Canberra is a fitting name for our nation's capital and seat of government. It means "meeting place" in the language of the local Ngambri people.
Politicians and legislators on expense accounts may not be as concerned with finding cheap flights to Canberra as the rest of us, but every Australian should budget for a trip - it's a delightful city. Or, rather, two cities.
There is the city with the show-stopping monuments - the Australian War Memorial, Parliament House, the National Gallery of Australia and National Museum of Australia - and there's the beautifully laid out garden city, not yet 100 years old.
Canberra was designed by Walter Burley Griffin, an American architect, in the early years of the 20th century. Lake Burley Griffin, which takes his name, is in the centre of Canberra and several of the most important buildings - the National Gallery, the National Museum, the National Library, High Court and the Australian National University - are located on its shores while Parliament House is close by.
The Bush Capital has, within its city limits, Black Mountain, Red Hill, Mount Ainslie, Majura, Taylor and Pleasant - all wonderful places to roam around. Within a 45-minute drive of Canberra is Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve where native animals including kangaroos and emus roam free.
