- Royal Australian Mint. Just outside the city itself, the Royal Australian Mint can easily be the first museum visit made on one's way into Canberra. Take a free guided tour or simply go at your own pace and watch the factory floor, which includes one of the world's strongest robots, in action from the observation windows up above. Stop by the Coin Shop where you
[Free] Museums in Canberra
by Louise August 31st, 2011 | Australia, Museums
Much like Washington D.C., Canberra, Australia, is filled with interesting museums, many of which are free to the public, just like the Smithsonian Museums. The following are free museums you can explore while in Canberra:
Canberra, Australia
by Louise August 26th, 2011 | Australia, Outdoors
Many people wonder why neither Sydney nor Melbourne is the capital city of Australia. Australians will tell you that there is such a huge rivalry between the two cities that choosing one over the other to be the nation's capital would cause too much trouble, so they chose to build a city in between the two: Canberra. Canberra is located northwest of Melbourne and southeast of Sydney in the Australia Capital Territory (ACT).
In this rather unusual situation, it became one of the first entirely planned cities. Â Walter and Marion Griffen, both Chicago architects, won the international contest for design
In this rather unusual situation, it became one of the first entirely planned cities. Â Walter and Marion Griffen, both Chicago architects, won the international contest for design
Federation Square, Melbourne
by Louise August 4th, 2011 | Australia
Melbourne is saturated with intriguing places to see. You could literally confine yourself to about four city blocks and be satisfied for the day.
Take, for example, the blocks surrounding the Flinders Street Railway Station (pictured, bottom left), which itself is impressive. The station lies in the heart of the city, besides the Yarra River, on the corner of Flinders and Swanston Streets. It is the most used metropolitan railway station in Melbourne; tens of thousands of commuters pass through this massive station every day.
On the diagonally opposite side of the same intersection is St. Paul's Cathedral, one of the most
Take, for example, the blocks surrounding the Flinders Street Railway Station (pictured, bottom left), which itself is impressive. The station lies in the heart of the city, besides the Yarra River, on the corner of Flinders and Swanston Streets. It is the most used metropolitan railway station in Melbourne; tens of thousands of commuters pass through this massive station every day.
On the diagonally opposite side of the same intersection is St. Paul's Cathedral, one of the most
Great Ocean Road, Australia
by Louise July 29th, 2011 | Australia, Outdoors
The Great Ocean Road stretches over 150 miles along the southeastern coastline of Australia. It spans from Torquay, just south of Geelong, to Allandsford, just east of Warrnambool, and just might be one of the world's most scenic drives.
A ride along the Great Ocean Road is perhaps one of the only 100+ mile drives you will enjoy. It winds up along cliff tops and headlands, then back down to beautiful beaches, over river estuaries, and even through rain forests, all the while offering a breathtaking view of the Bass Strait and the Southern Ocean. It may be worthwhile to note
A ride along the Great Ocean Road is perhaps one of the only 100+ mile drives you will enjoy. It winds up along cliff tops and headlands, then back down to beautiful beaches, over river estuaries, and even through rain forests, all the while offering a breathtaking view of the Bass Strait and the Southern Ocean. It may be worthwhile to note
Yarra Bend Park
by Louise July 1st, 2011 | Australia, Outdoors, Wildlife
On our vacation in Australia, my family stayed in an apartment for a week in Abbotsford, VIC, a suburb of Melbourne. We were told that it was just 200m from a park called Yarra Bend, named after the river that flows through the area. Little did we know that Yarra Bend Park is the largest area of natural vegetation near the city of Melbourne. With 3/4 of our family looking for a place to go for a run every day, it seemed we had hit the jackpot!
The three of us took off for a run no more than 20
The three of us took off for a run no more than 20