Canberra

I signed up for a trip to Canberra with Jenna and Jacob through the Uni! We headed there on May 8th, for the day. It was a long drive down to Canberra so we stopped off for morning “tea” (aka. Breakfast) in Manfred Park, Goulburn. This park had some nice fountains and across the street there was a Victorian style court house that contained a Gaol (jail) and a morgue! After morning tea, we had another two hour drive until we would get to the National Capital Exhibition Centre. On the way, I mostly slept, however I did wake up in time to see (and take a photograph of) a gigantic Ram statue on the side of a building. I never did figure out what this was...


National Capital Exhibition – When Jenna Jacob and I arrived, we were not sure what the Exhibition was exactly. We thought it was a huge garden, and so we walked along the pathway leading to the gardens (and containing countless sculptures and plant life) – however, when we completed the circular pathway, we realized there was an actual museum. We were not too upset though, because we were able to see some beautiful trees (with their Autumn colours) and sculptures.



Australian War Memorial – This was probably my favourite stop of the day. This memorial is absolutely jaw dropping. As you approach, there are massive tanks, rockets, sculptures and statues surrounding the grounds. The building itself is also an incredible sight. As you enter, there is a large dome structure at the opposite end, a reflection pool, and hallways containing the names of Australians who died in World War One and World War Two.


Looking out from the War Memorial, you looked upon the Parliament Building. It was oddly reminiscent of the way the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument are laid out. Inside the memorial was a museum! It contained exhibits on both the World Wars, the Boer War, the Boxer Rebellion, the Vietnam War, the Korean War, the First Gulf War, and Peacekeeping. It was incredible and absolutely worth seeing for anybody studying abroad in Australia.

Parliament House – We were taken across the way to the Parliament House. I found this slightly less interesting than the War Memorial. Though the outside of the Parliament House is interesting, the interior is not anything special (especially in comparison with the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa). My favourite room was the large ballroom with a grand piano that was just off the main foyer.


There was a room that had the photographs of all the women in parliament, and a room with a bunch of artwork (created by people I have never heard of, unsurprisingly).
After Parliament, we departed for Wollongong.