travel Archives - Page 29 of 47 - Destination's Journey

21 April 202215 April 2022

Australian War Memorial Canberra

Australian War Memorial

Canberra’s most popular attraction, the Australian War Memorial is an outstanding tribute to the men and women who have served in the Australian Defence Forces since federation. Access to some galleries is currently limited (2022) because the Memorial is undertaking a major renovation. During this period some exhibits are in storage. However, there is still a lot to see here, and a visit is highly recommended.

Outside and the Sculpture Garden

We arrived before opening time, so took the opportunity to look around the Sculpture Garden. There are two distinct areas. a grassed area with memorials and an area closer to the buildings with large military equipment on display.

Armoured vehicles used by the Australian Army on display include a Centurion tank from the Vietnam War, a Bushmaster and LAV armoured personnel carrier. Captured German guns from World War One are nearby.

Not far from here the old bridge of HMAS Brisbane is visible, along with its deck gun. The bridge can be accessed inside the memorial, where you can walk around the interior.

The sculpture garden has memorials to all branches of the Australian Defence Force from most conflicts. There are even memorials to the animals used by the armed forces. One is a memorial to all animals, having hoof and paw prints while another memorialises explosive detection dogs. Located near Poppies Restaurant this last one was our favourite.

LAV-25 Light Armoured Vehicle Australian War Memorial — LAV-25 Light Armoured Vehicle

Centurion Tank — LAV-25 Light Armoured Vehicle

Shrine of Remembrance

Central to the whole memorial is the Shrine of Remembrance containing the eternal flame and tomb of the unknown soldier. The cloisters leading to the shrine contain panels engraved with the names of all those who have died fighting for Australia. This is a very sombre area, especially when you realise how many names are there. During our visit many had poppy flowers pinned to them.

Inside the shrine, beautiful stain glass windows represent the fallen, while the eternal flame burns in the pool of reflection.

The Shrine of Remembrance Australian War Memorial — The Shrine of Remembrance

Stain glass window in the Shrine of Remembrance — The Shrine of Remembrance

Inside Australian War Memorial

World War One

From Gallipoli, the North African Desert and the Western Front, the displays here cover them all. A landing boat from the Gallipoli Campaign still filled with bullet holes greets you on entry, highlighting the dangers they faced.

Along with weapons and uniforms, dioramas bring the battlefields to life, showing what they looked like.

Landing boat from the Gallipoli Campaign Australian War Memorial — Landing boat from the Gallipoli Campaign

British 4.5 inch howitzer Australian War Memorial — Landing boat from the Gallipoli Campaign

World War Two

Australians fought in many theatres of the Second World War, each of which is represented here. From Bomber command, where flight crews manned several bomber squadrons, to North Africa, the Atlantic and Pacific.

Captured German and Italian equipment, including a German BMW sidecar and an Italian tankette are on display here. Unfortunately, the larger displays such as the Lancaster bomber and Japanese mini-submarine that attacked Sydney Harbour are currently in storage. However, a Japanese Mitsubishi Zero fighter is there, hanging from the ceiling.

BMW R12 750cc motorcycle and sidecar Australian War Memorial — BMW R12 750cc motorcycle and sidecar

L.3/33 Italian tankette captured in North Africa — BMW R12 750cc motorcycle and sidecar

The Hall of Valour

Displayed in the Hall of Valour, the medals of many Australians tell a story of their bravery. Accompanied by a story and photo, each set shows what the servicemen endured and accomplished. Many of the Victoria Cross (Australia’s highest military award) recipients have their medals here. Many of these were donated by families wishing to have their deeds remembered.

The medals of Warrant Officer Class II Keith Payne

Conflicts 1945 to the Present

These galleries are only open at limited time, which unfortunately did not match our time in Canberra, Having seen some of them before, they are worth visiting if you are there at opening times.

What Did We Think?

Visiting here is a very moving and sombre experience. The Memorial shows the human side of war and how it affects both combatants and civilians. The human toll of war is emphasised rather than glorifying warfare. An amazing experience and rightfully the number one attraction in Canberra.

For other places to visit in the Australian Capital Territory click here

19 April 202213 April 2022

National Museum of Australia

FJ Holden and Propert Trailaway touring caravan

National Museum of Australia

Dedicated to preserving Australia’s social history, the National Museum of Australia contains many unique and significant artefacts. Located in Canberra on the shore of Lake Burley Griffin, its distinctive because of its architecture.

Getting There

We drove and used the large carpark on site, although as with most Canberra parking, there is a fee. Entry to the museum is free, but entrance to any special exhibits incur a fee. During our visit, Ancient Greeks, a large display of ancient Greek artefacts was there, so we paid to visit this too.

The Gandel Atrium

This is also the entrance foyer, containing the giftshop and several displays. In the centre is a cast of Australia’s most famous dinosaur, Muttaburrasaurus. Nearby is Australia’s first car, the FJ Holden and a caravan, showing the affluence of the 1950s and the rise of industrialisation.

Situated just off the atrium is the café, where food and drinks can be purchased. We bought morning coffee and snacks here before moving on to other displays.

Cast of Muttaburrasaurus langdoni National Museum of Australia — FJ Holden and Propert Trailaway touring caravan

Landmarks Gallery

The Landmarks Gallery traces the social development of Australia from it’s early colonial farming to the current day. Important features such as the windmill used to pump water, harvesters and stagecoaches give way to mining and the stock market. We thought the most interesting item here was the very first Holden Prototype preserved in excellent condition.

Kenya station windmill from the 1920s National Museum of Australia — Kenya station windmill from the 1920s

Sunshine Harvester — Kenya station windmill from the 1920s

First Australians

The First Australians gallery showcases aboriginal society from pre-colonial times to the present day. Artefacts including a full sized outrigger canoe represent Torres Strait Islander culture.

The post-colonial treatment of aboriginal people shows their disenfranchisement, loss of land and persecution. Although attempts have been made to remedy the wrongs of the past, a lot is still required for true equality. The displays here demonstrate the wrongs, often with personal stories from those who suffered.

Hatchet and an adze National Museum of Australia — Hatchet and an adze

Bark hut from the Framlingham Kaori settlement — Hatchet and an adze

Special Exhibition Ancient Greeks: Athletes, Warriors and Heroes

Open until 1 May 2022, Ancient Greeks: Athletes, Warriors and Heroes contains many treasures from the British Museum. From statues to tiny coins and jewellery the displays were amazing. If you are in Canberra while this is showing, it is really worth going to. We have been to Greece but still enjoyed this display.

Woman of Wealth National Museum of Australia — Woman of Wealth

Frieze from Halikarnossos Greeks vs Amazons — Woman of Wealth

What Did We Think?

We loved the Greek display and would have visited just for that. The rest of the museum has a nationally important collection, which we found interesting. If you want to see the social history of Australia, it’s a great place to visit.

For other places to visit in the Australian Capital Territory click here

14 April 202213 April 2022

National Zoo and Aquarium

National Zoo and Aquarium

Modern and spacious, the National Zoo and Aquarium in Canberra houses animals from around the world, but also includes many from Australia.

Getting There and Parking

Located a short 15-minute car ride from the centre of Canberra, it’s easy to get to. Plenty of on-site parking allows easy access for cars. A great feature is that entrances from different car parks mean you do not need to walk all the way to the front entrance to get in. Just remember which entrance you used!

Getting Around the National Zoo and Aquarium

The zoo’s layout enables all exhibits to be seen by walking a circular path, with a few deviations. Because of this excellent layout you do not need to double back and retrace your steps very often.

Food Outlets

Two main food outlets are placed on either side of the zoo. Near the lower carpark entrance a restaurant serving light meals and drinks is near the monkey enclosures. On the far side of the zoo, next to the open range area, the Rhino Bistro also serves food and drinks.

Vending machines scattered around the zoo allow you to buy snacks and drinks as you go.

If you would rather bring your own food, picnic areas throughout the zoo let you sit and relax while you eat.

National Zoo and Aquarium Exhibits

Housed in large modern enclosures, the animals have plenty of space to move around. This reminded us of a mix between the open range zoo at Dubbo and the Taronga Zoo in Sydney.

African Wildlife

The zoo has a large collection of African wildlife on display. Ranging from lions and cheetahs to elephants and giraffes, most people’s favourites are there. Most of the carnivores had been fed and by midmorning were dozing in the sun. If you want to see them roaming around, early morning is the best time, because this is when they are more active.

The zebras, giraffes and other herbivores were more active, often walking close to the fence. This was great, giving us a much better close up look.

African Painted Dog National Zoo and Aquarium — African Painted Dog

Tigers

Unlike their African counterparts, the tigers were active and wandering around their enclosure. One of them came up to the large Perspex viewing window so we could get a very close look at him.

Meerkats

Meerkats are always fun to watch and the ones here were no exception. Whether they were fighting, eating or just standing guard, they were entertaining.

Meerkat National Zoo and Aquarium — Meerkat

Birds

Aviaries hold many birds, but the one we like the most was the fairy penguins, because theirs was open to the air and you could see them swimming around.

Fairy Penguin National Zoo and Aquarium — Fairy Penguin

Reptiles

Located next to the aquarium, the reptile houses a huge number of snakes and lizards. This is a great way to see many of Australia’s poisonous snakes behind a glass wall so that you remain safe. Seeing them out in the wild can be a little more dangerous.

Heat lamps and low lighting keep them active, although most of the snakes were not moving.

Green Iguana National Zoo and Aquarium — Green Iguana

Primates

The primate section was very active, with monkeys climbing along rope and through trees. The lemurs, apes and monkeys had only just been fed, so were out in their enclosures playing and eating.

Bears

Deer

There were many different species of deer, all in large enclosures so that they could move around.

Wapiti Elk National Zoo and Aquarium — Wapiti Elk

Australian Wildlife

As expected, the Australian section is one of the largest, with kangaroos, wallabies, emus and koalas.

It was great to see Tasmanian devils there, as they are endangered due to a facial cancer that is destroying their population in Tasmania. Breeding programs and disease free populations have been set up around the country to save them from extinction.

Tasmanian Devil National Zoo and Aquarium — Wallabies

Extinct Animals at the National Zoo

A very unusual section of the zoo is dedicated to extinct animals and birds. The first we saw was the dodo, famous for being made extinct by sailors who killed them for food. The Tasmanian Tiger was also there, push to extinction by sheep farmers and graziers.

The message from these displays is that animals can easily be made extinct, but can be brought back again.

Also in the area were a few dinosaurs, showing that life has changed significantly over the last 100 million years. They are also fun for kids to look at because they look quite life-like.

Velociraptor Sculpture National Zoo and Aquarium — Dodo Sculpture

What did we think?

This is one of the best zoos we have seen, and we have visited a lot of them. So much space for the animals. Great location, no issues with parking, and plenty of spots to sit down and have a snack or sit down to order food. A must if you love this stuff!

For other places to visit in the Australian Capital Territory click here

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Australian War Memorial

Outside and the Sculpture Garden

Shrine of Remembrance

Inside Australian War Memorial

World War One

World War Two

The Hall of Valour

Conflicts 1945 to the Present

What Did We Think?

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National Museum of Australia

Getting There

The Gandel Atrium

Landmarks Gallery

First Australians

Special Exhibition Ancient Greeks: Athletes, Warriors and Heroes

What Did We Think?

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National Zoo and Aquarium

Getting There and Parking

Getting Around the National Zoo and Aquarium

Food Outlets

National Zoo and Aquarium Exhibits

African Wildlife

Tigers

Meerkats

Birds

Reptiles

Primates

Bears

Deer

Australian Wildlife

Extinct Animals at the National Zoo

What did we think?

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