07.01.2013
As mentioned in my previous post, Canberra is the capital of Australia, and was chosen as a compromise between the two largest cities in the country. It is a relatively small place with more of a big town feel, and has a population of just 367,000 inhabitants (known as Canberrans) compared to the 4 million plus people that live in both Sydney & Melbourne, the two rival cities that wanted the title. It is the largest inland city in Australia, but just the 8th largest nationally. We are now in the Australian Capital Territory or ACT - the smallest state - making this the first time we have been outside New South Wales since arriving down under. Driving for 3 hours to get here, and not seeing too much in the way of towns along the way or many cars on the road, starts to make you realise the size and sparsity of Oz. A similar journey back home in the UK would have seen us pass numerous towns & cities in the same time frame and a whole lot of traffic congestion on the way. Not surprisingly, I'd take the smooth, uninterrupted drive with a lack of cars and a beautiful backdrop like below, any day!
Canberra's layout was completely planned prior to it being built, and so the streets & places are laid out in a very geometric fashion. Looking at it from above (see below pic), you can spot circles, hexagons and triangles, and so there is a very orderly - and almost deserted feel - as we drive into the CBD. Our first impression was of very wide roads, lined by trees on both sides and a distinct lack of people around - even more so for a capital - to enjoy the abundant space to be found here. This, and the lack of high rise buildings, genuinely makes this feel like just a large, leafy town. We saw countless signs informing us of the upcoming celebrations for Canberra's centenary, showing you just how new the city is.
The capital is most famous for being the home of the federal government, which is the largest single employer in town! This all equates to a lower unemployment rate, higher average income, higher university education level and a younger population than the national average. However, it also equates to Canberra having a reputation of being a boring and staid place to visit, and so we were weary of what we would be able to do here. This reputation is also due to the vast array of museums found here, however being a pair of massive travel geeks, we found this a huge attraction and we started the day with a visit to the National Museum of Australia!
Canberra's layout was completely planned prior to it being built, and so the streets & places are laid out in a very geometric fashion. Looking at it from above (see below pic), you can spot circles, hexagons and triangles, and so there is a very orderly - and almost deserted feel - as we drive into the CBD. Our first impression was of very wide roads, lined by trees on both sides and a distinct lack of people around - even more so for a capital - to enjoy the abundant space to be found here. This, and the lack of high rise buildings, genuinely makes this feel like just a large, leafy town. We saw countless signs informing us of the upcoming celebrations for Canberra's centenary, showing you just how new the city is.
Very modern entrance to the museum!
Very excited finding a reference to my home town in England!
The museum is free and crammed full of exhibits & things to do. We designed our own virtual spaceship and watched it come to life in 3D, and learned the history of Australia, it's people and it's amazing wildlife. It is well worth a visit and was a great start to the day. Oh, and the air conditioning was a great relief from the 38oC temperature outside. Afterwards, we drove to the centre of the circular street layout to check out both the old and new parliament house. Both are very similar, but we agreed that the new one is a very impressive, modern and sleek building set in a beautiful landscape. A very fitting home for the government of a very impressive, modern and sleek nation.
Old Parliament House (above) vs New Parliament House (below)
Before finding our camp site, we stopped by at a local Coles (one of the two main supermarkets here) to buy the first round of bread, milk, cereal, noodles, pasta, biscuits and juice that we would be sick of by the end of the journey! We found the Carotel Motel Caravan park ($36 for a powered site) to spend the first night of our trip on site number 512, and enjoy our first supper in Priscilla - the camper - with a couple of Pure Blonde beers. The site had a whole heap of facilities; the standard amenities block, BBQ area, reception & shop but also a playground for kids, miniature golf and an outdoor swimming pool which we took full advantage of whilst watching the sun set. We were just 6km from the centre of Canberra and set in 20 acres of beautiful landscape, often frequented by Kangaroos which unfortunately didn't make an appearance for us on this occasion.
First night's camp
Our view in the park!
Not only was this our first night of the road trip, but also our first night spent in a van-shaped tin can possessing the uncanny ability to retain the days searing heat, all night long. Being inland, the night time temperatures didn't drop very much (unlike in Victoria, where you can bake during the day but freeze at night) however being in a powered site meant we had a small fan to provide a little relief against the uncomfortable sleeping conditions, combined with the excitement of our first day exploring this amazing country. Trust me, the novelty of spending a night in a camper van in these conditions soon wears off.. Tip for any future trip (funds permitting) would be to hire a luxury van with air con in the back... we can but dream!
Day 2 in Canberra will include a visit to both the Royal Mint and the Black Mountain Tower (offering superb views across the capital) and we leave the ACT to arrive back in NSW.
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