Cathy’s guidebook
Food scene
If you’re looking for a wide selection of ‘cheap and cheerful’ Thai, Indian, Turkish, Chinese, Vietnamese and Italian restaurants nearby, then head to Gartside Street, Wanniassa in the Erindale precinct, which has about 25 restaurants in a row. They all do takeaway too. The Erindale precinct is 2km from my guest house.
There is a selection of printed menus from Erindale restaurants at the back of the hardcopy guidebook in my guest house.
Gartside Street
Gartside StreetIf you’re looking for a wide selection of ‘cheap and cheerful’ Thai, Indian, Turkish, Chinese, Vietnamese and Italian restaurants nearby, then head to Gartside Street, Wanniassa in the Erindale precinct, which has about 25 restaurants in a row. They all do takeaway too. The Erindale precinct is 2km from my guest house.
There is a selection of printed menus from Erindale restaurants at the back of the hardcopy guidebook in my guest house.
Anketell Street, Greenway is 1km from my guest house. It has Turkish, Mexican, Indian, Chinese and other restaurants. Many of them have outdoor seating which can be pleasant in the warmer months.
There is also a food court.Inside the South.Point shopping mall on Anketell Street.
Anketell Street
Anketell StreetAnketell Street, Greenway is 1km from my guest house. It has Turkish, Mexican, Indian, Chinese and other restaurants. Many of them have outdoor seating which can be pleasant in the warmer months.
There is also a food court.Inside the South.Point shopping mall on Anketell Street.
Bradley Street, Philip has an eclectic mix of restaurants and bars. It’s about a 10-minute drive from my guest house.
Bradley Street
Bradley StreetBradley Street, Philip has an eclectic mix of restaurants and bars. It’s about a 10-minute drive from my guest house.
Canberra doesn't have many traditional-style pubs as seen in other Australian cities and towns. Instead, we have clubs which offer multiple bars and bistros within the same building. Although in theory the clubs are restricted to members only, showing an interstate drivers licence will gain you admission. The nearest and largest club in the area is the Erindale Vikings Club off Ricardo Street, Wanniassa.
Erindale Vikings
6 Ricardo StreetCanberra doesn't have many traditional-style pubs as seen in other Australian cities and towns. Instead, we have clubs which offer multiple bars and bistros within the same building. Although in theory the clubs are restricted to members only, showing an interstate drivers licence will gain you admission. The nearest and largest club in the area is the Erindale Vikings Club off Ricardo Street, Wanniassa.
For more sophisticated (and expensive) waterfront dining, Kingston Foreshore has a long row of interesting restaurants and bars. It is a 20-minute drive from my guest house.
22 locals recommend
Kingston on the Foreshore
33 Eastlake ParadeFor more sophisticated (and expensive) waterfront dining, Kingston Foreshore has a long row of interesting restaurants and bars. It is a 20-minute drive from my guest house.
Sightseeing
30 minutes drive from my guest house.
Corin Forest is a snowplay area where people can build snowmen, go tobogganing, take beginner skiing lessons, go down an enormous outdoor slide, have a picnic, and so on. You won’t need snow chains to travel there, as the road is sealed the entire way and maintained by the ACT Government, which also regularly clears the road of snow. Occasionally, the road will be closed while snow-clearing is taking place, and this is shown in real time on the Road Closures page of the Corin Forest website.
23 locals recommend
Corin Forest Mountain Resort
1268 ⛉ Corin Dam Rd30 minutes drive from my guest house.
Corin Forest is a snowplay area where people can build snowmen, go tobogganing, take beginner skiing lessons, go down an enormous outdoor slide, have a picnic, and so on. You won’t need snow chains to travel there, as the road is sealed the entire way and maintained by the ACT Government, which also regularly clears the road of snow. Occasionally, the road will be closed while snow-clearing is taking place, and this is shown in real time on the Road Closures page of the Corin Forest website.
20 drive minutes from my guest house
A huge nature reserve, with opportunities to get close to wild, native animals, such as koalas, kangaroos, platypuses, brolgas, and more. The Sanctuary in the reserve is a great place to wander through and is pram-friendly. For more information, see the Tidbinbilla website.
45 locals recommend
Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve
Paddys River Road20 drive minutes from my guest house
A huge nature reserve, with opportunities to get close to wild, native animals, such as koalas, kangaroos, platypuses, brolgas, and more. The Sanctuary in the reserve is a great place to wander through and is pram-friendly. For more information, see the Tidbinbilla website.
20 minutes drive from my guest house
Australia’s seat of national government, it’s an interesting building architecturally and aesthetically, and a fascinating place to watch democracy in action. Entry is free but it’s usually necessary to book tickets (also free) for Question Time. For more information, see the Visit Parliament section of the Parliament House website.
202 locals recommend
Parliament House
Parliament Drive20 minutes drive from my guest house
Australia’s seat of national government, it’s an interesting building architecturally and aesthetically, and a fascinating place to watch democracy in action. Entry is free but it’s usually necessary to book tickets (also free) for Question Time. For more information, see the Visit Parliament section of the Parliament House website.
20 minutes drive from my guest house
Consistently rated highly by visitors, there are 44,000 trees arranged in 100 forests, a fascinating visitor centre, an incredible collection of bonsai, a wonderful café, brilliant views and one of the best children’s playgrounds in the city. For more information, see the ACT Government website on the national arboretum.
131 locals recommend
National Arboretum Canberra
Forest Drive20 minutes drive from my guest house
Consistently rated highly by visitors, there are 44,000 trees arranged in 100 forests, a fascinating visitor centre, an incredible collection of bonsai, a wonderful café, brilliant views and one of the best children’s playgrounds in the city. For more information, see the ACT Government website on the national arboretum.
20 minutes drive from my guest house
Australia’s national science and technology centre, which has something for people of all ages.
146 locals recommend
Questacon - National Science and Technology Centre
King Edward Terrace20 minutes drive from my guest house
Australia’s national science and technology centre, which has something for people of all ages.
30 minute drive from my guest house
A fascinating discovery centre about Australia’s (and Canberra’s) involvement in space exploration. This NASA facility has a really interesting array of space artifacts, including a moon rock from Apollo 11, actual space suits and parts of spacecraft. And of course, there are the deep space antennas, which played crucial roles in human exploration of the moon, Mars and beyond.
The discovery centre is currently temporarily closed, but will re-open soon. Check the CDSCC website for details about re-opening.
17 locals recommend
CSIRO - Tidbinbilla - Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex
421 Discovery Dr30 minute drive from my guest house
A fascinating discovery centre about Australia’s (and Canberra’s) involvement in space exploration. This NASA facility has a really interesting array of space artifacts, including a moon rock from Apollo 11, actual space suits and parts of spacecraft. And of course, there are the deep space antennas, which played crucial roles in human exploration of the moon, Mars and beyond.
The discovery centre is currently temporarily closed, but will re-open soon. Check the CDSCC website for details about re-opening.
Traveler advice
Getting around
Public transport cards must be purchased in advance
You can’t buy a bus ticket on a bus in Canberra, the same applies to trams on the northside. You will need to have a MyWay card and swipe that when you hop on and off the buses. You can buy a MyWay card at a newsagent. I can lend you a MyWay card to get you started, if necessary.