Australian Capital Territory Tours & Attractions

Capital City: C anberra (See Google Map)

Recommended ACT Highlights

Parliament House

Lake Burley Griffin

National Gallery

National Botanic Gardens

National Science and Technology Centre

Australian War Memorial

Royal Australian Mint

The Australian Capital Territory, more commonly referred to as the ACT, is the home of Canberra, the national capital. This 88 km long and 30 km wide state is totally enclosed with the state of New South Wales.

Canberra dates from 1913 and was purpose built to be between Sydney and Melbourne and serve as the home of federal parliament, federal government ministeries and serving public servants.

Most visitors to Canberra go to see the nations treasures as the city is home to some of Australia's finest exhibitions and architecture. The majority of those highlights are listed above. Most foreign embassies and consulates are located in Canberra.

The northern part of the ACT is dominated by Canberra and its surrounding suburbs and the man-made features such as Lake Burley Griffin. The southern part of the ACT comprises mostly the Namadgi National Park and the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. The southern boundary adjoins the the Snowy Mountains ski fields and the New South Wales high country.

Things To Do In The ACT

Visits to all the highlights recommended above are "must see" for any Canberra visit. The surrounding areas have bushwalking and hiking trails plus opportunities for cycling, canoeing, skiing in the nearby winter snowfields, white water rafting in the summer waters, caving and hot air ballooning.

Places To Stay In The ACT

There is a fine selection of excellent Canberra hotels to suit all visitor needs all year round. However, as with most popular holiday destinations there is always an increased demand for bookings during the the school holiday periods.

Transport In The ACT

A train service operates to and from Sydney and several bus companies operate services to and from Canberra the ACT. The driving distance to Sydney is 290km (181 miles) and 650km (406 miles) to Melbourne.

Canberra is only a 30 minute flight from Sydney and the flight from Melbourne is approximately 60 minutes. Flights also operate to and from the other state capital cities.

The Canberra commuter bus service also provides sightseeing and downtown services. Local tour operators provide itineraries covering all the popular sites. Canberra car rental is available from all the major rental companies. Local maps and travel planning guides are available from the NRMA in downtown Canberra.

When Is The Best Time In The ACT

The ACT is an all year round holiday destination. Canberra winters are amongst the coldest in Australia. During the period June - August maximum temperatures are around 20° C and minimums can drop to - 6° C. Summer is December - February where temperatures will generally range between 15° C and 30° C.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology provides detailed weather information.

Summer: December to February	Autumn: March to May
Winter: June to August	Spring: September to November

Also see Australian Bureau of Meteorology - official Australian weather web site

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