Visitor Information

The Canberra Visitors' Centre, 330 Northbourne Ave., Dickson (tel. 02/6205 0044), dispenses information and books accommodations. The office is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5:30pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 4pm. The official government website is worth checking out.

Special Events

A host of free events -- from concerts to competitions -- is part of the annual Canberra National Multicultural Festival the first 3 weeks of March. The fun includes Canberra Day (a local public holiday, the third Mon in Mar), a hot-air balloon fiesta, fireworks, food and wine promotions, music, and a large range of other activities that draw on Australia's ethnic mix. Visitors may find it a little more difficult to book accommodations during this time, but you should always be able to find something. There are many other major events, including the annual flower show Floriade, the Subaru Rally of Canberra, the Canberra 400 V8 Supercars meeting, and the National Folk Festival. Check dates at the Visit Canberra website.

City Layout

The first thing that strikes a visitor to Canberra is its parklike feel (amazing, because there was barely a tree on the original site). Half a dozen avenues radiate from Capital Hill, where Parliament House stands. Each of these broad, tree-shaded streets leads to a traffic circle, from which more streets emanate. Around each hub, the streets form a pattern of concentric circles -- not the easiest layout for visitors trying to find their way.

Another of Canberra's most notable features is Lake Burley Griffin, created by damming the Molonglo River. The centerpiece of the lake is the Captain Cook Memorial Jet, a spire of water that reaches 147m (482 ft.) into the air. Wedged between Commonwealth Avenue and Kings Avenue is the suburb of Parkes, also known as the National Triangle. Here you'll find many of the city's most impressive attractions, such as the National Gallery of Australia, the High Court of Australia, and Questacon -- the National Science and Technology Centre. Many embassies and consulates are in the suburb of Yarralumla, east of Capital Hill; most of the other suburbs are filled with pleasant homes and small retail areas.

Canberra's main shopping district is on the other side of the lake, centered on Northbourne Avenue, one of the city's main thoroughfares. Officially Canberra City, this area is more commonly known as "Civic." Northeast of Civic is Mount Ainslie, with the Australian War Memorial at its foot; from its summit there are spectacular views of the city and beyond. Another good lookout point is the top of the Telstra Tower on Black Mountain, west of Civic and reached by Black Mountain Drive.