In the capital city

05/26/2017

The night was frosty and we even had to scrape the window. We postpone breakfast to later as it is really cold and start driving. When we arrive in Canberra, it is still not really warm, but at least not as cold as before. We have breakfast and visit the National Museum. Admission is free, only the parking lot in front of it costs money and is equivalent to admission. We were used to a lot from the New Zealand museums and were bitterly disappointed here. It did not address the culture, vegetation, climate, or animals of Australia. Instead, things from famous Australian people are exhibited, of which we had never heard of before. The topics about the Aborigines, for example about the stolen generation, were the most interesting. However, even there the culture was not adequately represented.

After the museum, we go to the Parliament House, the most expensive building on the continent. We notice this immediately when we enter the entrance hall. Everything is marble. The floor is made of black and white marble, the pillars are made of green marble, and the walls are made of white-pink marble. Here we and a group of other people are picked up by an older lady and guided around. The tour is really great and you can tell she enjoys her job. We see the House of Representatives, whose green color scheme is inspired by the eucalyptus trees of the Blue Mountains. The Senate House is in a red color inspired by the rock Uluru. We learn that for the construction, the top of the hill on which the building stands was removed and later "poured" back on. After the tour, we are standing on that very top and thus above the parliament. Meanwhile, we have a great view. We take a free shower and drive on a Freedom CG.