Written by Shantel Hussain
Recently, my family and I took a trip to Canberra although it was only a few hours of travel we had so many new places to discover within Australia!
Although it was a short getaway, we packed it with learning about Australia’s history and many adventures and had such a great experience. I’m now going to tell you all some of the things I did on my trip so next time you visit Canberra you’ll know some good places to go!
We arrived in the capital city and checked into our hotel which was newly built and perfectly located just a one-minute walk from the heart of Canberra’s city centre, the hotel goes by the name ‘Meriton Suites’.
Our hotel also had a balcony which cockatoos world come visit every morning and we would give them some bread!
This made exploring super convenient since everything was within easy reach, after settling in, we set off to make the most of our trip!
Canberra is known for its history, and we wanted to experience that first-hand. We started with a visit to some of the city’s best museums, learning about Australia’s past, from Indigenous heritage to modern political developments.
One of the highlights for me was visiting Parliament House, where we got to walk through the halls of Australia’s government see the iconic building up close and learn about how the country is governed it was an eye-opening experience. I particularly liked how once one becomes part of the parliament they get their portrait hand painted!
If you’re ever in Canberra, I highly recommend taking a guided tour of Parliament House, you’ll learn a lot more than you think and you’ll get to see everything see on TV in real life!
One of the most unexpected and extremely cute but memorable parts of our trip was visiting a bird aviary, we got the chance to feed a variety of birds, some of which landed right on our hands (or shoulders!) to eat right from our hands!
All we had to do was pay our entry fee and we would get a container of worms to feed them and if you run out you buy another for only $2! There were also baby chicks running around and roosters which was adorable! It was such a fun and interactive experience perfect for anyone who loves animals or nature.
To add a bit of adrenaline to our trip, we went go-karting, and it was an absolute blast!
Although both my brothers managed to beat me it was still so fun being behind the wheel and experiencing the thrill. I’ve never felt the thrill of speeding around a track, racing each other, and feeling the excitement of the turns and corners (although because I’m a hopeless driver I kept hitting the corners rather than going around ). It was the perfect way to wrap up our time in Canberra with a bit of fun and competition!
And lastly, a few tips If you’re planning a trip to Canberra, stay close to the city centre. We loved being within walking distance of everything, being able to go for a walk and get something to eat. Visit Parliament maybe during the middle of the day as its less crowded, and you get to explore without the rush.
Try unique experiences whether it’s feeding birds or trying an outdoor activity, Canberra offers something for everyone and importantly a lesson I learned to make sure to pack comfortable shoes! There’s a lot of walking involved when exploring museums and landmarks.
Charlie blog is a SSAF funded initiative.
