Parliament House, Canberra, ACT

Parliament House is situated on Capital Hill, south of Lake Burley Griffin. Built in 1988 at a cost of $1.1 billion, at the time of construction, it was the most expensive building in the Southern Hemisphere. Large areas of Parliament House, including the House of Representatives, and The Senate, are open to the public. We were so impressed with Parliament House that we decided to go back the next day and attend a Question Time session in the House of Representatives and observe our country’s leaders at work (or play).

Old Parliament House, Canberra, ACT

Old Parliament House is an iconic Australian landmark in Australia's capital and is an important symbol of the nation's political heritage. The Museum of Australian Democracy, which is steeped in history, has many displays and exhibitions and other engaging activities for the visitor to participate in. The main features of Old Parliament House include the Kings Hall, the House of Representatives Chamber, the Corridors of Power, the Ministerial Party Room, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Cabinet Room, the National Portrait Gallery, the Senate Chamber, the Suite of the President of the Senate, the Senate Club Room, the House Gallery and the Strangers gallery.

Australian War Memorial, Canberra, ACT

The Australian War Memorial is most definitely a 'must-see' when visiting Canberra and is well worth spending half a day (or more) at. From the entrance of the War Memorial, you are afforded with magnificent views looking down ANZAC Parade towards both the old and new Parliament House. The collections held in the War Memorial reflect a number of wars and armed conflicts in which Australia has contributed across the globe. These include Boer War, WWI, WWII, Korean War, South African War, Gulf War and many others.

Fishing at Batemans Bay NSW and Mallacoota, Vic

After a successful couple of days fishing with my brother (Allan), it was time to sit back and have a relaxing drink or two and reflect on our fishing experiences and talk about the ones that got away.

Celebrating Chinese New Year

While in Sydney, we visited Rani's cousin and her husband (Vani and Yin Koi) and celebrated Chinese New Year (the year of the Tiger) with Yin Koi's family, whom were visiting from Singapore.

Sydney, NSW

Sydney is vibrant city and the harbour is alive with ferries, yachts and launches. There are many cruise vessels departing from Circular Quay or Darling Harbour which will take you too many interesting destinations around the harbour. Some of the interesting sights include Fort Denison, Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and Manley just to name a few. It is a great tourist destination.

Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb, Sydney

The Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb was a wonderful and exciting experience. We chose the 'Bridge Climb' package, which consisted of a 3 ½ hour guided journey to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The climb took us along the outer arch of the Bridge on catwalks and ladders all the way to the summit (134 metres above Sydney Harbour) where we were blown away by the 360 degree panoramic views of the city, including east to the Sydney Opera House, west to the Blue Mountains and the Harbour city surrounds.
This climb is a perfect way to take in the breathtaking views of Sydney and the surrounding areas. A wonderful experience, which was definitely worth the somewhat expensive $198 per person.