ACT

[gallery] The Poacher's Way in ACT in one of  four up-and-coming foodie hotspots to tantalise your tastebuds... When the winter chill slips through your coat, there is nowhere better to be than in front of a fireplace – which makes the Australian Capital Territory’s Poacher’s Way the perfect spot to visit, as a climate that is used to spectacular chills throws open its doors and invites people to huddle by the fire. Two and a half hours from Sydney, the Poacher’s Way is a clever collective of artisans that cover the gamut of food, wine, crafts, spas, galleries and B&Bs. It...

From road trips to secret beaches, day hikes and sunset sails: Alissa Jenkins gives a rundown on hot activities to keep you on the go in ACT this summer. Enjoy the outdoors 01. Glide over the city in a hot-air balloon and see Canberra’s unique street planning from above. Arrange a ride at sunrise before the summer sun has bite. dawndrifters.com.au 02. Celebrate Australia Day 2012 in the nation’s capital at Rond Terrace, where there’ll be live bands, activities and rides throughout the morning. Then at sundown head to the shores of Lake Burley Griffin for a spectacular fireworks display...

Australian Traveller tracked down the best food and wine destinations in the country, from traditional favourites to up-and-coming foodie meccas, farmers’ markets and regional cooking schools. Bon appetit!  Tried-and-tested gourmet destination City centre  Canberra is very much a rural city so the centre of town provides ample opportunity to sample the abundant regional produce.  In Canberra Centre’s North Quarter, local-favourite Cream features internationally inspired dishes in a contemporary venue that transforms from daytime bistro to chic restaurant to after-hours cocktail bar. Kingsley’s Steak and Crabhouse serves up Riverine Premium Beef as its favoured meat. Contemporary Indian cuisine gets a regional spin...

AT's guide to the best cheap accommodation for summer and Christmas holidays  Canberra Why do we rate it? You have to visit the nation’s capital... but the cultural offerings are superb. Where is it? 286km from Sydney, Canberra is a 3hr 30min drive south-west on the Hume Highway. Where to stay Hotels just north of the CBD in Braddon come without the hefty rates of more central ones, but are still only a 10min drive away. The heritage All Seasons Olims Hotel has a small but sweet garden and several pet-friendly rooms. Try Clifton on Northbourne or Breakfree Capital Tower...

Put it on your must-go list. A seriously sizable art gallery dedicated solely to aboriginal art has been a long time coming in this country, and now it’s here we can’t wait to see the result. On October 1, the NGA in Canberra opens the doors of its new wing – a vast architectural space leading into 11 separate indigenous art galleries. These purpose-built galleries display works from the historic to the contemporary, from the craft-driven to the political, proving that Australia’s indigenous artists are not only talented and accomplished, but sit comfortably among the best artists in the world. NGA’s...

 The Australian War Memorial has opened new Second World War galleries, featuring new exhibits and important relics. Lauren Cameron reports If you’ve exhausted all avenues in Canberra – that is, you’ve bought some quality fireworks, you’ve explored Questacon and you’ve hand-made your own coin at the Royal Australian Mint – hold up, because Canberra has something new to offer visitors. The Australian War Memorial is now displaying a whole new collection of never-before-seen objects, as well as remodeled items, recovered from the World War Two era. This exhibition reveals more of the home-front experience of Australians during the war, including...

A burgeoning collective of gourmet experiences, quality restaurants, budding wineries, art and craft stores and boutique lodgings, The Poacher’s Way is drawing visitors to the Canberra and surrounds like never before. Local lad Mark Juddery loses his way among just some of its many, many attractions. Listing the many attractions of The Poacher’s Way is like leafing through a small-business guide from the ideal “charming country town”: galleries, craft shops, cafés, restaurants, quaint B&Bs, perhaps a few wineries. The difference is that these businesses are spread out over a wide area, from Bowning to the northwest of Canberra, all the...

Ring in the summer season with the National Portrait Gallery's latest exhibition. Words by Eleanor Griffin. Summer is not only a season but a mood as well, and the National Portrait Gallery is celebrating this with the exhibition Idle Hours. Dedicated to the pleasures of the warmer months, the works were created in Australia by Aussie artists, including Brett Whiteley, Thea Proctor and Rick Amor. The exhibition features drawings, prints and paintings ranging from the beginning of the 20th century to the present. The subjects are shown in various states of recreation and repose, and to really bask in the...

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;  Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them. – Pericles, 495-429 BC The grey hush of the world at dawn is broken by the muted sounds of people arriving and talking quietly among themselves. Tired, serious faces are filled with nervous awe at the ceremony about to begin; 20,000 people gather every year on ANZAC Day at the National War Memorial in Canberra to remember. Service men speak of their experiences. Choirs...