Canberra.
01.Take in the lake
The 6.6-square-kilometre Lake Burley Griffin is man-made but it’s every bit as pretty as one carved by nature. The best way to see the whole thing is by taking a sunrise hot air balloon ride (balloonaloft.com) but locals love nothing more than simply walking its shores. The leafy nine-kilometre East Basin Loop is less about the national attractions than fresh air and good food – admire native birds in the Jerrabomberra Wetlands (jerrabomberrawetlands.org.au) before lunching at Italian and Sons (italianandsons.com.au) or wandering the OId Bus Depot Markets (obdm.com.au).
02.Go on a hike
The four-kilometre round-trip Mount Ainslie Summit Trail is the pick for panoramic city views. Alternatively, if you want to share your stroll with kangaroos, look at mountains and get your heart rate up, brave the 8.2-kilometre Gibraltar Peak hike in the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, a 40-minute drive from the CBD.
03.Get political
Join the crowds for a tour of Parliament House (aph.gov.au). Or if you’re keen to find out what the nation’s powerbrokers are plotting in real time, head to the popular pollie and public servant hangouts to eavesdrop on the news of the day. Try Public, which serves modernAustralian food (publicbar.com. au) in Manuka, or Portia’s Place Chinese restaurant in Kingston (11 Kennedy Street; 02 6239 7970).
04. Have a kids’ day out
All hail Questacon National Science and Technology Centre (questacon.edu.au). There isn’t an under-12 alive who wouldn’t be overjoyed at the chance to pull levers, press buttons or hurl themselves down the six-metre-high Free Fall. Want something more low-key – and free? The fabulously futuristic Pod Playground at the National Arboretum (nationalarboretum.act.gov.au) will keep the kids almost as enthralled.
05.Gaze at art
Housing more than 160,000 works by artists such as Sidney Nolan and Jackson Pollock, the National Gallery of Australia (nga.gov.au) is a true cultural treasure. On a very different scale, the Gallery of Small Things (galleryofsmallthings.com) is Canberra’s tiniest art space. Its six square metres are packed with diminutive exhibits from local ceramicists, textile artists and painters.