Friday 25 October 2013

Fri 25 Oct - a second day in Canberra

Canberra is COLD, even by my standards - it was really hard getting up!  However, we had bright sunshine & a blue sky.

It was a great day.  First, we drove to the Telstra Tower, on Black Mountain from where we had panoramic views all over Canberra & the surrounding countryside.  We felt that specific landmarks could have been more clearly indicated & were disappointed that they had run out of postcards & stamps.  However, the coffee was to die for!

Our next port of call was the National Portrait Gallery, which had a magnificent collection of pictures showing those who have been instrumental in forming the Australian nation from earliest times to modern day.  People from all walks of life were included - industrialists, explorers, artists, business people, sports people, entertainers, etc., etc.  The collection was all-encompassing & stressed the variety & value of people's contributions.

Finally, we chose to visit the National Museum of Australia, which has a stunning location with magnificent views over Lake Burley Griffin.  The Museum is referred to as "where our stories live" & brings together the history of the First Australians, the European settlers & those who have resided here in more modern times since the formation of Federation.

A rotating theatre presents images, sound & music which combine to tell Australia's story.  This is further expanded by galleries & a wealth of fascinating exhibits.

We found Canberra to be a very interesting city & felt that we could have spent much more time there.  You should always leave something to come back for ... and, we did!

No comments:

Post a Comment