Wednesday, part I
Dec. 1st, 2013 09:19 pmToday's plan is simple. Go to the National Museum, then go across the lake to see what I feel looking at over there. Oh, and catch up with Jo.
To get to the museum I could, of course, catch the Centenary bus and do the loop, and get there just after 9.30. However, my phone claimed it was just 1.4 km drive from where I was staying, which is what? A 20 minute easy walk, and the last part of which would be along the edge of the lake. So I could a leave a bit earlier and get there just after it opened.
I should include a map of Canberra for those not familiar with the city. Basically, it two circles, on either side of the lake. The bus terminuses, shops and YHA where I was staying are to the top and top-right of the northern circle (e.g. Canberra Central). The southern circle, with Capital Hill, is where Parliament House is, and between that and the lake is where most of things I plan to visit are, also lots of parks and gardens. So the "centre" of the city, that in any sensible place has been built and developed over decades, is all open space and public buildings. Also, it's very new. Canberra itself is celebrating it's centenary this year, but most of the buildings are from more recent times. The lake itself was constructed in the 1960s and I think most of the construction (of significant buildings and suburbs both) in city is from after that. So whereas in a town of any size, you have layers of building, development, demolition, replacement, redevelopment over time, in Canberra it's much of a single layer. On my first visit here, about ten years, I decided it had been dropped by aliens.
Anyway, let's go and have a look around :)
Because I'm not a car, I didn't need to go around the circle but could cut across the middle. It's all park (and car park) area. This looking back the way I've just come.
( Lots of photos )
To get to the museum I could, of course, catch the Centenary bus and do the loop, and get there just after 9.30. However, my phone claimed it was just 1.4 km drive from where I was staying, which is what? A 20 minute easy walk, and the last part of which would be along the edge of the lake. So I could a leave a bit earlier and get there just after it opened.
I should include a map of Canberra for those not familiar with the city. Basically, it two circles, on either side of the lake. The bus terminuses, shops and YHA where I was staying are to the top and top-right of the northern circle (e.g. Canberra Central). The southern circle, with Capital Hill, is where Parliament House is, and between that and the lake is where most of things I plan to visit are, also lots of parks and gardens. So the "centre" of the city, that in any sensible place has been built and developed over decades, is all open space and public buildings. Also, it's very new. Canberra itself is celebrating it's centenary this year, but most of the buildings are from more recent times. The lake itself was constructed in the 1960s and I think most of the construction (of significant buildings and suburbs both) in city is from after that. So whereas in a town of any size, you have layers of building, development, demolition, replacement, redevelopment over time, in Canberra it's much of a single layer. On my first visit here, about ten years, I decided it had been dropped by aliens.
Anyway, let's go and have a look around :)
Because I'm not a car, I didn't need to go around the circle but could cut across the middle. It's all park (and car park) area. This looking back the way I've just come.
( Lots of photos )
