Australia is full of wonders, from icons to the lesser known. Here, we’ve curated two wonders from our 100 list that the ACT gets to call its very own.
This article is part of our 100 Australian Wonders series. Throughout the series, we explore our nation’s wonders across culture, nature, food, islands and many more. We hope it inspires your own exploration of Australia’s many wonders.
1. National Arboretum
Travelling with: Christine Aldred
Dotted across hills, the National Arboretum in Canberra is a living national treasure. Rising from grounds razed during the devastating 2003 firestorm, the arboretum is a stunning patchwork of greens, reds and golds.
Home to 94 pockets of rare and endangered forests, it’s more than just beautiful trees. It’s a place where visitors can wander gardens, join walks, admire bonsai, gather for meals and concerts, or cycle the tracks while children play in the acorn playground and fly kites.
With sweeping views over the city and mountains, it’s the go-to spot for catching a sunset, sunrise or hot air balloons floating by at dawn.
Walk, cycle or picnic in the expansive grounds of the National Arboretum in Canberra. (Image: Visit Canberra)
2. Parliament House
Travelling with: Christine Aldred
Canberra’s Parliament House is a result of an international design competition, opening its bronze-handled doors in 1988. The building that serves as our national parliament is a remarkable architectural feat and full of surprises.
Visit Parliament House on Capital Hill, Canberra. (Image: Tourism Australia)
Its centre is built within Capital Hill itself and covered with grass, designed so that people can stand above their elected representatives. With more than 4500 rooms, nine hectares of native gardens, a 22-kilometre labyrinth of corridors and even its own furniture restoration services and post office, Parliament House operates as a virtual city.
Daily or specialist tours provide intriguing insights by exploring the building, its extensive art collection and Indigenous perspectives.
Enjoy the sunshine from one of these sky-high haunts.
You will see the nation’s capital in an entirely new context when you perch yourself at one of the best rooftop bars in Canberra. From sunset vistas over Lake Burley Griffin to lively venues with salsa, live music and luxe lounges, the nation’s capital has a lot to offer. Here is our guide to the best rooftop bars in Canberra.
1. The Inn at Edgars
Edgar’s Inn is a serene haven for foodies looking for a hearty brunch.
Edgar’s Inn is an institution in Canberra. As well as being one of Canberra’s best places for brunch, it offers the kind of camaraderie that makes it a community hub. By day, the multi-venue destination is a place where families converge for coffee and croissants after Saturday soccer. As day turns to night, the bar transmogrifies into a buzzy night spot for a catch-up with the girls or cosy dinner date under a cloud of giggles and clinking glasses. Follow the scent of wood smoke upstairs to The Inn where everything from carrots to cauliflower to premium wagyu gets kissed with fire over an asado grill. While the views from the rooftop aren’t sky high, this is prime real estate.
Address: Level 1, 1 Edgar Street, Ainslie
2. Highball
Highball sits atop the Melbourne building overlooking London Circuit.
Canberrans know how to al fresco. And Highball feeds into their lofty ambitions. Come spring, you’ll see locals gathering here to admire the trees below with their canopy of feathery, iridescent green leaves. Canberra doesn’t have the towering skyscrapers and soaring views boasted by its big-city counterparts. But it still has some of the best rooftop bars in Australia. Sit – highball in hand, of course – at Highball , which sits atop the Melbourne building overlooking London Circuit. Given its proximity to Parliament House, you’ll find public servants here with all kinds of political persuasions. Sign up for Tuesday night salsa or cocktail-making classes. It’s definitely worth a tipple or two.
Address: Level 1, 75 London Circuit, Canberra City
3. Leyla Bar
Leyla Bar features views of the Canberra city skyline.
It’s very easy to lift your spirits when you’re sitting, cocktail in hand, overlooking sweeping views of Canberra’s city skyline, Lake Burley Griffin, and beyond. Watch the sun set and pour liquid amber over some of the city’s most iconic buildings from Leyla Bar so you can contextualise your place in the nation’s capital. The bar is bright and breezy and a top spot for bar bites inflected with a Spanish accent. Canberra’s newest rooftop bar is on the rooftop of the Burbury Hotel in Barton. We recommend the cheese toastie with hot mustard and pickles and a glass of something local and funky.
Address: Level 7, 1 Burbury Close, Barton
4. Howling Moon
Head to the Howling Moon for a sundowner.
Looking for a central hotel close to all the action in Canberra? The Rex Hotel is located amid the hustle and bustle of Braddon. And the views are just as vibrant as the cocktails. Do a few laps of Lonsdale St and then retreat to the covered rooftop, which is in action year-round. Howling Moon is one of the best rooftop bars in Canberra for its location. But there’s also plenty of green corners where you can sit and watch the sun dip over the distant hills. Order the aptly titled ‘Above the Avenue’ and wolf down some wood-fired pizzas. Howling at the moon optional.
Address: Level 6, 150 Northbourne Avenue, Braddon
5. Bar 59
Sip on local spirits overlooking Lake Ginninderra. (Image: Bar 59)
Bump your way up one of the rutted mountain tracks of Mt Ainslie so you can earn your calories at Bar 59, atop the Mercure Canberra Belconnen . Bar 59 is your absolute go-to for its stunning outlook over Lake Ginninderra. It’s open from 4pm until late on Thursdays and Fridays, where you can enjoy everything from local spirits and craft beers to wines and classic cocktails. Those who think Canberra remains forged around public servants and roundabouts need a rethink. Invite your cynical mates from Sydney for sunset cocktails using a smug tone (verging on victorious) to Bar 59 for live music on a Friday night. Take that Syd Angeles and Bris Vegas.
Address: 59 Cameron Avenue, Belconnen
6. OHNO!
Enter this buzzy bar for casual drinks.
OHNO! … is frankly more of a ‘hell yes’. It’s one of Canberra’s newest elevated bars and a standout on the casual drinking and dining scene. You might gather from the almighty Google that OHNO! is your go-to in Griffith. And it’s a civilised experience to be encouraged to wait upstairs for your table with a drink before you dine. Don’t miss out on the house DJs and do ask for the waiter’s advice when it comes to ordering off the menu (which is so extensive it reads like an instructional manual). It is quite likely you will go with the suggestion of mud crab with betel leaf, green papaya, coconut and salmon roe or the Japanese curry donut with apple, carrot, potato and onion. Expect an extensive wine list, too.
Address: 13 & 15 Flinders Way, Griffith
7. The Duxton
Enjoy hearty pub grub at The Duxton.
You might find yourself at The Duxton due to the insistence of your local mate, who raves about its Suits & Sips nights. We get it – your vibe is your tribe – but there are plenty of ways you can loosen the necktie at The Duxton. The recently reimagined pub has DJs and hearty pub grub as well as lighter, healthier meals. Best of all: you can take in the sights of Canberra from an entirely new vantage point when perched at its new rooftop terrace, a leafy extension of The Loft. Let’s face it, enjoying the city views from the dynamic pub is a much better option than staying in at your Canberra accommodation in your PJs. You can also choose your own adventure in The Oak Room or Living Room downstairs.
Address: Corner Sargood and Macpherson Street, O’Connor
8. Yaki Boi
Bounce into Yaki Boi with a bit of swagger so you can feel at home among the rest of the pilgrims converging here for sunshine, pan-Asian snacks and spritzers. Consider your perch to be designed for prime people-watching with the crowd a mix of university students shuffling in after their last tutorial, and some local political pundits engaging in soft chit-chat in the corner. It’s not overstating it to say the Japanese fusion bites are fab. The cocktails are also fun and will get you very excited indeed about the prospect of hunkering down here for the evening. Another round is only an option if you order just one basket of dumplings. Head here for happy hour to beat the #cossylivs crisis.
Address: ORI Building, 72/30 Lonsdale St, Braddon.
9. Public Bar Manuka
Public Bar Manuka reels you in with its industrial-retro aesthetic.
Make sure you know how to pronounce Mahnika before you start waving your credit card around at Public Bar Manuka . Regardless of how many eye rolls you elicit from the locals if you pronounce the suburb ‘Muhnooka’, it has a ‘visitor’s welcome’ vibe that can’t be manufactured. Public Bar Manuka has a gritty, glam, industrial-retro aesthetic we love, with brass accent lighting, curved wooden tables and velvet chairs. But make no mistake: it’s the locals that hold this place together. Sit upstairs in the dining room and cocktail bar to enjoy a gossip and a giggle while looking out over the neighbourhood.
