, Kiandra, Three Mile Dam, Ravine. Just check, though, as I think NPWS has declared the route to Blue Waterholes between Barnetts and Coolamine Mountain camp grounds as 4WD only. I can attest to Long Plain (and a host of others) being currently closed (been up that way the last two weekends). Jounama Homestead ruins might be do-able, though, 2wd, from the Tumut end (take Lobs Hole Powerline road about 5 km from the Snowy Mountains Way to the Y junction and walk the next 1.4km). Was surprised on Saturday to see the Kiandra Courthouse open selling coffee!

If you’re heading out Wee Jasper way and on to Tumut (I can also recommend that drive), then the old stables tavern is back open again (new owners . . . so, gentoopenguin, there’s food and drink out there).

I reckon there’s merit, too, in checking out the Snowy Scheme (if your visitors are of that sort of bent). It’s a non-winter season sort of thing (too many access roads closed otherwise), but Blowering Dam, Talbingo, Cabramurra, Tumut Ponds Dam, Tumut Powerstations 1, 2 (which you can’t see ‘cos it’s 244 metres underground) and 3, Tantangara Dam, Providence Portal, Eucumbene Dam (and that’s just the northern bits) are collectively mindblowing after you’ve gotten around them all and got a grasp of the enormity of the undertaking.

blowers said :

This thread has almost turned into a “Best Road Trips around Canberra” so I will add my piece.

Take the advice to go to Wee Jasper and continue on to Tumut over the mountains. The road is dirt and a bit windy but definitely capable in a 2 wheel drive. Stop off at Tumut for lunch then come back via Brindabella Station into the back of the Cotter and home.

Or as an alternative, from Tumut go back via the Snowy Mts Hwy and turn off just before Kiandra onto Long Plain Rd and go about 12km in to see Blue Waterholes. Great picnic and walks. Then back onto Snowy Mts Hwy to Adaminaby and then the back road to Tharwa and home via Tuggeranong. Full day trip there but the scenery is spectacular and for the Poms you can talk about the Man from Snowy River and experience it first hand. Lots of Brumbies on the road near Blue Waterholes.

Great trip blowers – do it regularly myself – and Blue Waterholes is a great place to camp.But note that Long Plain Road, along with a lot of other roads in the high country, are closed from the June long weekend to the October long weekend.

If interested in seeing plenty of wildlife, bushwalking (plenty of clearly marked trails), aboriginal rock art, old time huts (e.g. Brayshaw’s) and homesteads (e.g. Ororral Valley) some good days can be had in the Namadgi National Park. The park visitor’s centre just outside of Tharwa is a good place to start.

This thread has almost turned into a “Best Road Trips around Canberra” so I will add my piece.

Take the advice to go to Wee Jasper and continue on to Tumut over the mountains. The road is dirt and a bit windy but definitely capable in a 2 wheel drive. Stop off at Tumut for lunch then come back via Brindabella Station into the back of the Cotter and home.

Or as an alternative, from Tumut go back via the Snowy Mts Hwy and turn off just before Kiandra onto Long Plain Rd and go about 12km in to see Blue Waterholes. Great picnic and walks. Then back onto Snowy Mts Hwy to Adaminaby and then the back road to Tharwa and home via Tuggeranong. Full day trip there but the scenery is spectacular and for the Poms you can talk about the Man from Snowy River and experience it first hand. Lots of Brumbies on the road near Blue Waterholes.