Three Days in Canberra – Three Days of relaxation – Part 1

After a long beginning to the start of 2019, a short break outside of the city was well needed by both my partner and myself. Whilst we have been to Canberra many times, it remains a favourite place of ours especially for short weekend trips. The quietness, clear air and friendly people make it an ideal location to just relax. We headed off early Sunday morning, not realising that I had booked the accommodation for Easter Sunday. At least I didn’t book it for Easter Friday when the traffic would be far worse. The traffic wasn’t too bad however people still seem to forget that they are travelling at 100km/h at constantly tailgate, so take care when driving down. When we arrived we headed straight to the weekly Old Bus Depot Market, held on Sundays.

Day 1 –  The Old Bus Depot Market and Norgrove Park

The Old Bus Depot Market is a mix of homemade crafts, fresh produce and food stalls. We started out wandering around the markets looking at all that was on offer before grabbing some lunch which ended up being a mix of food. The indoor food stalls had Bain-Maries storing the dishes and the food didn’t look very hot, so in the interest of not getting sick, we gave this food a miss. Instead, we headed to a bakery stall, getting a pie each plus a sweet treat. The pies were full of flavour and the ingredients were fresh. The lemon tart had the perfect amount of sweetness and lemon flavour. It wasn’t until we headed to the opposite end of the market when we saw the outdoor food stalls that looked like they had far more food on offer. However, the pies were just perfect.

Having filled our bellies and with about an hour before we could check into the hotel, we headed to Norgrove Park which is within walking distance of the Markets. This small park is breaming with life especially birds. It was so nice to just sit in the park and watch the birds.

Continuing our relaxation, after dinner,` we headed to the hotel’s pool and spa area. With help from a fellow guest to get the spa going, the bubbles whirled and bubbled. It was nice to just sit in the water but after a while, I jumped out to have a short swim in the pool.

Day 2 Morning: Ona Coffee

Day 2 started in our traditional way, with a trip to Ona Coffeehouse in Fyshwick. We just about always get the Ona roll filled with bacon and egg. However, our coffee orders change each time. That’s the joy of going to Ona, its like wine tasting but for coffee. This round I got the Raspberry Candy blend, which I’ve had before. It was great to see that they now have lactose free milk available which for me is 1000% better than getting soy. I’m loving that more cafes are doing this.

Day 2 Activity: Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve

Seeing the weather changing we quickly left towards Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, that is about 40 minutes out of Canberra. Entry into the reserve only costs $8 for a car. The receiver is huge and you could quite easily spend the entire day there. They have heaps to explore and is a great way to explore nature if you’re not comfortable getting to close. When I arrived at the visitor’s centre, a volunteer greeted me asking where I wished to go. I had no idea. All I knew was that I wanted to go on a walk and see some animals. The volunteers recommended that I explore the sanctuary and also gave another suggested spot as the sanctuary would be quite busy. I jumped back in the car and headed towards the sanctuary. The sanctuary is a single track that includes a short cut. Although I recommend going the long way around so that you can see the whole area as its not that much longer. As long as you stick to the path it’s pretty much impossible to get lost.

As with any nature reserve, it’s just a matter of luck if you get to see any wildlife. I had my hopes up to see a Platypus. I have never seen one in real life and it has been on my bucket list for a while. As we walked around we saw a range of birds flying around, before coming across a large group of people looking at the lake. It didn’t take long before the Platypus showed himself! He was super quick, which made snapping a clear picture almost impossible. However, my partner managed to get a shot.

Overall

With the storm heading in, we finished up our walk and headed back into the city for lunch. More of my weekend in Canberra can be read in part two of this post that will be released next week.