Take A Second Look

Canberra’s boring? Not at all. STEPHANIE YEO discovers how fun and family friendly the Australian capital really is.

- Stephanie Yeo

Quick question: Which Australian city would you want to take your family to visit?

I bet none of you said Canberra. In fact, the Australian capital probably isn’t on your travel radar, but it should be.

During a whirlwind two-night trip there, I had the chance to see why Lonely Planet named it the third hottest destination to visit in 2018, after Seville in Spain and Detroit in the US.

Kids will love Canberra’s wide, open spaces and fresh air – literally, as it’s the third cleanest city in the world according to the World Health Organization – and there’s plenty of child-centric activities to make it an unforgettable holiday. These attractions impressed me most:

National Arboretum Canberra

Don’t leave Canberra without taking the kids to visit the delightful Pod Playground here (pictured above), which has tree-themed cubbies. Older kids will love the climbing nets, rope tunnels and tube slides, but there’s a lovely toddler-friendly area with sand play, slides, swings and more as well.

While you’re here, take time to explore the expansive space of the arboretum, which was created in the wake of devastating bush fires in 2003 that came dangerously close to Canberra.