As stated earlier in my about me and at the beginning of the blog, I am a local Canberrian, having been born and bred here for 35 years. Apart from the Gold Coast, I think Canberra is one of the best places to live!
Having lived here for such a long time, I have some very interesting places that I feel are a must see if you are visiting Canberra over the Floriade Period (or any time that you plan to visit Canberra). These places are not visited by a lot of people and are therefore very quiet and not very easy to find if you have not been there before. So... Consider yourself lucky as I am soon to post maps and pictures of some places that you must see, and the best part about all of these places is that they are all free!
One of the places to see presents a fantastic view of Lake Burley Griffin through to the Governor Generals house (the back of the house actually), a view that is rarely seen. This is part of the lake that is very calm and protected by lovely big trees and therefore does not get much of the fresh winds that can come off the lake sometimes.
If you haven't seen the GG's house from this angle before, you'll notice that there is an interesting statue right in front of the boat launching pad! So be sure to check this one out. Additionally, I you would like any of the pictures that you see here in full resolution, just let me know and I can either send you a compressed file or post out a CD.
- Cool place to visit Number 1: Near Yarralumla Nursery and Old English Garden. The Picture below is (part) of the view you will see.
Yarralumla Nursery is an ACT Government owned business within the Department of Territory and Municipal Services. As one of its core businesses the Nursery grows and supplies plant material for ACT Government landscape development projects, CityScape™ and the ACT Government plant issue scheme. Have a look around the Nursery, but the place to see is a short walk behind the Nursery...
So, the place to go is behind the Yarralumla Nursery in (you guessed it)
Banks Street
Yarralumla ACT 2600
Go Here if you are interested in some History and the Background of this fantastic facility.
What you need to do is first get over to Yarralumla , down the main street which is Novar Street, turn left onto Banks street and go the very end of this street (and past some very nice real estate too). Then, turn right and drive through the gates into Weston Park. Keep driving around until you see a road off to your left. Take that road right through to the end. This will take you to Yarralumla Nursery (see map above). Park your car here and walk down the past the coffee shop down the to front of the English Garden. By the way, the coffee shop <name here> is excellent too!
Walk right down along side the English Garden and parallel with the nursery. Soon, you will see the lake and some very old Willow trees. Keep walking straight down to the lake in front of you. Firstly, you will pass a bench seat. This seat will have a plaque on it saying "...". Keep walking until you see a second seat. This is where you want to be. Walk to this next bench seat, this one will have a plaque in it reading "...". Now, take in this magnificent view of the very calm lake and over to the left is the Governor Generals house, a view not too many people know exists... so enjoy!
- Cool place to visit number 2: Walking track behind Royal Canberra Golf Course.
This next place too see is close to the Governor Generals house view described above. I'll start off if you were in the car park of the Yarralumla Nursery as described before.
From the car park, walk diagonally across the park in front of you and away from the coffee shop. You will soon see a bike track that starts to wind it's way through some very lovely old trees. Basically, just keep walking along this track that makes it's way parallel with the lake and some excellent areas of the Royal Canberra Golf Course. Keep in mind that you cannot get onto the Golf course as it is private and behind a fence, but every now and then you just might hear the crack of a good tee shot off one of the greens.
Keep following the track all the way around. Pay special attention to the trees as some of the trees contain plaques as to what type of trees they are. This particular one is a California Monterey Pine.
The track that you will be walking on is actually the Lake Burley Griffin Bicentennial Heritage Trail.
Again, keep an eye out for hidden park benches and glimpses of the Governor Generals house too. At the end of this track section, you will see a wooden bridge. Walk across this bridge to see some sweeping views of the Golf Course on the other side. When done, make your way back to the car park.
- Cool place to visit Number 3: Picnic Area behind Water Police. Off Brown Street, Yarralumla.
This is another excellent place to visit that is not too far (driving distance) from the first two places. Also, this one provides a great opportunity to pack a picnic lunch and enjoy the view whilst have something to eat. What you need to do is drive back the way you came and get to Brown street. Across to your left you will see the Australian Institute of Sport rowing complex along with a boat ramp. Turn left here and park your car in the car park.
Cross the road and walk down to your right near the lake shore and on some pebbles. Walk along and around to your right. You will now be at the back of the water police complex and again, you will see a picnic park bench under some trees. Take in the view across the lake to Telstra Tower!
I you do get an opportunity to visit some of the these areas, I'm sure that you will agree with me that they are truly unique in the location and hidden away from the crowds. I hope you enjoy visiting these areas as much as I do whilst on your stay in Canberra during Floriade.
- Governor Generals house lookout.
This one is a real beauty. This look out point is one of a few that provides a truly magnificent view up to the Governor Generals house, along with some facts about the house too. To get there, you need to go along the cotter road until you get to a round about then head down Lady Denman Drive. Keep driving along this street until you see a turn off to the right, about 1Km down and again parallel with the Royal Canberra Golf Course. Turn into this area that is basically a gravel car park. Park your car and walk toward and up the steps leading up to the lookout point. Get to the top and take in the uninterrupted view of the GG's house!
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