Birthday getaway

Because of my birthday on July 5th we decided to take a short trip to ... Canberra. It's the capital of the Commonwealth of Australia and we had never been there before.

It is unusual among Australian cities, being an entirely purpose-built, planned city. Following an international contest for the city's design, a design was selected and construction commenced in 1913. Canberra has a colder climate in winter, so the evenings where, as they say, Bloody Freezing.

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Friday

We drove out on Friday afternoon; it's about a 3 hour drive. After checking into the hotel we had a very nice dinner in a modern-Asian-fusion restaurant. We went out for a couple of beers afterwards.

Saturday

On Saturday we visited the War Memorial and the Australian Museum. In between we had birthday cake in the Kingston-area. We watched the sun set on top of the Telstra Tower, a communications tower with a viewing deck. Arjan treated me on a Birthday dinner, where we had Alaskan King Crab legs for starters. (It's the crabs they catch on the Discovery Channel series "Deadliest Catch").

    
The War Memorial

Birthday Cake

Telstra Tower

Sunday

Sunday we started off visiting the Old Bus Depot Markets and the Canberra Glassworks. After that it was time for Parliament House. A huge complex that is the seat of the House of Representatives and the Senate. A tour takes you along all the major places and into the halls where the government meets. A visit to the old Parliament House was a bit disappointing, just an old building with some old typewriters sitting on some old desks.

 
Making an artwork from glass

    
View of the Parliament house       Her Majesty The Queen     

    
The house of Representatives              The Senate             

Arjan outside Parliament house

 

Time to drive back to Sydney, a great mini-vacation!