I've been to Canberra three times on fleeting visits. Can't say I found it the most interesting place, but it wasn't totally awful. Mr Bundy hated it because he couldn't find a decent pub open on a Friday night and then got lost in all the roundabouts!

The thing I noticed was a lack of young people and therefore things for young people to do. The tiny handful of backpacker hostels stands testament to it's place on the Places to Visit list. Most people seem to pass through.

Damn good for cycling though - all those cycle paths.

Had a mate living in Yass near Canberra and she loved it out there.

It's not the roundabouts that cause the problems, its the fact the streets aren't straight - it is VERY easy to lose your sense of direction.

Aussies like to bag Canberra the same way they bag Poms i.e. often unfairly. As an occasional visitor, I'd say Canberra is getting better all the time. On my first visit as a child Lake Burley Griffin was a semi-dry creek bed and only one of the two bridges existed so you drove through the water, trickle though it may have been. The flies aren't as bad as they were and there are amazing photos in old Parliament House of sheep grazing around the building in the early days.

It is far prettier than Milton Keynes and big enough as an inland city to have a reason d'etre apart from being the National Capital. The Art Gallery has some great exhibitions from time to time (even Turner a few years ago). But make sure you go to the top floor to see all those iconic Australian paintings, for example the Ned Kelly series.

A visit to the War Memorial is a pilgrimage.

They know tourists are their life blood so they look after them and its near the Snowy for those into skiing. The Federal Highway is now much improved so access to Sydney is even easier.

The politcians don't sit that much and the PM lives in Sydney anyway. For the time being.

The peak hour lasts about five minutes and you take your life in your hand if you are near the carpark at Russell Hill, where Defence hangs out, at knock-off time.

In the peak, the traffic lights are synchronised for maximum exit from the offices. At all other times, they are timed so that as soon as you get near them, they turn red especially if there is nothing coming from the other street.

it's horses for courses innit really. it has everything i need, and a lot more than i have now. I can't wait to get there and get on my bike.

found plenty of pubs out there on my last visit, never been so pissed in my life!

I loved the place from day 1 and i can't see myself moving far, unless i have trouble with work or housing costs at some point. I'm sure there are 'better', bigger, more vibrant cities out there, but as has already been said, it's not as big and overcrowded as everywhere else. For a bigcity person, it's probably boring and sterile, but for a donn'eh lad it's the biz!!

Besides, if i had everything on my doorstep where would i go on holiday? I'm looking forward to a few long weekends in melbourne (especially when F1 arrive! {did put world superbikes down but then remembered they go to philip island! lol DOH!})

If i listened to what everyone told me i'd probably be going someone else, but having been there and seen it for myself, i know it's what i want. i've never been a sheep, or crowd follower, so it suits me down to the ground.

...if you follow all the other sheep you end up in a crowded pen with your head up someone elses arse.... be original.

i really enjoyed the war Memorial and the art gallery when i went last. seeing the old parliament house was surprisingly more interesting than i thought it would be as well! Also the trip up to the observatory and the deep space telescopes was brilliant! (shame it's all gone now though!)

Thanks very interesting....... looks like a grat place to visit,

AlI I can say is it gets f**king cold there in the winter.

I was there last december and it was cold.

Canberra 2 hour drive to ski fields, expensive ski-ing (double price of Canada) but you save a bit on airfares of course

..on the note of spelling it correctly, i was reading a letter my mum was writing to an aunt last night, and she was telling my aunt about me emmigrating and going to live in canborough..... PMSL... I didn't tell her she'd spelt it wrong, i knew my aunt would get a kick out of it too!

As a born and bred Canberran living in the UK (and a newbie to the forum) I feel that I should speak up for Canberra.

Yes, its bloody cold in the winter (though my husband doesn't believe me).

It can be pretty quiet especially of a winter's evening, I have fond memories of queuing for nightclubs in -5C!

There are loads of things to do, the War Memorial is top of my list, next bike riding everywhere and as Scutter points out there's a lot to do in surrounding areas.

If you're an outdoors person who wants 4 distinct seasons then its a good place to live.

MrsTurbo

I'm not moving to Australia myself but it would be my choice if possible ...... .....

I worked in Canberra for a month prior to coming up here (Pilbara WA) to work. The first few days I thought it a bit sterile and boring but after that I really started to enjoy being there. There are some very decent pubs and places to eat. The shopping centre is really nice and compact and also everywhere felt really safe. Easy to get around if you haven't got a car and I could pop to Sydney in 3.5 hours on the bus (very cheap) - also flights for as low as 69 dollars each way to Sydney. Could hire a bike and also there was an olympic sized pool. It is surrounded by some beautiful countryside which is really accessible. The lake in the centre is really lovely and looks a picture with all the sailing activity on it. There are some tremendous things to see there, not least the War Memorial and the National Museum of Australia. I am not sure about others (my line of work does bring me into touch with politicians sometimes) but I guess just walking around I never saw any obviously pollies. I remember that Bill Bryson gave it really sharp shrift in Down Under but I think he was there for only 2 night. I found the place grew on me and wouldn't mind being there now to get some respite from the relentless sap draining heat that is The Pilbara (45 and humid today).
E

Virtual Canberra

cheers for that megs!!!! its a pretty cool site!

Thanks again..... that is very cool........ I would be looking more into going there if it was me ................