The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is a small area within New South Wales, established for the purposes of governing Canberra, the federal capital of Australia. For the greater part of this century the...

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is a small area within New South Wales, established for the purposes of governing Canberra, the federal capital of Australia. For the greater part of this century the ACT was administered by a department of the Federal Governent itself. The territory became self-governing some ten years ago, despite popular sentiment to remain without its own government (a sure sign that, when it comes to politicians, familiarity breeds contempt)! Canberra now has a population of ~350 000, and is the main reason for tourits to visit the ACT.

However, the ACT is substantially larger than Canberra itself, and it is worth mentioning that the remainder of the territory is largely wilderness, dominated by Namadgi National Park. Just west of the territory lies the northern tip of Kosiousko National Park, which extends southward all the way to the NSW/Victoria border. Also to the East it is only 2 hrs drive to Batemans Bay on the NSW South Coast, past the Budawangs National Park with magnificent canyons and conglomerate plateaus.

If you are in Australia for a short time and are either based in Sydney or passing between Sydney and Melbourne, you should consider taking a day to visit Canberra and see the sites such as the Federal Parliament, High Court, National Gallery, National War Memorial, etc. If you are staying longer in the country, and want to see some wilderness, then Canberra's proximity to the NSW South Coast, NSW ski fields, and the Kosiuosko, Budawangs and Namadgi National Parks should make it worth considering as a base of operations.

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