Canberra Tourism
Visiting the capital of Australia? Canberra tourism includes a couple of leisure things to do in the city or around it.
Visit the centre, go see a famous antenna, which tracked Neil Armstrong's steps on the moon and then enjoy the Cockington Green miniature village.
You can do all in one day, if you are in a rush, but to really relax and enjoy the beauty of the environment spend a weekend there.
There are other pages that give you more information and allow you to plan what to see in Canberra in one, two or three days, if you want to know more about the political aspect or about its history, or if you want to immerse in culture and visit museums such as the Australian War Memorial.
So this page is just about recreation and a quick tour. Let's start.
Canberra Centre
First the city centre.
Canberra centre is rather modest, if you compare it to other major Australian cities.
Here is the Civic Square, London Circuit with Canberra Theatre and the Museum and Gallery
The city has concentric circular streets, see here on its map, it has modern buildings of medium height, large avenues, and a very good road system for traffic to flow smoothly.
And it has a lot of parks and gardens, which is really great for leisure and sports activities.
The centrepiece is the lake Burley Griffin, with a shoreline of more than 40 km. The lake is one of the big attractions, where people can enjoy various water sports and relax in the surrounding green areas.
The city has numerous monuments and impressive public buildings and cultural institutions that reflect the making of the Australian nation.
Canberra Tourism - Tracking the Space
Leave the city and drive to Tidbinbilla. The winding road through the hills will keep you busy for about 40 minutes before you reach the Deep Space Communication Complex.
You will see there a historic antenna that was involved in the Apollo missions.
The antenna, which has 26 metres in diameter, is famous for having captured and relayed the images of the first human steps on the moon on 20 July 1969. Hundreds of millions of people saw Neil Armstrong walking, or rather hopping, on the surface of the moon.
The antenna is part of the NASA Manned Space Flight Network. There are two others, one in Goldstone, California and another one in Madrid, Spain.
During its more than 40 years of service, the Canberra antenna tracked various other missions to Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and the Sun. It is now retired.
And while you are there, stop for a barbie or a picnic at the nearby Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve and also see wildlife and wetlands.
Canberra Tourism - Other Leisure Activities
Go to the Cockington Green Gardens to see a detailed miniature reconstruction of an English village, beautiful gardens, and tiny-sized replicas of various Australian and international buildings. It is on Gold Creek Road, Nicholls.
If you are in the capital of Australia during spring don't miss the glorious flower rejuvenation festival, Floriade Canberra.
Here is some basic info about the city and its population, just what you are looking for before your trip.
Continue reading here: Alice Springs Australia - Great Tourist Attractions
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