Canberra
I'm so tiny that if I'm not at the front of the crowds I don't get to see anything, so I headed straight to the end of the exhibition and made my way backwards.
I was in and out of the exhibition so quickly I decided to visit the newly opened National Portrait Gallery. It's so new that workmen in hardhats are still roaming the premises. It's a beautifully light and airy building which one day should/will look out onto landscaped gardens. I really enjoyed the exhibition that's on display. I wasn't quite done with the NGA and returned to walk through the sculpture garden.
The galleries are close to Old Parliament house so I stopped by on my way to my accommodation. I discovered the gardens at Old Parliament House and roamed through them accompanied by the sounds of singing magpies. The gardens fell into disrepair when the politicians moved into New Parliament House and were recreated from a 1926 sketch. They're formal gardens featuring masses of roses and the scent of the roses was delightful.
I decided it was time to find my bed for the night at University House. I'd looked up the directions at home but hadn't printed them out. Any-one who has ever visited Canberra will tell you that it has the worst signposting of any city in Australia. After going around in circles for a while I admitted defeat and asked for directions to University House.
University House is housed in the grounds of the ANU (Australian National University) and is a beautifully preserved example of 1950's Australian architecture. I dropped my bags in my room and explored the common areas and the grounds cameras in hand, of course.
The following day I walked through the nearby Film and Sound Archive. The exhibit was small but the art deco building in which it's housed is a real gem. It features loads of Australian animal motifs such as the platypus and the koala.
Jillian
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