18 December 2019

VisitCanberra’s 10 most engaging Instagram posts for 2018

| Lachlan Roberts
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What do you think was the best photo on Visit Canberra’s Instagram page? Photos: Instagram.

A misty eagle, a bewildered kangaroo and a navigationally challenged platypus were among the most liked and commented images on VisitCanberra’s Instagram in the past 12 months.

The official tourism account for Canberra has continued to grow awareness and visitation numbers to the city by connecting with potential visitors and passionate locals in record numbers.

Fans of Canberra have embraced the #visitcanberra hashtag on Instagram, sharing photos that provide visitors and the community with reminders of why the city featured in Lonely Planet’s top 10 places to visit in 2018.

When it comes to the most commented images shared by @VisitCanberra, unique experiences and exciting news took the cake. Space Kitchen’s magical creation, the ‘Unicorn Waffle’ had many users commenting about who they would take to enjoy this treat, while a visit to the Cupping Room from the cast of Queer Eye had fingers tapping and tagging as word got around about their visit to the capital.

Art and polka dot lovers alike were excited by the new addition to the National Gallery of Australia’s permanent collection, Yayoi Kusama’s infinity room ‘The Spirits of the Pumpkins Descended into the Heavens’ as photographers and those wanting a perfect Instagrammable moment united in the comments section to arrange times to visit.

VisitCanberra picked up more than 10,000 new fans on Instagram, growing from about 42,000 followers to more than 52,000 followers. Visitors and locals continue to share hundreds of images of the nation’s capital a day using #visitcanberra.

Here are VisitCanberra’s 10 most engaging Instagram posts for 2018:

1. The most popular image featured by VisitCanberra in 2018 with 4,210 likes and more than 100 comments, was a misty morning photo taken on Kings Avenue Bridge by local Tony Croke, better known under the handle @cecil1958. With the distinguishable silhouette of the Australian-American Memorial ‘The Eagle’ appearing in the background, people remarked that it captured a theme conveyed in popular movies such as Batman, Blade Runner or Lord of the Rings, with some drawing comparisons with Canberra-based political thriller Secret City. This image has held out the number one spot as VisitCanberra’s most liked image of all time since it was shared in July.

2. With 3,907 likes and countless comments, this photo by local photographer Vishal Pandey of Anzac Day at the Australian War Memorial was the second most engaging post on VisitCanberra’s Instagram. It is not hard to see why.

3. Canberra’s reputation as the bush capital showed through in the most liked images for 2018 with Matthew Witcombe’s photo of a kangaroo, who was likely oblivious to the Canberra Balloon Spectacular occurring behind him.

4. Australian travel and lifestyle photographer Fran Tapia’s Canberra Balloon Spectacular comes in at number four which is no mean feat given that countless photos of one of Canberra’s favourite events make the rounds annually.

5. Carol Elvin‘s photo of Weston Park in autumn was the fifth most liked post, with over 3,000 people sharing their love for the moody, spectacular fog.

6. The rare occurrence of a platypus swimming close to shore in Lake Burley Griffin delighted many with Liam‘s video becoming VisitCanberra’s most commented Instagram of all time. The monotreme – affectionately dubbed Percy – became quite the social media darling.

7. Twinkle, twinkle little star(s)! Canberra’s clear night skies provide a stunning backdrop to some of the brightest stars in the Southern Hemisphere as shown by Nicolas Duhaut’s gorgeous image.

8. Stu‘s snapshot of a busy summer eve around Regatta Point shows just how much goes on around the lake during summer. Can you spot a backflipping member of the public in the background?

9. Finalist of the 2018 Emerging Australian Professional Photographer Glenn Martin caught these cute ducks waddling around Canberra this autumn, which received a lot of love from the public.

10. To finish off the top 10 posts, Glenn Martin takes out the last two spots on the list, with this jaw-dropping picture on the opening weekend of Enlighten Canberra.

What were your favourite images of Canberra in 2018?

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