Capping it off in the Capital

Having run out of friends to catch up with, it was time to hit the road and head south once more. The only commitments left were to be back in Melbourne by Dad’s birthday at the end of January, so we decided to head to Canberra. I had really enjoyed my time there at a conference for work previously, and we had heard that it was a wonderful place for kids.

We made our way over another state border and into the EPIC showgrounds caravan park. Wonderfully set up for travellers, and with plenty of sites for big rigs, I had to laugh at the fact that Dunc tried to park Bertha in a spot that was faar too small. I can’t believe he actually did that so late in our journey! Neither could our would-be neighbours who were shaking their heads as we pulled out again and drove to a bigger spot. Luckily there was enough spare room to do so.

Our first day was spent exploring the city’s main attractions. We started with the National Gallery of Art and it was wonderful to have a deeper understanding of the indigenous art on display. We all enjoyed James Turrell’s Skypace installation in the grounds. Every angle had a new viewpoint, all stunningly simple and with a beautiful aesthetic. And the pathway there was just PERFECTLY designed for active little boys.

We also checked out Parliament House and perfectly timed our arrival with a tour. It was truly fascinating and even the kids were kept enthralled. The level of detail in the finish of the interior is amazing and Dunc and I thoroughly enjoyed the documentary on the making of the building. What craftsmanship!

We finished our day with a trip to the Telstra Tower on Black Mountain where we had hoped to have dinner. Sadly the revolving restaurant had closed up, and there is only a rather basic kiosk now. And a museum devoted to all things telephones, which Dunc enjoyed. A very busy day for our first day in the capital.