Travel

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Canberra may not seem to be one of the most exciting holiday destinations but it has a lot to offer families. Perhaps because there are no beaches and exotic scenery it has built up a veritable mecca of fun and interesting places. From the Questacon to the Australian War Memorial and everything in between- a weekend never seems to be enough time.

The Australian War Memorial is a dream come true for our 10 year old boy -Tivon. Though the girls and I pretty much trailed along for most of it Tivon thought he’d died and gone to boys heaven. Probably one of the first museums ever that he excitedly ran ahead from exhibit to exhibit. Much to my wife’s chagrin Tivon loves war and everything to do with it. She even made him watch Gallipoli so that he would understand the full ramifications of war. As upsetting as that was he still maintains his fascination. I’m not worried though. When I was a boy  I loved war too and grew up to be a peace- loving man. I know Tivon will too.

The wonderful thing about the War Memorial (as ironic as that might sound) is that it is interactive. There is the Discovery Zone where you can actually climb inside the Oberon submarine, a WWI trench and a Vietnam helicopter. There are different films to see and you can look up your long lost relatives if you had some in the Australian Armed Forces. The guide said it would take you 2 days to fully explore all the different nooks and crannies and he is probably right if you are a war buff but I would suggest setting aside an afternoon.

The CSIRO Discovery at Black Mountain laboratories has something for everyone. Experiments that are accessible even to our 3 year old Freya. Not sure how much she really understood but she had fun trying the different things. I helped her with the DNA experiment where you mix pea juice and ethanol and see the strands of DNA. There are also live turtles and a 3D human body puzzle where you can put all the organs into place. Maia thought that was pretty cool “so that is where the food goes.” Asha,13, was into everything but then science is her passion. Tivon and I had fun getting ourselves entangled in the rope trick though we never did find the answer.  

There are some films to watch- “The Zero Emissions City of the Future” and “Polymers” about current research being done by the CSIRO into things like using frog glue (a naturally occurring substances frogs emit) to help mend broken bones. If you are a science lover then CSIRO is worth your while but you don’t need more than a couple of hours.

Parliament House is worth going to once. It is good for the family to see where it all happens. To put into perspective what the kids may catch on the news. Unfortunately the tour is a bit of a yawn though. They tell you all about who gave which painting/tapestry and when. Bit dull really. The NSW Parliament house tour is much more interesting as they go through what happens in the house and the kids get to actually sit in the chairs and re-enact the procedures. Tivon still asks “when are we going to sit in on question time?” Must remember to do that next time something juicy is going on in Parliament.  

The piece de resistance is the Questacon. When it comes to science nothing comes close in Australia. There is the Wollongong Science Centre which is pretty good admittedly but Questacon wins hands down. There is something for every age group. The Mini Q for the 0-6 age group is so well thought out- every indoor play centre should have one. There is a huge water play construct; bakery - complete with oven, glass display cabinet and plenty of food; a vet; construction site with conveyor belt, service station with cars; space lab and of course- the obligatory climbing gym.  

The Side Show is definitely the highlight with a Free Fall of 6 metres that the whole family can enjoy and the Roller Coaster simulator that is best left to the kids. (I for one can’t handle that type of motion anymore). Don’t know how much science sinks in but the kids definitely have a good time. We need more interactive museums in Australia because kids naturally want to touch things and get involved.  

The other wonderful thing about Canberra is the multicultural aspect. Seems every time we have been to Canberra there is something going on in the town square. This time we caught the MultiCultural Festival with bands and food stalls from over 50 countries. As we listened to Merengue on the stage we tantalized our taste buds with food from Ethiopia and Columbia  - or at least mum and dad did, kids ate Italian of course!

Even if there is not a festival going on Canberra is very multi cultural. At Legends Spanish restaurant in Manuka you can enjoy Sangria, Spanish Tapas and live spanish guitar on Friday and Saturday nights and a multitude of others. The National Folk Festival is coming up on the 9th to the 13th of April which would be well worth going to if you like Folk Music. There will be street theatre, films, a street fair  and stalls of jewellery and handcrafts.  

Canberra is well worth a visit if only for the weekend. It is not too far to travel, 2 and half to 3 hours, and plenty for the whole family to do. It is also very compact so not a lot of driving involved once you get there which is a nice break in of itself. There is something for everyone and it is nice to do something where the parents can enjoy themselves too - not just watch the kids having fun.