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

SEEING THE SIGHTS 599
in the Great Hall beneath the flag pole. Free 50-minute guided tours are
offered throughout the day.
Parliament is usually in session Monday through Thursday between mid-February
and late June, and mid-August to mid-December. Both the Lower House—
the House of Representatives (where the prime minister sits)—and the Upper
House—the Senate—have public viewing galleries. The best time to see the action
is during Question Time, which starts at 2pm in the Lower House. If you turn up
early, you might get a seat; otherwise, make reservations for gallery tickets via the
sergeant-at-arms (& 02/6277 4889), at least a day in advance. Free tours of the
building go for 45 minutes and start at 9am (then follow every 30 min.).
Capital Hill. & 02/6277 5399. Free admission. Daily 9am–5pm. Closed Christmas. Bus: 39.
Questacon—The National Science and Technology Centre Kids Questacon
offers some 200 hands-on exhibits that can keep you and your inner child
occupied for hours. Exhibits are clustered into six galleries, each representing a
different aspect of science. The artificial earthquake is a big attraction. The center
is great for kids, but give it a miss if you’ve already visited the Powerhouse
Museum in Sydney (see chapter 3).
King Edward Terrace, Parkes. & 02/6270 2800. Admission A$10 (US$6.50) adults, A$5 (US$3.25) children,
A$6.50 (US$4.20) students, A$28 (US$18) families. Daily 10am–5pm. Closed Christmas. Bus: 34.
Telstra Tower The tower, which rises 195m (640 ft.) above the summit of
Black Mountain, has both open-air and enclosed viewing galleries that provide
magnificent 360-degree views over Canberra and the surrounding countryside.
Those who dine in the pricey, revolving Tower Restaurant (& 02/6248 7096)
are thoughtfully entitled to a refund of their admission charge.
Black Mountain Dr. & 02/6248 1911. Admission A$3.30 (US$2.15) adults, A$1.10 (US70¢) children. Daily
9am–10pm. No bus service.
Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve Moments This is a great place to see native animals
such as kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, platypuses, and birds in their natural
environment. Unlike other wildlife parks around the country, this one has
plenty of space, so sometimes you’ll have to look hard to spot the animals. (On
a recent quick visit, I saw a few birds and not much else, but on previous visits
I’ve been almost stomped on by kangaroos.) A guide is available from the visitor
center. Go Bush Tours (& 02/6231 3023; www.gobushtours.com.au) runs
tours to the reserve as well as the neighboring Canberra Deep Space Communication
Complex for A$66 (US$43). This includes morning tea and lunch.
Tidbinbilla. Paddys River Rd., RMB 141 via Tharwa, ACT 2620. & 02/6205 1233. Fax 02/6205 1232. www.
environment.act.gov.au. Admission A$9 (US$5.85) per vehicle. Daily 9am–6pm (8pm in summer). Visitor center
Mon–Fri 9am–4:30pm; Sat–Sun 9am–5:30pm. No public bus service, but several tour companies offer programs
that include the reserve.
BOTANIC GARDENS & A NEARBY NATIONAL PARK
The Australian National Botanic Gardens , Clunies Ross Street, Black
Mountain, Acton (& 02/6250 9540), are home to the best collection of Australian
native plants anywhere. The gardens are situated on 51 hectares (126
acres) on the lower slopes of Black Mountain and feature a Eucalyptus Lawn
containing more than 600 species of eucalyptus, a rainforest area, a Tasmanian
alpine garden, and self-guided walking tracks. Free guided tours depart from the
visitor center at 11am on weekdays and 11am and 2pm on weekends. The gardens
are open daily from 9am to 5pm (to 8pm in summer). The visitor center
is open daily from 9:30am to 4:30pm. There’s no bus service to the gardens.