Canberra is a fantastic city to visit with kids. Whatever your children are into – from meeting dinosaurs to trying science experiments to spotting koalas – they can do it in Australia’s national capital.
Here are five amazing activities to put on your itinerary.
MEET DINOS AT THE NATIONAL DINOSAUR MUSEUM
Kids can meet a breathing, roaring, moving Tyrannosaurus Rex at the National Dinosaur Museum. What’s more, the museum holds one of the biggest collections of dinosaurs in Australia. There are skeletons, skulls and fossils galore.
Outside, kids can wander through the Dinosaur Garden among models that look scarily like the real thing. The National Dinosaur Museum is in Gold Creek Village, which is also home to Cockington Green Gardens. It’s a miniature world made up of teeny-tiny re-creations of buildings from more than 30 countries, all crafted by hand.
EXPERIENCE AN EARTHQUAKE AT QUESTACON
For kids who are curious about how the world works, there’s no going past Questacon, the National Science and Technology Museum.
This haven of wonders promises experiences, experiments and educational sessions of all kinds. In the Awesome Earth exhibition, kids can feel what it’s like to stand in the middle of an earthquake, experience a lightning strike and find out what causes tornadoes.
Meanwhile, the Fundamental exhibition is all about classic, hands-on fun. Kids can perform a concert on the Light Harp, make stunning patterns with the Harmonograph and play with the Angry Arms Pendulum.
These are just the tip of the iceberg. Questacon offers hours and hours of incredible science-inspired experiences for kids.
SPOT WILD KOALAS AT TIDBINBILLA NATURE RESERVE
Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, which has been a national park since 1971, is home to a thriving community of Australian animals.
One of the highlights is undoubtedly The Eucalypt Forest, where kids can wander for 700 metres along the Koala Walk, looking out for koalas nestling in the trees above. Keen walkers can continue for 1.8 kilometres along the Peppermint Trail.
After that, take a stroll in The Sanctuary, where a series of interconnected ponds creates the ideal habitat for water-loving creatures, including platypuses, as well as long-nosed potoroos, southern brown bandicoots and brush-tailed rock wallabies.
RIDE AN ALPINE SLIDE IN CORIN FOREST
Another place for amazing outdoor adventures is Corin Forest. In warmer weather, the major drawcard is the Alpine Slide, which winds downhill through 1.2 kilometres of mountain ash forest. Your ticket buys you a one-hour session – just make sure you book in advance, as spots are limited.
Return in winter to experience the closest snow to Canberra. In the snow play area, kids can build snowpeople, throw snowballs and ride toboggans, while in the ski and ride area, they can try skiing or snowboarding for the first time.
FEED A TIGER AT THE NATIONAL ZOO AND AQUARIUM
The National Zoo offers a wide variety of interactive experiences with resident animals.
On the Awesome Roarsome Tour, watch lions wake up at sunrise, spot leopards, feed tigers and meet hyenas. On the African Savannah Safari, pat a rhinoceros, see a giraffe eat breakfast, witness cheetahs in motion and help deliver carrots to zebras.
There are also opportunities to become a zookeeper for a day, and to have encounters with a variety of creatures, from sun bears to tree kangaroos to owls.
Kids will also get the chance to learn about how the National Zoo spends its proceeds – on conservation programs that help to keep threatened and endangered species alive.
GETTING TO CANBERRA
Canberra lies around three hours’ drive southwest of Sydney, and seven hours’ drive northeast of Melbourne.
If you’d prefer to spend more time in the city and less on the road, then fly to Canberra Airport, and pick up a SIXT car rental.
