23 September 2019

Lonely Planet ranks Canberra number three city in the world for 2018

| Tim Benson
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Photo: Jack Mohr.

A big two fingers to Sydney and Melbourne as Canberra is ranked third in Lonely Planet’s Best Travel in 2018, Top 10 Cities.

“Criminally overlooked Canberra packs a big punch for such a small city,” Lonely Planet’s Chris Zeiher said.

And overlooked it seemed in the Sydney tabloid newspaper I flicked through this morning (at Maccas at 6:30 am waiting for Woolies to open so I could buy bird seed for the wonderful parrots we get in our gardens in Canberra). This tabloid gave this wonderful Australian achievement two paragraphs on a left-hand page deep into the paper…

“National treasures are found round almost every corner and exciting new boutique precincts have emerged, bulging with gastronomic highlights and cultural must-dos. This is the first year that Canberra’s picturesque Manuka Oval will host an International Test cricket match, providing sporting fans the perfect excuse to visit Australia’s federal capital. Later in 2018 the Australian War Memorial will take centre stage as it hosts the 100th anniversary of the WWI Armistice.”

Best in Travel 2018 is Lonely Planet’s 13th annual agenda-setting collection of the world’s hottest destinations, experiences and trends for the year ahead. The best-selling inspirational travel yearbook highlights the top 10 cities, countries and regions that Lonely Planet’s experts recommend travellers experience in 2018.

“Revitalised precincts such as NewActon and Braddon best illustrate Canberra’s new lease of life,” Chris said.

“The deliciously decorated Hotel Hotel in NewActon is the epitome of new Canberra style, with materials such as reclaimed wood evoking the Australian landscape. NewActon is also home to A Baker, where the five-course ‘Just Feed Me’ and ‘Just Wine Me’ selections offer a perfect array of locally sourced produce and wine. Meanwhile, a brilliant blend of pop-up shops and lively cafes are sprinkled along Lonsdale Street in boutique Braddon,” Chris explained.

Lonely Planet’s Top 10 Cities 2018 are:

  1. Seville, Spain
  2. Detroit, USA
  3. Canberra
  4. Hamburg, Germany
  5. Kaohsiung, Taiwan
  6. Antwerp, Belgium
  7. Matera, Italy
  8. San Juan, Puerto Rico
  9. Guanajuato, Mexico
  10. Oslo, Norway

But as most Canberrans know this is the tip of the iceberg. We have Australia’s best bacon (Pialligo Smokehouse), some of Australia’s finest rieslings, per capita most recognised restaurants, highest incomes, highest educated, best universities, safest community…

So basically a massive two fingers to you Sydneysiders and Melburnians that insist on flying into Canberra for work and fly out for the weekend, as though Canberra is a hardship posting!

It is a pity that it takes the rest of the world to recognise Canberra as a world-class destination. Let’s see how Canberra’s Australian detractors explain this to their international mates.

Scrivener Dam. Photo: Jack Mohr.

Lake Burley Griffin from the National Library of Australia. Photo: Jack Mohr.

View from Mount Ainslie. Photo: Jack Mohr.

Australian War Memorial. Photo: Jack Mohr.

Questacon. Photo: Jack Mohr.

Parliament House. Photo: Jack Mohr.

Old Parliament House. Photo: Jack Mohr.

National Portrait Gallery. Photo: Jack Mohr.

National Museum of Australia. Photo: Jack Mohr.

National Library of Australia. Photo: Jack Mohr.

National Gallery of Australia. Photo: Jack Mohr.

National Arboretum. Photo: Jack Mohr.

Mount Stromlo Observatory. Photo: Jack Mohr.

Lake Burley Griffin. Photo: Jack Mohr.

Gibraltar Falls. Photo: Jack Mohr.

National Carillon. Photo: Jack Mohr.

Australian National Botanic Gardens. Photo: Jack Mohr.

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jackmohr_photographer said :

dungfungus said :

I visit the Australian National Botanical Gardens quite often but I do not recall ever seeing the place depicted in the photo on this post, especially the snake and the strange lizard.

Could someone tell me what section of the gardens I can see this unusual setting?

The photos are of exceptional quality.

Hello Dungfungus,
This image was taken in mid July, when the ANBG had their annual Dinosaur display. Each year they are provided by the Dinosaur museum. The photo is taken at the mini waterfall which is open to the public.
There’s more info in this article here:
https://the-riotact.com/whats-on-these-july-school-holidays/208557

Thanks Jack. That explains it perfectly.

Maryann Mussared6:45 pm 27 Oct 17

Yes, the photos are all fantastic and they show just how beautiful Canberra is!

jackmohr_photographer6:00 pm 27 Oct 17

dungfungus said :

I visit the Australian National Botanical Gardens quite often but I do not recall ever seeing the place depicted in the photo on this post, especially the snake and the strange lizard.

Could someone tell me what section of the gardens I can see this unusual setting?

The photos are of exceptional quality.

Hello Dungfungus,
This image was taken in mid July, when the ANBG had their annual Dinosaur display. Each year they are provided by the Dinosaur museum. The photo is taken at the mini waterfall which is open to the public.
There’s more info in this article here:
https://the-riotact.com/whats-on-these-july-school-holidays/208557

I visit the Australian National Botanical Gardens quite often but I do not recall ever seeing the place depicted in the photo on this post, especially the snake and the strange lizard.

Could someone tell me what section of the gardens I can see this unusual setting?

The photos are of exceptional quality.

Graham Tupper4:36 pm 26 Oct 17

Hey Tim, agree with you, and Lonely Planet, totally about this being a great place to live and to visit. But the photos of the buildings only tell part of the story…how about some photos of people enjoying the lake, the cafes, the food, the bike paths? I can help out there! Graham, Canberra Urban Adventures.

Elias Hallaj6:14 pm 25 Oct 17

Great yarn! Beautiful photos! Love this city 🙂

And so close to Queanbeyan

Queanbeyanite11:14 am 25 Oct 17

Any city state that could force the rest of the country to pay for it would do well.

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