Canberra and ACT

Alright, so, in order to help us prepare for our trip to Australia, we are taking a class before we leave designed to give us a little background on where we're going, what we're going to see, etc. And one of the assignments for this class is to write a summary of a chapter from the textbook we were given. The chapter I was assigned was over Canberra and ACT (Australian Capital Territory).

So, Canberra is the national capital of Australia. The name comes from an aboriginal word meaning a "meeting place." According to the textbook, Canberra is a lot different from many of Australia's major cities, lacking skyscrapers and the urban feel of other cities. Rather, Canberra almost has a rural feel to it. Gum trees surround the city and it's not uncommon to see a kangaroo hopping around in the suburbs.

But  despite the "rural-ness" of the city, it is the political hub of Australia. It is home to the Australian Parliament house (left), the High Court of Australia, and many other government institutions. Similar to the United States' National Mall, the Parliamentary Triangle is home to several national museums and memorials.

Directly outside of the city, there are multiple natural attractions. One in particular that is mentioned in the book is the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, which plays home for wild kangaroos, emus, koala bears, and platypuses. There is also the Murrumbidgee River which is a popular destination for canoeing and Namadgi National Park provides an opportunity to camp out in the bush.

Well, that about sums it up. Check back in a few weeks for updates from the land down under as our trip finally gets underway!