1913 was the beginning of Canberra, Australias capital in the outback somewhere between Sydney and Melbourne. It was planed and built in the dry. Neighter Melbourne nor Sydney could become the capital due to the envy of the other. It needed to be a new town with ist own state and own water supply.
Even today Canberra has a bad reputation with people from anywhere else in Australia. It is said to be boring and dull, a city full of goverment emploies who only want to earn a good salery. It is full of politicans as well and most Australians talk very cynically and critically about politics.
Nevertheless are the inhabitants of Canberra happy to live here and full of praise about the great living standard. A visitor will find a wide spread city with the central governemental buildings and shopping aereas situated around the lake. Parliament, War Memorial, National Gallery and other public buildings are posing very effectivly. The suburbs then built in circular patterns are located around the centre covering large areas. Wide roads conect them with the centre and each other. In that way the wast valleys between the hills of ACT are filled up slowely but steadily. The setting leaves a lot of space for parks, other green areas, biketrails, allees with rows of european trees, which give the town a beautiful colourful dress in autumn.
We had a wonderful stay in Canberra, catching up with friends, comfortable «get-togethers» for meals, recovery from cycling, while we organised our visas for Asia.
