17 - 20 OCTOBER 2022 • CANBERRA / ONLINE
Canberra Secrets
from the Conference Committee
Members from the Conference and Program Committee share their 'Canberra Secrets'. New secrets will be added each month in the lead up to the conference.
Monster Kitchen & Bar is my favourite place to experience modern vegetarian cuisine in Canberra. The vegetable produce is sustainably sourced, local, and seasonal which showcases bold vegetarian food. The evolving menu will appeal to vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. I would recommend the degustation that showcases the variety of the food on the menu, and if you can, pair it with the wine degustation. The pairing is amazing, and a true gastronomical experience.
Monster Kitchen & Bar is tucked away in the heart of the Ovolo Hotel and is a short walk to some of Canberra's cultural organizations such as the National Film & Sound Archive, and the National Museum of Australia. If you come to Canberra for Here We Are 2022, then this will need to be on your list of places to experience.
Download the Monster Kitchen & Bar menu here
Image: Monster Kitchen & Bar [credit: VisitCanberra]
'Within Without' Immersive Artwork by James Turrell
Lisa, Conference Committee Member
My favourite place to visit in Canberra is an immersive artwork by the American artist James Turrell called "Within Without"
It's a large structure, built inside a mound on the grounds of the National Gallery of Australia and it's open 24 hours a day. The forms, colours and water inside the structure are beautiful and tranquil at any time of day, especially during hot Canberra summers, but the best time to experience Turrell's magic is at dawn or dusk.
The first time I visited at dusk, I waited and waited and wasn't really sure if anything was happening, but then my eyes slowly adjusted and Turrell's light show combined with the changing light of the outside sky and I witnessed the most amazing optical illusion. An interstate friend described the experience as spiritual and I have to agree. Optimum viewing times for each day are published on the National Gallery of Australia's website.
My favourite place to visit in Canberra is the Australian War Memorial.
I'm not saying that because I work there, I'm saying it because it is a really special and unique place.
Unlike most National Museums of remembrance, it holds the records used on operations, and that's pretty much unique. It's the reason I moved to Canberra from Perth 10 years ago.
Image: The Commemorative Courtyard at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra [credit: VisitCanberra]
Red Hill Nature Reserve is one of the 33 nature reserves, located throughout Canberra’s suburbs, which form Canberra Nature Park.
Red Hill is 275ha of nationally significant Yellow Box – Red Gum woodland, the largest remaining, most intact remnant of this forest type, which used to stretch from Toowoomba in Queensland to the Grampians in Victoria.
Walking on the hill, which supports diverse plants and a number of threatened species, is a glorious experience. The views over the Canberra CBD (and its significant cultural institutions) and south down the Tuggeranong Valley to the Tidbinbilla Ranges, gives the remarkable sense that you’re walking through pretty pristine bushland. (La Nina rain has given a lot of weeds their heads but there is a dedicated group of volunteers who do regular battle with the weeds, determined to vanquish them as much as possible.)
Image: At Red Hill, look out over many of our national icons south of the city centre for a great view. [credit: VisitCanberra]
One of my favourite places in Canberra is the National Arboretum. My husband and I fell in love with it after we moved here and have taken visitors there. The photo is of our favourite view from the Dairy Farmers Hill lookout.
The Arboretum was created after the 2003 bushfires, with its creation drawing from Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony’s designs for the city. It has several walking and riding trails, an onsite café, a nature inspired playground and an impressive bonsai collection. I love walking through the cork forest, Himalayan cedars and the Bush Tucker Garden.
Image: Dairy Farmers Hill lookout, National Arboretum
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