Australia's Coldest Territory

After leaving Cooma, we travelled right through the middle of the ACT and out the other side. We stayed in a rest area about 20ks out of Canberra City Centre. The Anderson VC Rest Area is actually in New South Wales on the Federal Hwy North of the ACT.  It is a lovely little rest stop with an unusual view. It overlooks Lake George (almost empty at the moment) and the mountains behind are scattered with hundreds of wind turbines.

When we could see our breath whilst still in bed the following morning, we decided it was time to move somewhere with power.  Since leaving the coast, our heater has become our new best friend.

After a morning of school and work, we moved towards the city to Exhibition Park In Canberra (EPIC). Home of the Summernats, Harness Racing and a Farmer’s market every Saturday morning, EPIC is set on over 70 hectares of land. Whenever there are no major functions on, campers are allowed to call it home.

We only planned to stay in Canberra for a few days but the tourist attractions proved too many. We extended our stay... twice... and ended up staying here for 11 days.

Our first visit was to the miniature village of Cockington Green. Set amongst absolutely beautiful gardens, the replica buildings are stunning. From traditional English cottages to Football Stadiums complete with a streaker! The International Display shows perfect replicas of many well known buildings from around the Globe.

I think Zac loved Cockington Green Gardens more than any of us. It was the first time in his little life that he got to feel like a giant! Sam and Will loved controlling the many miniature railways and had fun competing in a race. Unfortunately for Sam he chose the slow one, and Will had a ball gloating about winning.

One evening we took the kids on a bike ride around EPIC. Sam and Will thought it was ‘awesome’ racing down the burn-out strip of the Summernats, and Zaccy got very excited when we watched the Harness Racing.

When we first arrived at EPIC the boys were excited to meet the kids next door. Two boys of similar age to Sam and Will who are travelling for a few months. The 5 boys spent hours running around outside, playing in the Autumn leaves and trying to climb the trees. Sam and Will were upset when their new friends left only to meet two new friends that afternoon.  Amanda and Mark and their kids are the first family that we have met who are doing a similar thing to us. They are from Tassie and are travelling around Australia for the next couple of years. We spent many hours drinking wine, eating cheese and comparing notes on Caravans, 4wds and Home Schooling. We are heading in the same general direction so will no doubt meet up again.

We also met up with another couple who we met originally in Genoa. Fiona and Ron (and their Feline friend – Mango) are from SA and are also travelling Oz. They are in a beautiful big 5^th wheeler which makes Dan envious every time he sees it! Hopefully we will catch up along the road somewhere so that Dan and Ron can finally play that game of golf they keep talking about.

Since going to the Info Centre, Sam and Will had been jumping out of their skins waiting to go to Questacon - the National Science Museum. They both think of themselves as Young Einsteins, and couldn’t wait to try out the many science experiments. We spent one full day there and only got to see about ¾ of the museum, so we agreed to spend another day there later in the week. 

Next visit was the Australian Institute of Sport where we had a guided tour by Sam, an aspiring young Netball player. We were shown around the grounds, in the stadiums and training areas and even got to have a go at some of the training simulators. Dan got to fulfill a lifetime goal of shooting hoops at the AIS (even if it was against his 2 year old son!!)

After a morning of being pampered – breakfast in bed, followed by Will brushing my hair and giving me a back rub – the boys decided to let me choose the days destination on Mother’s Day. It was a beautiful sunny Autumn day so we walked along Lake Burley Griffin to the National Art Gallery. I was surprised by how much Sam and Will enjoyed the artwork although it was a bit embarrassing listening to them giggle at all the Nude portraits and the Papua New Guinean statues.

The afternoon was spent keeping warm with a late lunch at the Pancake Parlour. We tried to walk off our lunch with a visit to the shopping centre, only to find that Canberra hasn’t yet caught up with the rest of the country – no Sunday trading!

The War Memorial was an eye-opener for the boys, especially Will. He surprised me by getting very emotional about the sacrifice the men and women have made for our country. The memorial is a wonderful tribute and is beautifully set out, being both educational and respectful. There is a new Children’s Discovery area where the kids can get a greater understanding of the life of a soldier. They have a helicopter that the kids can ‘fly’ and a submarine they can go into. Sam commented that the bunks in the submarine are a lot like the bunks in the caravan (only bigger!) We were lucky enough to still be there to witness the Closing Ceremony.  Visitors can stand in front of the Pool of Reflection and listen to the spine-tingling sounds of the bagpipes being played whist the sun sets over the beautiful architecture of the War Memorial.

Our last day in Canberra has been spent on a tour of Parliament House and a visit to the Australian Mint. Sam got very excited when I told him they give out free samples at the Mint. It took him a while to realise I was only joking.

After going next door to the Farmer’s Market in the morning, we will be heading North to try to find some warmer weather. We will also be meeting up with my parents and making our way to the Wintersun Festival in Port Macquarie together.