I was actually in the Australian capital in the middle of January, and I have quite a strange memory of an almost ghost city. The avenues are wide and empty, the main streets completely abandoned, restaurants deserted. Quite a surreal and apocalyptic view of the Australian capital.
However, my memory remains quite pleasant, because Canberra has some of the most beautiful museums in the country, excellent restaurants, and is striking for its completely fascinating architecture of a town erected in a few years. Finally it's an excellent base during a trip to Australiato see the Great Dividing Range mountains, situated in the South West, which offer excellent hiking opportunities and the highest peak in Australia.
I unfortunately didn't stay long enough in Canberra to be able to see all that the city has to offer. I therefore made some choices. Like I usually do, when visiting somewhere for the first time, I preferred open air visits. The advantage is the Canberra, like Brisbane, does not disappoint!
So I visited the Australian National Botanic Gardens. I really noticed their luscious green beauty but also the ecological effort that is put in there. These gardens house "endangered" plant species and also play a real scientific role.
I didn't want to leave this city without visiting the Australian War Memorial. I think that you should do the same. This memorial tells you the history of Australian wars, and is a place loaded with emotion.