This is a great, relaxing way to see the sights of Canberra while you cruise around Lake Burley Griffin.
We parked in the Questacon carpark, only a short walk from the jetty on Queen Elizabeth Terrace where we boarded the “Gull”. Conveniently located near a coffee shop, you can get a snack and coffee if you arrive early.
The boat takes you past many of the attractions of Australia’s capital while giving you a different view of them. The tour guide was very informative, going through the history of Canberra and most of the places we looked at.
Depending on the tour time, the Captain Cook Memorial Fountain may be operating, so you will get a close-up look of the water jet.
This was a fun, informative tour and would be a great introduction for anyone new to Canberra.
The GullWaterloo BridgeCaptain Cook Memorial JetAustralian Merchant Navy MemorialNational CarillonAngel of the NorthParliament House
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One of the Australian Capital Territories’ main tourist attractions, the National Dinosaur Museum explains evolution through the use of fossils and interactive displays. Animatronics and recreated landscapes bring the displays to life, adding a lot of fun to the museum.
Outside the museum, a dinosaur-themed playground keeps the kids entertained, a life size Triceratops greets you at the entrance.
Life Size Triceratops outside the National Dinosaur Museum
Laid out chronologically, the displays take you though the evolution of life. Starting with invertebrates, displays of trilobites and giant scorpions explain some of the earlier life forms. Many of the displays are casts (these are clearly marked), but some are original. Even so, there is a great range of them.
Invertebrates
TrilobiteGiant Scorpion
Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Reptiles
The main focus of the museum is dinosaurs, with this section being the largest. Life-size recreations of pterodactyls fly overhead as you go up the stairs. Displays of life size models and skeletons follow, including T-Rex and carnotaurus. Many of these are surrounded by dioramas, giving more context to the display, rather than simply sitting on a display stand.
The stegosaurus display includes a side-by-side comparison of the skeleton and recreated model. This is great because many museums show only one or the other and not both.
Following the dinosaurs, displays of mammals include a giant sloth, sabre tooth tiger and a mammoth skeleton. It was surprising to see how large the sloth was, having never seen one of these before.
Giant Sloth Mammoth and Geodes
Evolution of Mankind
The final fossil section traced the evolution of our own species from “Lucy” and homo habilis to the Neanderthals.
The final area of the museum contains amethyst geodes. These are huge, making a great display around the mammoth.
A gift shop sells all sorts of dinosaur related merchandise, including models, fridge magnets and books. Especially interesting, were the fossils and gemstones for sale.
So, if you have an interest in dinosaurs, or have kids, this is a great visit. As Australia does not have many dinosaur fossils of its own (most are in Queensland), many are casts, but they are still a great display.
Amethyst Geode
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Providing outstanding views of Australia’s capital city, Mount Ainslie Lookout is a must see place when visiting Canberra. Only a five-minute drive from the War Memorial, although up a windy road, it’s easy to get to.
Several viewing platforms provide vantage points to see the main axis of the city. From here, you can see the Australian War Memorial, at the top of ANZAC Parade. Across Lake Burley Griffin, Old Parliament House sits below Parliament House.
In the photos below, The War Memorial is at the bottom with the domed building. ANZAC Parade is the wide road with the red centre section. Old Parliament House is across the lake and halfway up the hill, while the new centre of Australia’s government has the large flagpole above it.
Mt Ainslie Lookout
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