Things to Do around Canberra

Tanbella Orchard

Attraction | "Fresh Air and Fresh Fruit"

Apple and other fruit picking at Tanbella is a great activity for the family. The orchard is large enough to give your family rows and rows of fruit trees to check out and pick fruit out, but not to spend all day wandering around overwhelmed by the largeness of a place. We arrived and each chose a bucket to put the apples and pears in. There were apples low to the ground so kids of all ages can really pick fruit and place it in to the bucket.

The fruit was $3 per kg and we just had to be careful not to overpick, though we are happy to snack on apples and homemade apple pastries.

Overall, it takes about 30 to 40 minutes to calmly wander around the orchard and take photos. The owners are friendly and happy to offer information about the local markets and differences in the apples. If you are looking for an accountant, one of the owners, Christine Reid, is also an accountant.

This is a highly enjoyable outing with real fruits of your labour to show for your time out.

chris@creid.com

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by Poole Party on March 9, 2009

Tanbella Orchard
20a Beltana Road Pialligo

Old Parliament House

Attraction | "Step into the Halls of Political History"

This is one of Canberra's Historical sites, a museum that gives you a glimpse of the workings of Australia's political system. Old Parliament House was the first home of the Australian Parliament in Canberra. It was opened in 1927 but closed its doors to political involvement in 1988 once the new and present day parliament House was built, and all physical function of parliament vacated for the new House.

However, many of the original furnishings and decor was kept and has been put on display, allowing you to get a real feel of what things were like, and in some ways, still are, in the runnings of Parliament. For example, you can sit in the House of Representatives' and the House of Senate's Chambers, the Government party room, the Prime Minister's Suite, the Cabinet Room and the press rooms, tape your 'live' interview with political figures, as well as play dress up, wearing military uniforms, judges' gowns and wigs, as well as see the real working chambers of former Australian Prime Ministers.

This is a beautiful building, and a real wonder for children to see old gadgets like typewriters ("What are those?), fiddle with the knobs and old fashioned phones with rotary dials (remember those?). Adults will love the sense of history, the real sense of being transported into the past, and also get a sense of what happens today in the 'new' parliament house. You will learn about the Australian Governmental system, the jobs of various staff. Kids of reading age are provided with a Super Sleuth activity to have them searching for answers to questions, with clues dotted throughout the building.

When you are done wandering about (about 1 hour) of walking around, exploring the various rooms and displays, there is a cafe downstairs to renew your energy, as well as a gift store with everything from knick knacks to fine ties and souvenir gifts to choose from.

There is a great view of the ANZAC parade/Australian War Memorial and Mt. Ainslie from some of rooms in the Old Parliament House. There are some beautiful rose gardens around the house to sit and relax and picnic if you aren't interested in the cafe. This is also a hop, skip and a jump from other 'touristy' and fun sites like Questacon, Australian War memorial. But if you are looking for an inexpensive hour long activity, this might be the very thing! You're not too old or too young to enjoy some aspect of this step into history.

Open daily, except Christmas Day, 9am to 5pm.
Entrance fee: Adults $2, children $1

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by Poole Party on March 6, 2009

Old Parliament House
King George Terrace Canberra, Australia 2600
+61 (0)2 6270 8222

CSIRO Discovery

Attraction | "Cloning Around at CSIRO"

OK, well, you don't do the cloning, but at CSIRO (pronounced See Ess Eye Ro I think), you can get an insight and take part of in interactive experiments/areas which showcase CSIRO's achievements in science and technology. You'll find out how much energy it takes to power a mechanical hand to scoop out a piece of chocolate for your treat, the DNA of a plant or veggie, as well as fun exhibits for all ages. There are several films - 3D and one on a multiple screen format, and also reptile and animal exhibits, in addition to interactive computer games.

CSIRO also provides yearly family membership for $50 which also gives you the opportunity to sign up school age children to volunteer at CSIRO, getting lots of training in science and technology, reptile handling and public speaking!

This is a relatively small place, worth many short visits for little ones of all ages. There are lots of places for parents to sit and watch the little ones hard at work. Probably the best ages are 8 to 13 years to really appreciate all the interactive and learning opportunities, but little ones will have fun too.

Check it out!

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by Poole Party on March 3, 2009

CSIRO Discovery
North Science Road Canberra, Australia 2601
+61 (0)2 6246 4646

Royal Australian Mint

Attraction | "Making Money in Canberra"

This is an active coin minting facility.

The facility is small, but provides a comprehensive of goins and a sure winner for anyone with numismatic interests. Though the observation gallery was closed for renovations when I visited, I could still make a coin - untouched by anyone but myself. There is also a video on coin history and coin production plus a coin shop to buy souvenir coins.

It's small, but also free, so a short and educational distraction for one of Australia's rare rainy days.

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by Poole Party on February 3, 2009

Royal Australian Mint
Denison Street Canberra, Australia 2600
+61 (0)2 6202 6819

Bungendore

Attraction | "Historic Village Only 30 Minutes from Canberra"

Bungendore is an historic village that was settled in 1837. It is similar to Gold Creek Village, but much bigger.

Attractions include art galleries, studios and crafts galleries featuring beautiful wood works, sculpture and furniture, as well as fantastic leather works. There is also a huge vintage antique store at the Molonglo St entrance of Bungendore.

There are also fine food cafes and restaurants to quench your thirst and feed you while you are wandering around the village.

If you are looking to spend the night en route to somewhere else, there are several accommodations in town - from the quaint looking Royal hotel to the Old Stone House which is a B & B.

There is a large playground at one end of Bungendore, which incidentally is where the bathrooms are for the town. This is the one downfall of visiting here. Unless you eat at the restaurants, you have to use the public bathrooms in the park.

If you like galleries and small town shops with quaint gifts, this is a nice place to spend a couple of hours (max), or a nice stopover town en route to your destination.

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by Poole Party on February 3, 2009

Bungendore
Kings Highway Bungendore, Australia 2621
+61 (0)2 6238 0429 (

Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve

Attraction | "A Walk in the Park"

This is a museum of Australia's wildlife about 40 minutes from Canberra. You can drive through and walk through trails of eucalyptus trees and look for various bird species and endangered species.

Starting at the Visitor Center, you learn about Aboriginal and European heritage plus up to date info about guided tours and activities. Learn about plants and animals.

Great physical activity and fun for the whole family.

Make sure you wear sunscreen, hats and bug spray since some of the areas are quite overgrown.

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by Poole Party on February 3, 2009

Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve
Paddys River Road Canberra, Australia 2620
+61 (0)2 6205 1233

Canberra Deep Space Communications Center

Attraction | "ET Call Home"

Driving onto the grounds of this complex is like driving onto the movie set of Contact or one of those moves about contacting space - huge satellite dishes. I'm not talking about the dishes hanging off your rooftops, but HUGE dishes, bigger than your house poised and ready to pick up signals.

This is an acive complex, tracking and recording results from Mars Surveyor spacecraft, Cassini, Galileo and Ulyssess space exploration projects. It provides a link with NASA spacecraft. The center itself is home to displays and interactive equipment and allows you to see the latest images from Mars. The small gift shop and cafe sells astronaut food and knick knacks.

A small playground and picnic areas to enjoy. Probably a good hour or two enjoyed here, plus a nice 20 minute drive from Canberra.

This is open daily from 9am to 5pm. Entry is free.
www.cdss.nasa.gov

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by Poole Party on February 3, 2009

Canberra Deep Space Communications Center
Off Paddy's River Road Canberra, Australia
6201 7880

Australian War Memorial

Attraction | "Memorial of Honour"

The Australian War Memorial on top of the Anzac Parade is an internationally recognized cultural attraction. This memorial is home to an extensive collection of art, relics photos and other multi media displays which commemorate all those who served in the war.

The indoor of the memorial is matched only by the outdoor displays of war transportation and sculptures and the beautiful grounds. Also, you get a fantastic view of the Anzac parade - a boulevard of war memorials.

A nice way to spend a couple of hours in and outside. Bring a picnic and enjoy the luscious green grounds.

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by Poole Party on February 3, 2009

Australian War Memorial
Anzac Parade Canberra, Australia 2612
+61 (0)2 6243 4211

National Museum of Australia

Attraction | "Australia's History for All"

This is a fantastic display of Australia's history, suitable for all ages. Located on the Acton Peninsula, this architectural beauty is home to interactive displays and multi media exhibitions featuring the histories and cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. There are guided tours and special events and an extensive gift shop.

There is a children's area for touch and display to decipher Aussie expressions, but also a computer interactive area where children create their own space age city and portal and view it in a movie at the end of the project.

A beautiful and peaceful museum to wander through. Stroller friendly.

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by Poole Party on February 3, 2009

National Museum of Australia
Lawson Drive Canberra, Australia 2601
+61 (0)2 6208 5000

National Zoo and Aquarium

Attraction | "Feed the Animals!"

This is a small zoo with a portion dedicated to an aquarium. The aquarium is also small, but intriguing. There are huge fish, small fish, sharks (nurse sharks), moray eels to name a few displays. There are also some reptiles featured in this area. Though small, the displays are well placed and colourful, and spread out in the small area to keep the children enthusiastic and interested.

The main feature of the zoo, though small and could be walked through in a couple of hours maximum, is that you can get very close to the animals in their natural environment. I have purchased an annual pass because the zoo with its winding paths through all the animal exhibits, makes a great and educational way to spend the day.

The zoo also has a touch area where you can get super close to lazy kangaroos and watch mini penguins swim about.

I have taken kids ranging in age from 3 to 12 years old and they have all enjoyed it. In fact, I find that the small zoo and aquarium actually makes a perfect day excursion before the hot Australian sun comes out.

Zoo features a program called Meet a Cheetah, which takes the participant right up to the animals - no fences and you can feed them too.
If you just want to feed yourself, there is a little cafeteria and on weekends and holidays, there is a sausage sizzle.
Stroller friendly and also bbq and picnic area available.

www.nationalzoo.com.au

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by Poole Party on February 3, 2009

National Zoo and Aquarium
Scrivener Dam, Yarralumla Canberra
+61 (02) 62878400

National Dinosaur Museum

Attraction | "Closest You Will Get to Dinos in Canberra"

This building is two storey but the exhibit is really housed only on one floor. The exhbit has 10 full size replica skeletons of dinos and huge displays of fossil plants, fish and mammals. The displays are quite complete, and include lots of interactive corners for kids to play and touch footprints and so forth.

There is a guide who can take you around and give you a detailed tour of the place, with full explanations and narrative of the evolution of the Australian Dinos.

The only criticisms I would have of the place is that the building is quite run down, the down stairs is somewhat of an attempt to make it a play area but all the equipment (large floor size puzzles, little rides) was dirty and/or broken. There was also a section to look like a play arcade, but again, the area was dark and quite oppressive.

For what you got, the dinosaur museum is somewhat overpriced at $10.50 per adult and $7.50 per child over 4. However, if you are a super fan of dinosaurs and love to read every bit of information you can, this is probably the closest you will get to dinosaurs in Canberra.

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by Poole Party on February 3, 2009

National Dinosaur Museum
Barton Highway Canberra, Australia 2912
1800 35 6000 (Freeca

Gold Creek Village, Nicholls

Attraction | "Variety of Things to Do"

Gold Creek Village is a small mall of stores ranging from art and craft galleries and 'traditional' looking lolly stores and cafes centered around an historic schoolhouse and residence.

Gold Creek Village also features family oriented attractions such as Cockington Green Gardens, The National Dinosaur Museum, Walk in Aviary and Reptile Center.

The whole village with all the other attractions will easily take a day to get through, but be prepared that most of the attractions are quite expensive for what you get. The stores themselves will only take an hour if you really stop and window shop at all stores.

I was expecting more stores, but on a nice day, the fountain and the quaintness of the village is an acceptable distraction.

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by Poole Party on February 3, 2009

Questacon - The National Science and Technology Centre

Attraction | "Science for All Ages"

Welcome to the ultimate science experience for all ages. Here you'll find six galleries with over 200 interactive exhibits for ages toddler to adult. You can experience a free fall, experiment with light and shadow, sound waves. There are galleries for measuring, weather and natural science, exhibits to make your senses tingle and your mind wonder to name a few. This is a great way to spend a day. Also located near the lake so you can bring a picnic for later.

Food and gift store available on site.

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by Poole Party on February 3, 2009

Questacon - The National Science and Technology Centre
King Edward Terrace, Parkes Canberra
+61 02 6270 7800

Lake George Winery

Attraction | "More Whining about Wineries"

This winery is next to the Lerida Estate WInery and also had a very small outdoor area to host the Winery Jazz Festival. Because of the inclement weather the night before, the music had been moved in and towards the end of our stay, the doors of the restaurant were opened so we could hear some of the music. The seating inside was quite spacious and open.

Downstairs there was The Cellar where you could sit in a cool and mood-lit atmosphere. The wine tasting was only of a couple of wines but you could buy a bottle of wine and drink it downstairs for half the price of buying a bottle upstairs at the restaurant or for outside.

We brought our own picnic so I'm not sure how good the food was, though it looked quite yummy.

Lake George Winery offered cricket equipment and ordered picnic baskets for the jazz festival but I couldn't really see where one could play cricket.

We managed to have a nice picnic outside at the table provided, and the children were able to wander around near us, and through parts of the winery, so it was a relatively relaxing day. Once again, I think it was more the expectation of having a huge vineyard and area to wander around, picnic and listen to music that disappointed me. For a quick stopover and light snack on your drive down to Sydney or the beaches, it might be worth a visit and a glass of wine.

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by Poole Party on November 16, 2008

Lake George Winery
off Federal Highway, Collector, 2581, NSW, Australia

Lerida Estate Winery and Cafe

Attraction | "Whine for Picnic Space"

We showed up at the Lerida Estate for a Jazz Festival going on in the vineyards around Canberra and were sadly disappointed at several aspects.

The music festival was mainly inside since the outside was poorly lacking in green space. This was not necessarily due to the water shortage, but just lack of outside space for picnic environment, and the music offerings were inside.

Perhaps after visiting vineyards in Virginia, USA, I was expecting the Estate Winery to be more open space in addition to the vineyards, as well as facilities mroe suitable for outdoors seating.

On the plus side, though, Lerida Winery boasts some award winning wine. So as long as you're happy to sit indoors and not looking for a picnic space for the children to play while you wine and dine, you'll be satisfied with this winery.

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by Poole Party on November 16, 2008

Old Bus Depot Markets

Attraction | "Sunday Morning Galore"

A large, indoor market with samples galore of chutneys, peanuts, spices, herbs, pastes, dips as well as non edibles like lotions, body oils and aromatherapy products. This is a nice two hour distraction on Sunday. You can buy breads to herbs, to jams, veggies and fresh flowers. Walk around and see local crafts (they change weekly) as well as a massage table and stop in the back to have a sit down and enjoy a variety of cuisines ranging from Vietnamese to Lebanese snacks, crepes to curry.

There are strollers and bathrooms here so you can come down for a walk by the lake and a nice breakfast!

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by Poole Party on November 16, 2008

Old Bus Depot Markets
49 Wentworth Avenue Canberra, Australia 2604
+61 (0)2 6239 5306

Canberra Glassworks

Attraction | "Glassy Wonders to Create"

Canberra Glassworks is a museum and learning/workshop facility in an historical building (Canberra’s oldest in fact), located by what used to be the Molonglo River and is now Lake Burley Griffin. In a building that once created electricity for Canberra, you can now see and create your own glass ornament, bead, sphere paperweight and other delightful treasures in workshops and ‘off the street’ classes. The classes range from glass blowing in two 3-4 hour workshops for a price of $450 to a 20 minute session of bead making for $25. The tour of the facility includes a nice sit down area where you can watch glass blowing, as well as a walkway that allows you to watch those in the workshops.

A must see and must do for budding artists. The worse that can happen is that you become addicted to glass making and keep coming back for more!

Workshops are only for those 12 years and up. But, there if you don’t want to hang about and wait in the Glassworks building, there is the Old Bus Depot Market on Sundays to keep you happily distracted with food, crafts and knick knacks until part of the family is done with their workshop.

Since the classes and workshops are quite popular, it’s best to call or email ahead to book yourself into a workshop. contactus@canberraglassworks.com or check out the workshop for more info
www.canberraglassworks.com

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by Poole Party on November 16, 2008

Canberra Glassworks
11 Wentworth Ave. Kingston Act 2604
+61 2 6260 7005

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