5 minute read
A portrait of Canberra
WORDS BY DORIAN MODE. PHOTOGRAPHY LYDIA THORPE
A by Adina lobby
Canberra is mostly associated with pollies and public servants. But it’s a relatively short drive (or train ride) to what feels like Australia’s Washington D.C.
We love the place. But a heads up! The Canberra CBD is now a, surprise, 40–Zone. Yep. My chum Madge – who retired from down Canberra way – was caught recently. $301. Ouch! (Not sure what the $1 is for.) Needless to say, unsuspecting Sydney siders are particularly susceptible to this speed trap if driving there.
Anyhoo, for this sojourn, we are staying at A by Adina. Perched on the famous Parliamentary Triangle at Lake Burley Griffin, it’s only a short scenic drive to museums and galleries but located on the quiet side of the Canberra CBD. The new 12–storey building is daunting, resembling Darth Vader’s Helmet. But this infusion of hip design and architecture takes the low service apartment hotel concept to a new high. Our room is stylishly kitted out with muted lighting and Japanese aesthetics, with secret sliding doors, pillow menus and firm but comfy king beds. We also love the curved floor to ceiling windows, waterfall shower and fully equipped kitchenette. It’s a bit of a theme in this column that with a small kitchen, you can save some coin by cooking or eating your takeaway in the accom, therefore spending more on your accom. And if your hotel room is as glamorous as A by Adina, why eat out every night? We also like the ‘parking memory’ whereby you simply drive out of the underground parking and clever number–plate recognition technology allows you in and out at your leisure. No fumbling with cards.
On our first night, it’s such a glorious evening, we simply stroll to Canberra’s CBD (8mins). Walking along we note electric scooters dropped in the street everywhere in Canberra. It’s like a neutron bomb has detonated. I guess they are for hire but we lament it feels symptomatic of a disposable society, somehow. We stroll past the Telsa Showroom (very Canberra) and listen to street buskers and generally absorb the vibe. We note the public buses have bike–racks mounted to the front of them. Being relatively flat, like Amsterdam, Canberra is a bike–friendly city. We stroll back to A by Adina to grab some takeaway from the ramen noodle house located in the laneway behind our accommodation to
Canberra Street art
Fact #1 For seniors training it, the regular service from Sydney to Canberra is via the NSW TrainLink Explorer service. The full fare one way for adults is $52.00. The one–way fare for Seniors cardholders is $26.00. The comfort and service aboard the train are decent. Hot meals from the buffet are rather good with some meals less than ten dollars. But there is a cheaper way for Seniors Card holders from Sydney to Canberra for just $5, though it’s a little more stuffing around via Goulburn. Call NSW
TrainLink on 13 22 32 for a chinwag about it.
Andrew Inglis Clark sculpture
continue our ramen holiday upstairs.
The following day we breakfast downstairs at the smart cafe at Adina before driving to the National Portrait Gallery, only 4mins away, over Lake Burley Griffin.
The National Portrait Gallery is a collection of portraits of prominent Australians who are important in their field of endeavour. For seniors not enamoured of modern art, this is the shallow end of the pool for which you to start your adventure into art as, like The Archibald, it’s quite accessible. Psst! If you’re a senior not afraid of your iPhone, the gallery has several clever apps and audio guides to help you explore their portraits. This is highly recommended as you can do a deep dive into the art.
For the dodgy hip gang, Canberra galleries and museums are an excellent weather proof activity. Moreover, most of them offer free wheelchairs and/or motorised scooters. If trying to engage grandchildren in art and culture, strollers can also be borrowed for young ones. Psst! A smart tip is to call in advance to reserve one for the day.
That evening we mosey around to a little speakeasy type bar simply called, Molly (8min walk from Adina). You won’t find Molly unless you are a sleuth searching for the coolest bar in Canberra. There’s no signage. We only find it by spying a hipster in a vest with a Heinrich Himmler haircut, secretly ushering smart people upstairs. Once we make our ascent, we sit listening to a wonderful local jazz band (every Tuesday). Elegant lighting and walls lined with rows of whiskies, galvanise the speakeasy aesthetic. And there’s a real grand piano! I applaud this both metaphorically and physically. The access is a bit difficult for the aforementioned dodgy hip gang, but it’s fun to open a wooden door in a lane, proceed up some stairs, reach another wooden door and step into a prohibition–style, speakeasy. Post whiskies, A by Adina is a tipsy 16min walk away. (Yep. 8mins there, 16mins back, in ever uncertain circles.)
So if you are looking for a quick getaway, look no further than the nation’s capital. It’s a very senior friendly (long) weekend escape and only a few hours away.
A by Adina room
