Canberra things to do

Suits, suits, suits. Nope.

Rotund bureaucratic bellies no more, Canberra is a city full of life! A common misconception amongst the Australian public is that Canberra’s residents are government officials and nothing more, BYO suits.

In fact, Canberra is an extremely active city, one to get your blood racing if you’re into making the most of your weekend. There are so many things to do here, besides visit war memorials and galleries. Each to their own, we suppose. If the quiet rooms of the National Gallery aren’t your thing, don’t despair, Canberra can give you mountains, snow fields, forests, walking trails, horse riding trails, football grounds and so many other things to do on Canberra’s lovely lakes.

Water sports are huge here, mostly because Canberra has so many great lakes to make use of. Sailing, water skiing and rowing are favourite pastimes for the locals and you can find the sporty types on Lake Burley Griffin, Lake Tuggeranong and Lake Ginninderra. These three lakes are artificially made, so you can get the most out of the surroundings while you play, because they were designed for you!

A great nature walk can be found on Black Mountain, which has trails to follow as well as a lookout that has views of Parliament House, the Brindabellas and Lake Burley Griffin. Native plants and animals inhabit the area too, so keep a look out and make sure you don’t litter.

Other nature parks will let you walk, cycle and even horse ride along their trails if you know where to go. The Canberra Nature Parks will be your first port of call for camping and hiking, mountain bike riding and horse riding. These areas are great for a real outdoors adventure, but beware if you are riding, walkers use the same trails and some of the paths are narrow. Cyclists should also steer clear of the single tracks to avoid running over pedestrians. The Mt Ainslie and Mt Majura Ride is a great trail for cycling.

And of course, you all know that Canberra is the home of The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). This is where the best of the best athletes in the country trail for competition, and also has a really good and interactive tour for visitors.

Have fun everyone, ditch the suit and grab your bike instead!

By Leah Bradicich

A Canberra car hire is a must to get you and your bike to the starting line, book one now!