Did you know that Canberra is the capital of Australia? Most visitors don’t know that. They tend to know more about Melbourne or Sydney so think that one of those cities is the capital. Although, who really cares about what the capital city of a country is when you are on vacation.
The Australian Capital Territory, and Canberra in particular, is a place full of amazing and wonderful things to do, especially for children. It’s a family vacation paradise.
My children spent nine years there and got to enjoy all that the city and surrounding region had to offer.
Here are some of the family friendly places you can visit whilst in Canberra.
* All images courtesy of VisitCanberra unless otherwise specified.
The Australian War Memorial
The Australian War Memorial has wonderful exhibits that share the history of Australia’s involvement in the wars. Tickets to the War Memorial are FREE and are for a two hour period. Although tickets are free there are timed entry slots so tickets do need to be obtained. Families can learn about involvement the Australian military forces in the First and Second World Wars as well as other conflicts, including the Vietnam War.
The children in this photo are touching the poppies that have been placed beside the individual names of soldiers that lost their lives in the wars. Poppies are the symbol of remembrance.
If you attend around 4.30 pm you can hear the last post played. That’s a spine tingling experience.
Science and Technology in Canberra
Questacon – The National Science and Technology Centre is a place children can easily spend up to four hours having fun learning about science and technology.
Questacon contains hands on exhibits and learning experiences that are educational whilst meaning they get to do something different. It can get very busy during the school holiday periods so we would recommend visiting outside those times.
There are many different things to experience that really do engage children, so it is worth setting aside a morning or afternoon to visit and take in all Questacon has to offer.
Lake Burley Griffin
Lake Burley Griffin has so many things to see around it. You can see Old Parliament House, the Carillion, Questacon, the National Library of Australia, the National Gallery of Australia plus other buildings of interest.
The photo below was taken in Autumn most commonly known as Fall in the USA. It is not uncommon to see rowers on the lake in the early morning as you walk around it.
If you want some quiet time, or to tire children out with exercise then a walk around the lake is a great activity for that.
Why Canberra is Great For Families
These are just a few of the amazing and fun things to do across the ACT and Canberra. Decide on the time of year you want to visit. Then check if there are school holidays for any of the Australian states happening at that time.
Know that Canberra is surrounded by mountain ranges so it gets cold in the Winter (off peak season in Australia). The one thing about Canberra though is that even in Winter there are many bring and beautiful blue sky days. I’ve had the experience of stepping into the bus to ride to work and it wasn’t until hearing the radio announcer say “it’s minus four outside”, with minus four being Celsius, which is 24.8 Fahrenheit. It hadn’t felt that cold until the announcer said it was.
Enjoy the different seasons as the foliage changes and the animals shift their daily routines. You might see kangaroos grazing earlier in the morning in Summer, before it gets too hot. They spend the rest of their day relaxing in the shade.
Canberra’s Floriade Event
Floriade in October is a time to experience the beauty of the flowers and gardens. Or, you might like to visit during March to experience the Balloon Spectacular. There is nothing like being near Lake Burley Griffith and watching dozens of hot air balloons take to the skies in the early morning light.
Download the Family Fun Guide – There is a great family fun guide that the team at VisitCanberra put together to showcase the many things available to families, no matter what age the children are.
Fiji Airways Flights Into Canberra
If you live on the West Coast of the USA, Fiji Airways now offer direct flights to Canberra if you fly to Australia via Fiji. That’s a great option, as you normally have to fly into Sydney and then take another separate internal flight to Canberra.