Canberra Sight Seeing

There is plenty to see and do in Canberra. The most well known are visiting Parliament House, Old Parliament House, The Aboriginal Tent Embassy, The Australian War Memorial and Lake Burley Griffin.

Also, there are around 60 foreign consulates, some of which are spectacular buildings. They are mostly situated in Yarralumla, which is to the Northwest of Parliament House, and several have small exhibitions you can visit.

Another place you can visit is the attractive Government House. The gardens and building itself are both very beautiful. Government House is located not far from Canberra, and is worth the drive.

There are also many other places to visit including the Australian Institute of Sport, Bruce, which offers tours at 11.30am and 2.30pm about sports history and training. The National Aquarium and Wildlife Sanctuary, Lady Denman Drive, is open 9.00am-5.30pm. The National Archives of Australia, Queen Victoria Terrace, host documentation on Canberra's history. The National Library of Australia, Parkes Place, hosts rare books and manuscripts. The National Gallery of Australia is also worth visiting. The National Science and Technology Centre, next to the High Court, is a hands on museum open everyday from 10.00am-5.00pm. You can watch coins being made and view an interesting exhibition at The Royal Australian Mint, Deakin and visit Soundscreen Australia, McCoy Circuit, which holds film exhibitions and often festivals, open everyday between 9.00am-5.00pm.

Canberra is situated amongst a number of hills and bushland. There are several trails that make ideal walks and bike rides that offer spectacular views of the city. Hills include Mt. Majura 888m high, Mt. Ainslie 843m high, Black Mountain 812m high, Red Hill 720m high and Mt. Pleasant 663m high.

Mt. Ainslie is to the Northeast of the city and can be accessed by footpaths leading from behind The Australian War Memorial.

Black Mountain is West of the Civic, and if 812m isn't high enough for you, you can also climb the further 195m to the top of the Telstra Tower. The tower is open everyday between 9.00am-10.00pm, offering an exhibition on the history of telecommunication as well as a revolving restaurant and fantastic 360° views.

At the foot of the Black Mountain the Australian National Botanic Gardens can be found, open everyday between 9.00am-5.00pm. The gardens specialise in Australian flora and host an Aboriginal area, Eucalypt Lawn and Rainforest area. You can also take a daily tour.

For a full list of tourist attractions in ACT visit the ACT directory.