Installation Art gone mad? (Canberra)

Member Name: AidanLawes

Product:	Canberra
Date:	27/05/02 (33 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Safety, Lots of Space, Clean

Disadvantages: Boring, Long drive from anywhere, Characterless

Canberra is like nowhere else I have ever been. It feels like something Disney would have created; one of his perfect towns. However, Canberra is far from perfection. The first thing that you notice is just how wide the roads are, and that there are roundabouts, rare things in Australia! It is veyr green, and there are also no people, anywhere.

You are probably thinking that this all sounds very nice to far, and aesthetically it is. You get an overwhelming feeling of superficiality, and if I was a conspiracy theorist, I would be convinced that I was being watched everywhere I went. There are a few things of interest in Canberra: The war memorial, both Parliament Houses, and the lake with the carillion and fountain. That really is it.

There are a few shops, and there are nice parks, but it's a long way to go for a picnic. It is about three hours drive from Sydney, and about 600km from Melbourne. I have never done it that way, so I can't provide a time. The War Memorial is architecturally very beautiful, and the new Parliament House is one of my favourite buildings anywhere. One of the main features of Canberra, is the from the war memorial to the new parliament house runs one long boulevard. both buildins are raised, so you can see from one to the other, your eye being led along the road. The Old Parliament house I found a lot more interesting: you can see inside all of the prime ministerial rooms, and there are some interesting exhibits. Due to the fact that Australia has had few world renowned statesmen, most of the names will mean little to non Australians, which is a pity, as there is lots of information on show.

I could not have spent longer than a day in Canberra. I felt it was characterless and a few attractions aside due to it being the capital, was really quite boring. It was a novelty to find a multi-storey car park under the current parliament building, but it was not worth the three hour drive. If you are d
riving from Sydeny to Melbourne, then yes, stop, of course! But don't go there especially. I fear you will be very dissappointed.

Summary: