Jason's Self-Drive Trip: Canberra - Sydney

Monday: September 1, 2008 - Canberra

2008-09-05T12:14:00.000-07:00

I Flew from Adelaide via Melbourne into Canberra arriving around late lunchtime to a beautiful spring day in the nation's capital city. I breezed through the airport and after collecting my luggage I found the car rental desks very easily. I had a car reserved for me through Avis. I decided to rent a GPS system as it was only AUD$10 a day and thought it might be fun and educational at the same time. The agent at Avis was a little stressed and flustered I thought and I wasn't overly impressed with the service however I did enjoy my intermediate size car (Mitsubishi Lancer) when I finally realized I had to turn right out of the airport and follow the signs to Rental Cars parking after no instructions from the Avis agent. I immediately used the GPS which took me straight to my accommodation "The Olims Hotel" only about 10mins away.

OLIMS HOTEL:

Olims Hotel Canberra is an "All Seasons Hotel" and is one of Canberra's oldest and best loved hotels. Originally known as the Hotel Ainslie, Olims was designed by architect CFA voysey. Built in English deco style, it was initially established to house Member of Parliament and public servants. Hotel Ainslie opened September 1927, the same year Old Parliament House was opened. The hotel has been classified by the National Trust. Olims is the perfect base to explore Australian's Capital, Canberra but only really if you have a car. This 130 room property is within walking distance to CBD but you would need a car to make it easier to visit the museums and other attractions in the Canberra area as they are all spread out unless you take a sightseeing tour. They have comfortable and decent size Heritage, Superior or Deluxe loft Style rooms all with the modern comforts of today including 40" LCD screens TV's, Pay TV and Broadband Internet. The hotel also has a range of conference and meeting rooms for up to 180 people, including "The Ainslie Bar" a newly renovated relaxed professional setting. I found the property was much like a deluxe motel style as only 2 floors high and all the rooms are set around a lovely courtyard full of flowers and all have large balconies. It is also one of the only decent properties in Canberra that come in under $200 a night as Canberra tends to be a little on the pricey side.

CANBERRA ATTRACTIONS VISITED TODAY:

Black Mountain Tower was my first visit this afternoon which is about a 10min drive from the Olims Hotel through the city of Canberra. You drive along a windy road to the top of Black Mountain and then into the 195 metre Telstra Communications Tower after an AUD$6 entrance fee. You take the elevator up to the lookout area which provides indoor or outdoor 360 degree views of Canberra and the surrounds. It's a nice little stop and really provides great views of the area especially the countryside surrounding the city. There are some lovely walking trails nearby the tower that provide great views of Canberra too if you didn't want to pay for the observation deck view in the Tower.

The National Museum of Australia was my next stop. This is the place to check out Australia's history and cultural heritage. You can see how Australian life used to be in the past amongst ever-changing exhibitions and the entrance is free which is another great thing about many Australian museums. I enjoyed the museum but I didn't love it and I think it has more items of interest for an Australian looking back at their past rather than a foreign visitor.

My next stop was Old Parliament House. This beautiful and iconic 1920's building was the home of the Australian Parliament for 61 years. You can take a guided tour or your own walking tour through this wonderful old building. The staff are excellent if you have questions as I found out and you can see the modest prime ministerial suite amongst other interesting rooms and there is even a dress up room full of period costumes for the kids and adults. AUD$2 admission charge only.

Up the road behind it is the new Parliament House which was my next stop. This is regarded as one of the world's most acclaimed modern buildings. Again tours are available or you can walk through yourself and see paintings of all the old prime ministers and wonder through the interesting modern areas of this large facility. You can watch parliamentarians in action on sitting days and take to the roof for great panoramic views of Canberra and enjoy the wonderful landscaped gardens. It's all pretty impressive and worthy of a visit and Free Admission (check your guns at security when you arrive)!

I was running out of light in the afternoon and considering the weather was so lovely I wanted another view of Canberra from a different angle. I could see Mount Ainslie straight ahead from the Parliament buildings and decided I would drive up there just 10 minutes away for a better aerial view over Canberra Central. Many people cycle or run up to the top of Mount Ainslie and the payoff is certainly worth it. Fantastic views straight down over Canberra to the parliament area and as the sun was going down it was a very pleasant end to the day.

Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 340,000 people it is Australia's largest inland city. The city is located at the northern end of the ACT (Australian Capital Territory), 280km south-west of Sydney and 650km north-east of Melbourne. The site of Canberra was selected for location of the nation's capital in 1908 as a compromise between rivals Sydney and Melbourne. It is unusual among Australian cities, being an entirely purpose-built planned city, following an international contest for the city's design, a design by the Chicago architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin was selected and construction commenced in 1913. The city's design was heavily influenced by the garden city movement and incorporates significant areas of natural vegetation that have earned Canberra the title "bush capital". I found Canberra quite pretty and modern without a lot of character but a very pleasant and comfortable place to tour around. The streets are a little confusing and hard to get use to especially with all the round-a-bouts although the GPS certainly helped out with this! I spent the evening in the city centre and wandered through the huge 300 store Canberra Centre which also houses the local cinemas. I had some great Chinese food at "Happy's" just around the corner in the hub of the restaurant area of Canberra. It's just a couple of streets with outdoor optional dining of restaurants and cafes and pubs. It's not a big area but a nice one for the centre of the business district. As with most Australian cities most people live in the suburbs and the city centre is mainly for business, shopping and entertainment. A most pleasant city and I really enjoyed my time there. I would highly suggest a minimum of 2 nights to see everything.

Tuesday: September 2, 2008 – Canberra to Huskisson (approx. 250kms)

2008-09-04T12:25:00.000-07:00

CANBERRA ATTRACTIONS VISITED TODAY:

I woke up this morning early and checked out of the hotel and set the GPS for Manuka. I had heard this suburb of Canberra was quaint with nice cafes and a good spot for breakfast. It was only a 10 minute drive and I found it to be a nice area with lots of lovely tress and a couple of streets of shops and cafes where the coffee was good. Nearby I visited Manuka Oval which is Canberra's sporting oval that is dressed up for Australian Rules Football as some AFL games had been played there this year (although Rugby is the main sport in Canberra played at Canberra Stadium), and I thought it was a really pretty little ground. I really enjoyed Manuka and thought it would be a very nice place to live.

I then drove to the Australian War Memorial which was actually only a few minutes away from the Olims Hotel at the top of Anzac Parade. Anzac Parade is a wide street flanked by Eucalyptus trees and is used for ceremonial occasions and houses many major military memorials along it you can stop and look at. It's very interesting.

The Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of all its armed forces etc who have died in wars. It consists of three parts – the Commemorative Area (shrine) including the Hall of Memory with the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier, the Memorial's galleries (museum) and Research Centre (records). The Memorial also has an outdoor Sculpture Garden. The Memorial is currently open daily from 10am until 5pm and I could have stayed there all day however I had a destination almost 300kims away that I had to reach before nightfall!

In the museum part I loved the many diaramas depicting scenes from World War 1 and all the paintings and displays of that war especially. World War 2 room was great too and just as interesting. You can actually crawl through a First World War trench. Climb into a Helicopter from the Vietnam War, explore the inside of a Cold War submarine and experience a sound and light show of a night raid over Berlin. The place is amazing and again Admissing is incredibly free!

I left Canberra around 1.30pm heading for the East coast aware that I had missed out a bunch of other attractions I had heard were great such as : Questacon (National Science and Technology Centre), Australian Institute of Sport, National Zoo & Aquarium, Cockington Green Gardens, Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra Deep Space Communications Complex, National Film and Sound Archive, National Archives of Australia. There is so much to see!

CANBERRA TO HUSKISSON (NSW) DRIVE:

I drove out of Canberra along highway 52 passed the airport heading east for the coast. This was a fairly uneventful 2 hours drive through the gum trees and farmlands on an easy and leisurely highway with not much traffic too worry about. I stopped off at a small town about an hour into the drive called Braidwood as I had heard from the visitors centre that I picked maps up from in Canberra, that it had a great bakery. I stopped off and had a meat pie with sauce and a chicken pie and agreed it was pretty decent. I got back in the car and drove on and reached Batemans Bay on the coast.

This town of approximately 30,000 people is 150kms from Canberra and a popular holiday destination from there. It's a really pretty little town by the seaside and I stopped by all the boats in the harbour and took some photos before heading off again this time north on the Princes Highway #1. I noticed there were lots of turn-offs to beaches in this area that I later heard were very nice and this would be something I would recommend to break up this drive. As I didn't turn off, this 1 hour 15 minute section wasn't overly exciting either and I passed through the town of Ulladulla which I remember thinking I wasn't a huge fan of. Just after 5.30pm as the sun was beginning to go down I made my way into the Jervis Bay and Huskisson area. Thanks to the GPS I found my way to my overnight stay without any problems!

PAPERBARK CAMP & GUNYAH RESTAURANT:

I drove into a beautiful and very Australian bush setting which was home to Paperbark Camp. This place is like camping for grown-ups with twelve safari style tents built above the ground for your privacy and comfort and feature wrap around verandah, hardwood flooring, full insect screening and solar powered lighting as well as the highest quality cotton linen and all the hotel amenities you would expect for a luxury camping experience. All accommodation includes your own outdoor private en-suite, perfect for bird watching while you unwind under a steaming hot shower. For a camping experience like no other, there are four deluxe tents with free standing bath-with-a-view and the latest in contemporary furnishings to create a romantic candle lit oasis amongst the gum trees. I was in one of these deluxe tents named "Kookaburra" (as they all have a name) on my own with only 1 other couple in the whole place that night. The owners and staff all go home after the meal service around 9pm depending on how many guests are still in the restaurant and therefore it was very very quiet. The Gunyah Restaurant is a chic space built high off the ground amongst the tree tops. I enjoyed the open fire and candlelight that brought warmth to the restaurant with its cozy lounges and chairs making it a nice place to relax. The owners Irena & Jeremy Hutchings hosted dinner with me and shared stories of their camp and their lives in the area and we enjoyed a fine 3 course meal and I could tell how wonderful a more full menu would be when it's the busy season. You do not need to be staying at the Camp to visit the restaurant however it does book up so bookings are recommended.

When I did return to my deluxe tent I found it actually a little scary as I felt I was in the Blair Witch Project as I couldn't place the noises occurring outside my tent! The breaking of twigs and bark falling and later heavy rainfall provided an interesting night but a great experience. They open SEP 1 for the spring and so it was still very cold (around 2 or 3 degrees that night) I think which is very cold to be in a tent with no heating, and no amount of nice furnishings will keep you warm … except the bed. I took my flashlight to bed and snuggled up inside the soon to be very warm quilts and blankets and very comfortable queen size bed. This was after about 15 minutes of sitting out in candlelight on my balcony staring into the dark bush and listening to the various sounds of the wildlife and weather. It was cold and weird yet exciting at the same time and would have been much more fun if shared with someone.

Wednesday: September 3, 2008 - Huskisson to Katoomba (approx. 270kms)

2008-09-03T12:29:00.000-07:00

As I slept with the front part of my tent opened to the balcony (highly recommended) with the fly screen zipped up, I awoke with the dawn of light although it was still raining! It's a great way to wake up though and I when I sat up in my bed and looked out into the bush I was treated to a few kangaroos staring towards me! Great! I was going to take one of the Canoes or Kayaks by the river only 100 metres or so from my tent but it was raining too much so I decided not too. It looked like a great little trip though on the river out towards the ocean just a kilometre or two away. There are also wonderful walking tracks around the camp and areas surrounding it.

I had a great breakfast cooked to order in the restaurant and then the owner Irena offered to drive me around to see some of the beaches that she likes and some of the other spots of interest. She takes her dog for walks often so she asked me to come with her. It was great having a local show me around and the Jervis Bay beaches are only about a 5 minute drive from the camp via the quaint small seaside town of Huskisson. We visited a couple of spots and one beach area named Blenheim Beach which was lovely and I could imagine how nice they would be in the summer and not on a wet and windy day such as we were having. She pointed out a number of walking trails and picnic areas and on our way back we stopped at the small visitor centre in Huskisson to grab a map for my ongoing journey and she pointed out the next best accommodation to her camp in the area that was across the road from the visitor centre. Dolphin Sands is a Bed & Breakfast style place billed as a "luxury retreat for a tranquil romantic stay for couples". They have modern queen rooms, spa rooms, and twin rooms and from the outside it looked nice and in a good location being only a 4 minute walk to the centre of town for restaurants and shops and the beach.

After returning to the residence of my hosts (they have a lovely open plan large house only minutes from the camp) and a cup of coffee by the fireplace I left around 12.00pm on my planned 4 and a half hour drive mainly along the coastal route to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains. The weather was rainy and cold although half of this drive is inland and a little away from the coast so I didn't miss tool much due to bad weather. Traveling on the Pacific Highway I turned off only a few minutes out of Jervis Bay and drove 10 minutes to Nowra Hill (which has nice views over the region) and I stopped off at the Fleet Air Arm Museum. It's AUD$7 to enter and boasts a 6,000 metres squared two-storey exhibition centre, café, function centre, theatre and aircraft viewing platform. The verandah overlooks the historic airfield at HMAS Albatross. HMAS Albatross is the largest operational Naval establishment and the Navy's only Air Station. The primary task of HMAS Albatross is to support the four Naval Air Squadrons, which provide air support to the fleet. The Fleet Air Arm Museum (formerly known as, and now incorporating, Australia's Museum of Flight) is a high profile tourist attraction and a visit is highly recommended if you are interested in aircraft particularly.

I continued back on the Princess Highway after my little diversion drove on until I reached the town of Kiama about 25 minutes up the road. This is a beautiful little town of around 20,000 people located on a fishing harbour and recognised by its lighhouse and famous Blowhole (power surge of water from the sea). Kiama has a lot of old 19th century buildings and is quite a charming little town and when you drive up to the lighthouse and Blowhole you also get a fantastic view back down to the town and the coast. I had some lunch here and wished I had stayed longer although again it was raining so it spoiled the view and the experience a little. I highloy recommend it and the beach in front of the town would be a great place to hang out in the warmer weather.

From Kiama I drove on passed the 3rd largest city in NSW, Woolongong (as I heard there wasn't a lot to see there and I was running out of daylight) and I stopped at a Fish and Chips place along the way in a town called Thirroul. It was a great little stop because the shop was across from the beach in this town that was quite cute and so I talk my hot chips (fries) with chicken salt on them as only Australia knows how to do best, and I ate them while watching the crashing of the waves in the ocean from a park bench nearby. I loved that moment where I relaxed and took time out from the driving to breath in the fresh moist air (the rain had just stopped) and enjoy the coastline from this area.

My next and main purpose for this self-drive trip was only another 5 minutes up the road at Sea Cliff Bridge. This award winning Bridge forms part of the Grand Pacific Drive is located on scenic Lawrence Hargrave Drive, 60 kilometres south from central Sydney. It was opened on December 11, 2005, at a total cost of A$52 million. The Bridge provides road, pedestrian and cycleway access it's entire length (665 metres) and spectacular views. It was built because it is a notoriously bad stretch of road with constant rock falls and closures. As this stretch of road is now pushed out into the sea on a bridge it has fixed that problem.

Heading North you can stop at a small turnout just before the bridge, get out of the car and walk it if you want which is what I did and I enjoyed the wonderful views of the coastline surrounding it.

It really is only a short bridge though at less than 1 kilometre so it's over pretty fast but Tourism NSW are billing it as the new "Great Ocean Road" of Australia, and one of the Great Drives of The World. When you come to the end of the bridge it's just a little longer on the road that you start to wind your way to the top of the hills/range and the beginning of Royal National Park. There is a lookout you come too right away at the very toip that you can turnout too and it has an amazing view back down to the road and the bridge and the whole coastline. It is one of my most favourite photo stops I have now been too in the South Pacific.

After this stop I drove a little further through the hills to the town of Helensburgh in search of petrol (gas) as I was running out although this turned out to be a good thing as I discovered some great little back roads and cute country towns. I then found my way to the Southern Freeway and headed for the Blue Mountains inland via Liverpool and meeting up with the Western motorway which took me right up into the Blue Mountains. It was getting dark as I approached the top of the Blue Mountains and the Katoomba area and it was so foggy I could hardly see 10 feet in front of me. It was almost impossible to see at all as I approached Lilianfels at Katoomba where I was too stay for the night and thank heavens again for the GPS as it guided me when to turn etc.

LILIANFELS & DARLEY'S RESTAURANT:

Lilianfels Blue Mountains has established itself as Australia's finest boutique getaway. It sits adjacent to the Three Sisters in the World Heritage Listed Blue Mountains National Park. This Orient – Express run country house hotel is set in two acres of English-style gardens , has 85 stylish individually decorated bedrooms, 4 with their own spa baths and 4 one-bedroom suites. It was opened in 1992 and was deisgned in line with the architecture of the heritage home, offering all the comforts of a world-class retreat including a spa and a health club, outdoor and indoor heated pool and tennis courts. Most rooms and suites enjoy spectacular garden or valley views (when it's not foggy)! The public areas are traditionally furnished and very comfortable with open fireplaces and comfy sitiing areas and they also offer wireless internet in these public areas.

Darley's Restaurant I was lucky enough to be hosted a dinner in and I loved the fine dining atmosphere, friendly and knowledgable waiting staff and fantastic extravagant foods. The wine list was superb and it complemented our food which included duck, salmon, a wonderful cheese platter and the rest is a blur after a few glasses of red! One of my hosts at Dinner, Svetlana was actually the Day Spa Manager at the Obervatory Hotel in Sydney where I was heading next. She offered me their signature massage treatment called "Poultice Therapy" if I could get to Sydney by 2.35pm which I thought sounded like a good plan! I think the wine perhaps helped me get that little perk!

Thursday: September 4, 2008 - Katoomba to Sydney (approx. 102kms)

2008-09-02T12:33:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning and prayed that the skies had cleared and thankfully they were clearing a little so I could see a little more than when I arrived last night. After my delicious breakfast I checked out of the wonderfull Lilianfels and drove towards Scenic World.

Scenic World is only a few minutes drive away from Lilianfels in the Katoomba area. It has been owned and operated by the same family for three generations and has become one of the must see places in the Blue Mountains, a World Heritage-listed area. Scenic World sits on the edge of the escarpment overlooking the Jamison Valley and offers a range of experiences that can be found nowhere else in the world. These include the world's steepest railway, a spectacular cableway, a glass-floored skyway and a boardwalk through an ancient rain forest. The best value is to buy the Scenic Pass which allows you to travel on the Scenic Skyway in both directions which travels high over waterfalls and the valley with its glass floor, the Scenic Railway which is an extremely steep pulley system which is a brief ride but fun and the Scenic Cableway which travels from the visitor centre at the top of the valley to the boardwalks at the bottom. It's a wonderful view that you get on these rides particularly over towards the Three Sisters. I enjoyed walking through the rainforest in the valley below on all the different boardwalks that are set up and I could have spent a lot longer there as there are a lot of trails you can take. The walkways have various displays on them about the old mining days and some of them are interactive with sound and movement etc. Scenic World is a fun way to spend a few hours in a beautiful setting.

I then drove 5 minutes away to Echo Point Lookout where you park (and pay to park) and wander over to a fantastic view back towards Scenic World and the whole Blue Mountains Valley. It is situated right next to the Three Sisters which are a famous rock formation formed by erosion and look like 3 separate peaks lined up next too each other. There is an aboriginal legend about them which leads to their Three Sisters name. From Echo Point a bushwalking trail leads to the Three Sisters and leads down to the valley floor by steel steps. It's a really beautiful stop and worth spending time to soak up the views of the Blue Mountains.

After my visit here I drove into Katoomba town and walked up and down the main street admiring the cute and old fashioned arts and craft stores and cafes. It's a pretty little spot and worth a look. There are other attractions in the area that I did not get to see especially the Jenolan Caves, Zig Zag Railway, Norman Lindsay Gallery, Featherdale Wildlife Park. I left the Blue Mountains and drove into Sydney Centre which took about 1 and a half hours and found my way to the Hertz Drop off location at the Sydney Marriott Hotel at 30 Pitt St. It was a little frustrating trying to find somewhere to park the car and I found out that you pull into the laneway to the left of the entry of the hotel and just park it where you can there. You then drop your keys off at the small Hertz Desk located outside before you enter the doors to the Sydney Marriott Hotel. My deadline of 2.45pm at the Spa at The Observatory Hotel was fast approaching so I had to grab a taxi to take me around there with my luggage. I just made it in time to this wonderful hotel as they stored my luggage and whisked me up to the spa. I hadn't even seen anything of the hotel at this stage but I was ready after my busy few days on the road to be pampered. I changed and put on only a robe and was taken upstairs to a room where the lights were dimmed very low and the music was relaxing. Two ladies walked in and started my massage. The Poultice Therapy uses a heated muslin bag filled with Lavender, Rose, Jasmine and Ginger as a massage tool, this 14th Century technique is designed to take you beyond relaxation. Combined with ancient Hawaiian Kahuna massage movements, two therapists are used to pinpoint your muscles "trouble areas" and nurture you back to comfort and ease. Well, it worked although I was touched in places I haven't been touched in a while! It was a pleasant experience though and I would recommend it if you can afford the AUD$250. At least there are no taxes and tipping required on top of the prices in Australia so that helps.

THE OBSERVATORY HOTEL SYDNEY:

This 5 star deluxe Orient Express Hotel is luxury in every way from it's beautifully decorated lobby and restaurant to the 20 metre indoor heated swimming pool under twinkling stars (light) in a Mediterranean setting. I loved relaxing on the pool area after my massage. The Observatory Hotel combines the grace and timeless elegance of a bygone era with every modern comfort. The ideal base from which to explore the vibrant city of Sydney, the hotel, which has won almost every prestigious domestic and international award, offers guests the highest standards in accommodation, cuisine and service, providing a relaxed atmosphere for both business and pleasure. It has 100 stylish individually decorated rooms and 12 Executive Suites. My room was more than comfortable which makes up for the fact that the hotel really doesn't have a view from where it is located right by the Sydney Harbour Bridge. I'm not a fan of the location although it is not too far a walk to the circular quay area and hub of the city. I did enjoy the shower and the large roomy opulent accommodations.

Friday: September 5, 2008 – Sydney (Last Day in Australia)

2008-09-01T12:35:00.000-07:00

I spent my last morning in Australia having breakfast with Shane Arrold who is the Director of Sales & marketing for the Observatory Hotel and I enjoyed the atmosphere and food of the hotel's signature Galileo Restaurant. My time in Australia had come to an end as I checked out of the hotel and caught a taxi to the airport for my Air New Zealand flight home to Vancouver.

>>> For pictures of the Self Drive portion of my trip see:

http://s371.photobucket.com/albums/oo154/Southpac08/Self%20Drive%20Canberra%20to%20Sydney%20Trip%20Sep%2008/?albumview=slideshow

SUMMARY:

Australia is such a fantastic destination. Not only are there meat pies in abundance at any time of the day or night, but the people are friendly, there is no tipping and the taxes are included in the prices on display. It's all too easy really and the choices of places to visit and sites to see are endless. On this particular trip I must say my highlights would be my time spent in Melbourne and particularly St Kilda, Canberra's wonderful museums, Paperbark Camp, the town of Kiama, the Sea Cliff Bridge & drive, the dinner at Lilianfels, and my GPS in my car! A nice little trip indeed. Thanks to Tourism Victoria, South Australian Tourism Commission, Australian Capital Tourism & Tourism NSW for their help in putting this together for me.