Saturday 4 August 2018

Off to the Capital

From the unseasonably balmy days of our subtropical city, we are heading off to the Winter cold of our nation's capital, Canberra.  Next week's minimum temperatures there are forecast to hover around zero and the mercury is not expected to climb much higher than ten degrees so a beanie and other Winter woollies are essential!   

A warm beanie is a must!

Although it will be very chilly indeed, I am looking forward to visiting my capital city for the first time. Canberra is a one of the world's rare planned cities with its design decided in a competition held back in 1911. Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin won that competition and Canberra has evolved from their original blueprint.  

There seems to be some debate over the origins for the name of our capital. According to  Dr. David Headon, in this article in Australian Geographic, 'Canberra' came from a merging of two words over time:  Nganbra, a name meaning 'meeting place' that the indigenous Ngunnawal people used for the area, and the European word, Canberry, which can be found in documents and maps from the 1820s and 1830s.  Such a blend seems quite fitting given that Canberra is the place where our nation's parliament meets and is supposed to work for and in the best interests of all Australians.  Whether our parliament achieves that  is a whole other debate! 

While visits to places such as Old Parliament House and the Australian War Memorial will give us insights into our nation's history, and offer some indoor warmth from the cold, we are also keen to explore some of the outdoors. Located inland, with the Brindabella Ranges to its west and Mount Ainslie in the north east, Canberra is often referred to as "the bush capital".  We are keen to discover some of that natural beauty, both in the suburbs and further out. Of course, we will spend time too on the shores of Canberra's man-made centrepiece, Lake Burley Griffin.  A lake was the central feature of Burley Griffin's winning capital city design and, some 50years later, after the damming of Molonglo River, it became a reality named after him. 

While exploring my capital city, I will be away from this space for a week or so.  I will share some photos with you when I get back here and have defrosted!

Have a happy week!
Meg










19 comments:

  1. Enjoy your time away, it sounds great!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Cheryl. I always like exploring new places so it should be fun even though it will be very cold. Meg:)

      Delete
  2. I hope you have a lovely time and are able to keep warm, scarves are must have.
    There is a science museum that all the school excursions include so that would be something to include, apparently it's quite interesting and fun ha ds on.
    Make sure you have a good road map or gps as the streets can get confusing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for the tip about needing a good map. I am hoping we won't get lost too often! IMeg:)

      Delete
  3. Enjoy your time in Canberra Meg. I've never been so I will look forward to seeing it through your eyes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Jan. There seems lots to do and see so I'm sure it will be a fun trip. Meg:)

      Delete
  4. Have a wonderful trip, Meg. It sounds exciting. The beanie is lovely. Traveling is such a pleasure. I'm glad you get to enjoy it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love travelling too, Stephenie, and discovering new places. I love the colour of my beanie, I didn't make it though. My knitting skills are not up to beanies yet! Meg:)

      Delete
  5. Have a good week. I've been to Canberra once to Floraide with my Mum and my sisters some 25 years ago. Mum and 2 sisters flew down from Brisbane and I flew from Sydney as that's where I was living at the time and my sister flew over from Perth. It was cold then and the flower show was amazing. I've been to the old Parliament House too. Have a great time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, I would love to be going to see Floriade, Kathy, but unfortunately we'll miss all the beautiful flowers. Next time! Meg:)

      Delete
  6. Replies
    1. Thanks, Nil. I'm sure we'll have a grand time. Meg:)

      Delete
  7. Meg, have a fantastic time. I spent a day or so in Canberra back in the 1970s when on the way to Melbourne. It is a very tidy city :-) I meant to ask you to email me the name of the place you stayed at in Melbourne as I am thinking of going there for a week or so when our kitchen/bathroom renos are being done so that I keep my sanity. Perhaps you could contact me via my blog once you get back and have time. Thanks heaps.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'd be fleeing renovations too, Chel. I've emailled you details of where we stayed in Melbourne. Meg:)

      Delete
  8. Loads of photo's next time, it's not a place I expect to visit in my lifetime.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope I'll have lots of photos to share with you, Marlene. It's meant to be a lovely city. Meg:)

      Delete
  9. Hope you have a wonderful visit! It is a lovely place and one we have only briefly explored. Certainly one we would like to spend a week in visiting the war museum, science centre, Parliament House etc. Important things to see and do I think!
    Warmly, Em
    Xx

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hey Meg, if you need any tips or info on your trip down to Canberra feel free to reach out. (growgatherenjoyATgmailDOTcom)
    Stay warm :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. I hope you have fun! And stay warm! Andrea

    ReplyDelete