Canberra Mini Guide
Canberra became the capital of Australia almost by default as a way to stop the arguments about whether Sydney or Melbourne should be Australia’s premier city.
This purpose built city was created in 1913 and with only 325,000 inhabitants it has taken some time to build up its own culture. Because Canberra was built to be capital of Australia many people who live there are employed by the government. To the south of the city is where the embassy houses and the parliamentary area can be found.
Canberra is not a difficult city to drive around as it is well sign-posted without too much traffic. Speed limits can be variable and there are some speed traps as well as road patrols to watch out for.
Look out for small blue signs with fuel pumps before you get low on fuel as the stations do not crop up regularly, and be prepared to use the multi level car parks in the town centre as finding a space on the roads can be tricky.
If you are driving to Canberra then you can take the Hume Highway northwards from Sydney. The journey is just under 300 kilometres and the speed limit is usually 110 kilometres per hour. The route is on the same good quality dual carriageway roads that will also take you from Melbourne to Canberra in about eight hours. Remember to take drinking water with you, especially in the heat of summer.
Although Canberra can get as hot as the rest of Australia it also gets very cold in winter with temperatures dropping to zero, though snow is still unlikely.
To get to Canberra by plane you will fly into Canberra International Airport from which you can pick up your Rhino rental car via well known car rental companies. Canberra International Airport can be reached via any other major Australian city with the airlines Virgin Blue and Qantas being among the carriers. Take Brindabella airlines from destinations such as Coffs Harbour or Newcastle, while Tiger Airlines has regular routes with Melbourne. If you are not coming from a major Australian city it may be possible to fly to Canberra via Sydney, Melbourne or Perth.
There are some nice sights to see in Canberra such as the parliament houses, some museums and the Australian war memorial. To get a view of the city in its entirety be sure to climb the Telstra Tower.