There are some excellent day-long activities for children available in Canberra. A number of reptile centres, aquariums and zoos are onsite, and there are also several museums and learning centres that keep children engaged through interactive exhibits that are as fun as they are educational. Numerous small theme parks and activity centres both near the city centre and out into the suburbs also cater for younger audiences.

Namadgi National Park
Namadgi National Park is a large wilderness area outside of Canberra. Here lies a series of seven mountainous peaks - the tallest of which is well over 5,000ft - that gather snow during the cool season. This is the source of the Cotter River and lesser tributaries that feed Lake Burley Griffin and other streams. While the park's greatest feature is its ruggedness, making it particularly popular with hikers and rock climbers, there is still plenty to offer families with children. At the south end of the park in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains, there are picnic facilities and campsites near the Orroral River. Phone: +61 2 6207 2900.

National Science and Technology Centre
This museum has fallen in line with the many modern institutes that have grown up around Canberra. The exhibits here represent a number of technological fields, with a hands-on approach to learning and exploration. The centre is specifically geared for young people, and a day spent here is as fun as it is informative. These interactive exhibits explore the role that science plays in everyday life as well as the impact technology has on society and culture. The National Science and Technology Centre sits at the corner of Parkes place and King Edward terrace. Phone: +61 2 6270 2800.

Questacon
Questacon is a popular, hands-on learning facility that covers a range of science-based topics. Wherever guests venture, they are encouraged to push as many buttons and flip as many switches as they can manage. There are easily 200 exhibits scattered through six separate galleries. One of the most popular exhibits is an earthquake simulator that gives courageous guests a safe taste of the real thing. Tickets to Questacon also allow admission to the Institute of Sport and Cockington Green. Phone: +61 2 6270 2800; website: www.questacon.edu.au.

Canberra is rich with facilities geared toward preserving and learning about Australia's cultural heritage. There are a number of government and privately-owned museums spanning any number of disciplines, and art galleries are well-located throughout the city. Most of the facilities operated through government funding are free to the public, and many of them also offer free, informative tours at set times throughout the day.

Australian Heritage Village
Here visitors are welcomed to explore the lifestyle of rural Australians at the turn of the 20^th century. The village is built on a network of cobblestone streets that circumvent a modest lagoon. The timber houses are built in 19^th century frontier style. The village's most impressive asset is its collection of old-world vehicles including horse-drawn carts, buggies and large coaches. Onsite facilities include a restaurant, tavern and street-side café. There are also a number of shops selling gifts and memorabilia related to life on the Australian frontier.

Australian National University
In addition to accommodating 10,000 university students, this campus also hosts a number of culturally relevant exhibits that are open to the public. There is a pair of anthropology museums on Ellery crescent in the Hope Building, both of which are open free to the public during regular business hours. There are also several pleasant green spaces to stroll through, with intermittent art galleries for those who'd like to stop by and take a look. In addition to these permanent exhibits, the university also hosts occasional lectures and informative workshops that are open to the general public. Phone: +61 2 6125 5736; website: www.anu.edu.au.

National Capital Exhibition
For those who are just beginning a tour of Australia's capital, the Capital Exhibition is an excellent place to start. The facility has a collection of exhibits and archives that chronicle the rise of Canberra from backwater to national capital. The exhibits are interesting and well-presented, and there are several compelling stories related to the region's original Aboriginal inhabitants and their first encounters with European settlers as well as the ensuing cross-cultural struggles. The exhibit is located along the north shore of Lake Burley Griffin in Commonwealth Park. Phone: +61 2 6257 1068.

National Dinosaur Museum
This is actually Australia's only museum that deals exclusively in dinosaurs and prehistoric life. This is a private facility operated by Mike Durrant, an avid collector of dinosaur fossils. In total, the facility includes 10 life-sized dinosaur replicas that are wildly popular with children. Beyond these crowd pleasers, there are nearly 300 exhibits of findings by palaeontologists. Some of the fossils and related artefacts were sourced specifically from Australia, although a great deal of what's on display is from a variety of international locations. Phone: +61 2 6230 2655.

National Gallery
A collection of art from across Australia and abroad, the National Gallery has 11 separate galleries and boasts works by masters such as Jackson Pollock, Tom Roberts and Claude Monet. There are also several exhibits focused on indigenous art—both ancient and contemporary. As visitors enter the main hall, they are greeted by the Art of Aboriginal Australia and Torres Strait Islands exhibits. The gallery is conveniently connected to the High Court by a walking bridge. Phone: +61 2 6240 6502; website: www.nga.gov.au.

National Museum of Australia
This facility opened in 2001 as the first museum devoted explicitly to all things Australian. The exhibits are grouped into three over-arching categories: Australia's land and ecosystems; Australia's history since the late 18^th century; and Australia's indigenous people. This state-of-the-art facility is impressively modern, from the high-tech equipment and technology involved in each exhibit down to the ultra-modern décor. Curators made a consolidated effort to present guests with engaging audio-visual exhibits that draw viewers in. As a result, there are very few artefacts and a much greater emphasis on watching, listening and participating in each exhibit. Website: www.nma.gov.au/index.html.

Screensound Australia
Part of the Australian National University, this fascinating facility takes an in-depth look at every manner of recording made in Australia over the years. The facility itself is an archive of these recordings and clips, housing the largest such collection in the country. Visitors are invited to tour the exhibits, which showcase the changing face of Australian broadcast over the last century. There is a theatre showing some of Australia's best recorded moments in history, along with exhibits of famous televised advertisements and a collection of antique projection equipment. Phone: +61 2 6209 3111; website: www.screensound.gov.au.

Shopping outlets are fully supplied in Canberra, with numerous department stores, shopping malls and outdoor markets. Several of the trendier, upscale boutiques are centrally-located within walking distance of Canberra's main attractions, while the larger complexes are in the city’s suburbs.

There is a large shopping centre on Bunda street in the Civic. This shopping centre bridges indoor and outdoor markets in a relaxed environment. Gold Creek Village is in Nichols, north of the city centre, and holds several boutiques and retailers along with a few ceramics shops and galleries featuring work by local artists. This is an excellent place to purchase gifts and souvenirs.

An excellent outdoor market strikes up every Sunday on the previous site of the Kingston Bus Depot. There are more than 200 separate stalls here, most of which specialise in handicrafts and artwork. Local artisans here deal in a number of handmade items including textiles, jewellery, metalwork and sheepskin products. These markets are also a great place to sample locally-made snacks and whole foods. Cheeses, curries, pastries and roasted macadamia nuts are just a few of the items available. Regional wines are also on sale.

North of Canberra along the Monaro Highway is an impressive collection of artists' studios where visitors can peruse some of the best artistic work in the region. An added bonus, the artists themselves are often on hand to explain their work and talk about their own creative processes.

Canberra is home to an impressive array of restaurants. In fact, no other city in Australia has as many restaurants per person. The majority of these establishments are located in or near the city centre, though there are a number of reputable venues in the outlying suburbs. The sheer variety of cuisine available is a testament to Canberra's diversity; and there's certainly a niche here in Australia's capital to suit every traveller's tastes.

Eating venues are generally huddled together in certain districts throughout Canberra. Manuka is the best place to find a street-side café serving stylish cuisine. Chairs and outdoor tables line the streets here, positioned under the numerous shady trees. Given the number of boutiques in Manuka, shoppers appreciate the chance to relax over a cup of coffee or an afternoon snack before continuing on. People-watching is also an avid pursuit for diners in Manuka.

The Civic holds a few upscale restaurants and very trendy cafés such as Café Della Piazza and Woodstock. This area is popular with shoppers and politicians alike, and the streets here teem with both. Civic is also well-known for its nightlife. A number of clubs and bars cater for late-night dancers and partiers.

The Dickson neighbourhood is known for its international flair. There's a thriving Chinatown located here, and establishments like Ruby Restaurant and New Shanghai are very popular with locals. Italian cuisine is of particular importance to Canberra and the rest of Australia. In particular, Australia's Italian immigrants introduced garlic into the culinary scene and laid the foundations for a national dining culture that cherishes espresso in all its forms.

The well-planned city of Canberra resembles a city-sized park, with ample green spaces and numerous biking and walking paths. This area was formerly more barren, though citizens and developers have planted millions of trees in recent decades. The result is a lovely setting for bike riding, rollerblading, and walking. What's more, unspoilt national parkland is located just outside the city limits, where visitors have access to more challenging trails, rugged climbs and beautiful scenery.

Boating
Lake Burley Griffin was built by damming the Molonglo River in 1963. The city of Canberra was built planned around this body of water, and there are plenty of facilities like walking, biking and skating paths that capitalise on the lake-front real estate. It is also possible to take a boat out on the lake, with boat hire available at the Acton Park Ferry Terminal. Visitors can choose between canoes and paddle boats, both of which are available at hourly rates. Another boat-hire outfitter near the boat ramp at MacDermott Place offers kayaks as a third option.

Bush Walking
This is one of the best ways to experience Canberra's wilder side. Whether planning an all-day hike, a multi-leg journey, or a leisurely excursion into nature, visitors will have no trouble finding a trailhead near Canberra to suit their purpose. The Canberra Bikeways Map (available from newsstands and tourist information offices) has useful information for cyclists and walkers alike. There is also a local bushwalking club that regularly organises walks and other events that bring avid bushwalkers together. Phone: +61 2 6288 7863 (Canberra Bushwalking Club).

Cycling
Cycling is an excellent way to navigate the well-planned streets of Canberra. The city caters well for cycling enthusiasts with a total of 75 miles of bike trails on hand. Mountain bikers are accommodated outside the city limits with endless trails cutting through national parks, native bushland and pine forests. Several annual competitions are held in the Blue Range Mountains at a recently-opened facility. If you have just arrived in Canberra and you're anxious to get involved with the cycling scene, get a copy of the Canberra Bikeways Map from the tourist information office.