One perfect Day. 07:00. An early morning walk or, for the fitter, a gentle run up
and along the saddle of. Red Hill is an ideal way to start the day. It is also the best
...
One perfect Day
One perfect Day
Urban Pantry (9am, both images, left); George Baldesin’s pears guard the National Gallery of Australia (10.30am, below); the National Arboretum (3pm, opposite page)
Canberra canberra There is a lot more to the nation’s capital than art and politics. Once you’ve done the cultural circuit, there are many pleasant surprises awaiting in the sprawling suburbs – from the cafes of Braddon and Manuka to the hip NewActon precinct. Words Paul Daley photography Scott Hawkins
Australia’s purpose-built national capital sprawls over what was once a grassy plain, in a natural hill-bound amphitheatre. Well-known for its extensive galleries and museums, imposing government buildings and well-planned streets, it also has a less formal and infinitely hipper side with new restaurants, cafes, bars and hotels springing up in its inner suburbs. Those who take the time to explore are suitably rewarded.
07:00
An early morning walk or, for the fitter, a gentle run up and along the saddle of Red Hill is an ideal way to start the day. It is also the best way to get an overview of Canberra. From Red Hill lookout, face north across the plain and note the land axis, nominally connecting Parliament House and the Australian War Memorial across Lake Burley Griffin at the foot of Mount Ainslie, that ties this city together. The chances are that hot-air balloons will be ascending over the silvery skin of the lake. Saunter along the ridge amid the kangaroos and the yellow box and red gums – but keep a wary eye out for snakes. It’s called the Bush Capital for a reason. 74 Q A N TA S f e brua ry 2014
09:00
Canberra takes weekend al fresco breakfast and coffee seriously. Manuka village in the inner south (of the lake, that is) is perhaps the most established shopping and entertainment district in century-old Canberra and spoils for choice when it comes to cafe dining. But it pays to follow the crowds to My Cafe (mycafemanuka.com.au) and Caph’s (caphscanberra.com) in Franklin Street – or wander through the arcade and into the small courtyard known as The Lawns, set around a series of plane trees that arrived with the city, and look for a table at Ona Coffee, the best coffee in Manuka (onacoffee.com.au) or Urban Pantry (urban-pantry.com.au). f e brua ry 2014 Q A N TA S 75
Parliament House (7am); The Elk & Pea (1pm, right); opposite page clockwise from top left: Lonsdale Street (1pm); The Elk & Pea (1pm); National Portrait Gallery (10.30am); Old Parliament House
10:30
Weather permitting (even Canberra’s icy winters are known for their glorious blue sky and sunny days), take a culture crawl along the lake foreshore between some of the major cultural institutions, beginning at the National Gallery of Australia (Parkes Place, Parkes, nga.gov. au). Wander among the Rodins and Klippels in the sculpture garden or visit the permanent exhibitions inside the newly renovated gallery. From there, cross the footbridge to the forecourt of the High Court and drop in on Nick Cave, Nancy Wake, Reg Mombassa, Nellie Melba and “our” Princess Mary (well, their likenesses, at least) in the National Portrait Gallery (portrait.gov. au). Walk through Reconciliation Place and stop at the National Library of Australia (nla.gov.au). The library, critical 76 Q A N TA S f e brua ry 2014
to the capital’s function as the national memory, has kept a copy of every published Australian work since the Copyright Act 1912. But the collection extends beyond books. Visit the small but eclectic permanent exhibition in the library’s Treasures Gallery. It includes Captain Cook’s Endeavour journal, Patrick White’s glasses, a cheque sent by Charles Dickens to his sons in Australia, the original manuscript of Waltzing Matilda and William Bligh’s list of Bounty mutineers.
13:00
Lonsdale Street north of Eloura Street in inner-north Braddon is widely regarded as the coolest, mosthappening strip in a city that has been renowned for an absence of the type of urban density and liveliness that make,
well, a city. Hosting some of the best new bistros and cafes in town, it offers more high-quality options for a lazy lunch than anywhere else in Canberra. Try The Elk & Pea (elkandpea.com.au), EightySix (eat-86.com), Autolyse (autolyse.com.au), Italian & Sons (italianandsons.com.au), Debacle (02 6247 1314), Pizza Gusto (02 6257 7508) or the trailblazing Lonsdale Street Roasters (lonsdalestreetroasters.com). Then wander through the funky boutiques, designer op-shops, jewellery stores and galleries springing up in arcades and shopfronts on Lonsdale Street.
15:00
The bushfires of 2003 remain seared into the collective consciousness of Canberra residents. The National Arboretum (Tuggeranong Parkway, nationalarboretum.act.gov.au) stands overlooking the city as a symbol of hope and regeneration after the fires that destroyed about 500 homes and killed four people. It also fulfils one of the elements of the original city plan by American landscape architect Walter Burley Griffin, so much of whose elaborate blueprint for Canberra was ignored or discarded by those who built it. Griffin wanted a place where plants
One perfect Day
and trees could be grown for conservation, research and recreation. Spread over 250ha in the Greenhills Forest, the arboretum was designed around a regenerating Himalayan cedar forest (much of it burnt in 2003) and an 80-year-old cork-oak plantation. It is an almost otherworldly place, of sculptured natural beauty, meditative calm and tranquillity.
17:00
Many of Canberra’s gems are hidden in suburban shopping centres. That includes some of the best bars for cocktail hour. In the south, try Gryphons At Griffith Shops (16 Barker Street, Griffith, gryphons.com.au), Manuka’s Public (Flinders Way & Franklin Street, publicbar.com.au), the small but perfectly formed bar at Kingston’s new East Hotel (69 Canberra Avenue, easthotel.com.au) or the outdoor lounge at Hotel Realm (18 National Circuit, Barton, hotelrealm.com.au) – the latter two jump on a Friday evening. North of the lake, Edgar’s Inn (1 Edgar Street, edgarsinn.com.au) in Ainslie is laid-back while Tilley’s Devine Café Gallery at Lyneham (Brigalow & Wattle Sreets, tilleys.com.au) is renowned for its diverse clientele and cosy booths.
Mor e at Tr av elinsider Where To Eat Play & Stay During Floriade Canberra’s fabled festival of all things floral is blooming marvellous. http://travelinsider.qantas.com.au/ things_to_do_canberra_canberras_flower_festival.htm Destination Guide Canberra It’s the nation’s political hub, sure, but this city is also a cultural centre. http://travelinsider.qantas.com.au/ destination-guide-canberra.htm A Century Of Capital Celebration One hundred years old and it’s time to party. Happy birthday Canberra! http://travelinsider.qantas.com.au/ canberra_a_century_of_capital_celebration.htm Designer City A blueprint to the capital city’s architectural triumphs and its inspired but frustrated master planner, Walter Burley Griffin. http://travelinsider.qantas.com.au/canberra_designer_city.htm
qantas . c o m / t r a v e l i ns i d e r f e brua ry 2014 Q A N TA S 7 7
One perfect Day
word up
Cold Light Frank Moorhouse (Vintage Australia)
Third book in the “Edith” trilogy. Edith Campbell Berry arrives in the post-WWII Canberra. Moorhouse evokes vividly the wonders of the developing capital, its social and bureaucratic mores.
The Memory Room Christopher Koch (Vintage Australia)
A tale of spooks and spying that weaves through Canberra’s shadowy world of intelligence.
Grand Obsessions: The Life And Work Of Walter Burley Griffin And Marion Mahony Griffin Alasdair McGregor (Lantern)
McGregor tells the tale of how Australia turned its back on the Griffins and how Canberra profoundly defined and disappointed them.
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19:30
Testimony, again, to the hidden-gem principle is Sage Dining Rooms (02 6249 6050, sagerestaurant.net.au). Nestled in Braddon’s Gorman House Arts Centre, this thoroughly ambitious venture of brothers Peter and Michael Harrington has redefined attention to detail, provenance and quality of produce and service in top-end Canberra dining. Sage currently sources some of its herbs and vegetables from a farm in the nearby Majura Valley (it will become much more of a paddock-to-plate proposition as the farm develops) and either of the brothers Harrington can tell you on what day, by whom and precisely where the fish on your plate was hand-caught. Canberra foodies regard the degustation as the best in town.
21:30
If you want volume and movement, head to Kingston and either B Bar or Lot 33, both in Kennedy Street. However, if something more relaxed is your preference, try NewActon Pavillion (15 Edinburgh Avenue, newacton.com. au/eat/drink) and either the basement bar A Baker, or the stylish Lounge Bar &
Clockwise from top left: Public (5pm); Sage Dining Rooms (7.30pm); Public
Library at the Diamant Hotel. If a slice of genuine Canberra history is to your fancy, go back towards Parliament Hill and try the Hyatt on Commonwealth Avenue (canberra.park.hyatt.com). Formerly Hotel Canberra – the first in the city – it evokes 1920s style in its wonderful old bar. Alternatively, stay at Gorman House for a post-prandial at Mint Garden Bar – fairy lights and stick heaters in the heritage gardens. Paul Daley is the author of Canberra (New South Books).
For airfares and holiday packages to Canberra call Qantas Holidays on 1300 735 542 or visit qantas.com/ holidaysaustralianway
