Canberra!

Hey everyone!

I am writing from Canberra, where I have had a fantastic week (or almost a week) of holidays! I have been staying with a friend at Australian National University (ANU) where she is studying as a graduate student. Canberra city is a lovely city, especially in the sunshine. It is quite different to Warrnambool, however. It feels almost like a combination of Washington, DC and Chicago, and it isn’t unusual to see people walking around in full business attire. It’s definitely more fast paced than Warni (Warrnambool).

On Wednesday, my friend showed me around the ANU campus, then walked around town. It was warm and very sunny, which was fantastic. We got lunch at a Thai place, one of the many places to eat in Canberra City, and it was quite nice. Most of the day just consisted of walking around town and exploring a bit, then relaxing later on. It was pretty tiring but well worth it.

Thursday was my 21st birthday, and it was another great day. My friend and I walked around town and went into the Canberra Centre shopping mall for a bit. Canberra has many more shops than Warrnambool, and it is definitely a faster-paced, more business-like city. Warrnambool has a much more laid back, beachy feel to it. After lunch, we went to a colourful little cupcake shop. My friend had uni in the late arvo (afternoon), so I walked around town some more and took some photos with my film camera. I tried to capture a bit of the feel of the city, and I can’t wait to see those photos once I get them developed.

That evening, we went out to dinner at a nice Mediterranean restaurant then walked around the city a bit. The fountain outside Canberra Centre was lit in changing colours, and it looked really pretty. I also noticed that there were lights hanging on some of the trees, which made if almost feel Christmas-y.

On Friday, it was rainy, but we still made the best of the day and went to the Parliament House. My friend had a lecture to attend inside, so I went on a tour. I got some background on the history of the Parliament House and what goes on there, and I got to see the House of Representatives and the Senate, though neither were in session. It was an interesting experience. I even got to see the Magna Carta and the document that the queen signed to give Australia its independence!

Saturday we went to Floriade, which is a big annual flower festival that is held in Canberra each year. We were lucky to get some sunshine, which made it very worthwhile. There were all sorts of booths set up selling teas, soaps, jams, and many other things. And the flowers themselves were gorgeous. There were so many different colours, and I’d imagine it took a really long time to set it all up. I’m so glad I got a chance to see it all!

Sunday morning I caught the early coach on a long trip back to Warni. Despite the travel, it was definitely all worth it, but it’s great to be back “home.”