Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

SEEING THE SIGHTS 597
Finds
Up, Up & Away
Balloon Aloft (& 02/4938 1955; www.balloonaloft.com.au) offers fabulous
45-minute sunrise flights over Canberra Monday through Friday for
A$210 (US$136) for adults and A$120 (US$78) for children 6 to 12,
including a champagne breakfast on touchdown. On weekends an hourlong
trip costs A$250 (US$162) for adults and A$150 (US$97) for children.
Breakfast costs A$25 (US$16) for adults and A$16 (US$10) for kids.
Dawn Drifters (& 02/6285 4450; fax 02/6281 5315; www.dawn
drifters.com.au) will also send you soaring. One-hour flights are A$185
(US$120) for adults Monday through Friday; A$215 (US$140) on weekends
and holidays. Champagne breakfast is A$20 (US$13) extra. Children
go for 40% of the adult price. Breakfast is A$15 (US$9.75) extra.
The Hall of Memory is the focus of the memorial, where the body of the
Unknown Soldier lies entombed. (His remains were brought back from a World
War I battlefield in 1993.) The Memorial also holds one of the largest collections
of Australian art in the world, including works by Tom Roberts, Arthur
Streeton, and Grace Cossington-Smith. Recently added exhibits include a film
showing the surrender of Singapore, projected onto the actual table on which
the surrender was signed, and a simulated ride aboard an original Lancaster
bomber. ANZAC Hall and Bradbury Aircraft Hall are recent additions to the
Memorial, housing significant aircraft and large pieces of war memorabilia.
At the head of Anzac Parade on Limestone Ave. & 02/6243 4211. Free admission. Daily 10am–5pm (when
the Last Post is played). Closed Christmas. Guided tours at 10, 10:30, 11am, 1:30, and 2pm. Bus: 33 or 40.
Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex This information
center, which stands beside huge tracking dishes, is a must for anyone interested
in space. There are plenty of models, audio-visual recordings, and displays,
including a space suit, space food, and archive film footage of the Apollo moon
landings. The complex is still active, tracking and recording results from the Mars
Pathfinder, Voyager 1 and 2, and the Cassini, Soho, Galileo, and Ulysses space
exploration projects, as well as providing a link with NASA spacecraft. This is a
great stopoff on the way back from the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve (see below).
Tidbinbilla, 39km (24 miles) southwest of Civic. & 02/6201 7880. www.cdscc.nasa.gov. Free admission.
Summer daily 9am–8pm; rest of year daily 9am–5pm. No public bus service, but several tour companies offer
programs that include the complex.
High Court of Australia The High Court, an impressive concrete-and-glass
building that overlooks Lake Burley Griffin and stands next to the National
Gallery of Australia, was opened by Elizabeth II in 1980. It is home to the highest
court in Australia’s judicial system and contains three courtrooms, a video display,
and a huge seven-story-high public hall. When the court is in session, visitors can
observe the proceedings from the public gallery. Call or e-mail for session details.
Overlooking Lake Burley Griffin, Parkes Place. & 02/6270 6346. www.hcourt.gov.au. Free admission. Mon–
Fri 9:45am–4:30pm. Closed public holidays. Bus: 34.
National Capital Exhibition If you want to find out more about Canberra’s
beginnings—and get a memorable view of Lake Burley Griffin, the Captain
Cook Memorial Water Jet, and the Carillon in the bargain—then head here.