Canberra Leisure

As well as being great on spectator sports such as rugby, Aussie rules football and cricket, Canberra also offers a range of sports and activities that visitors can partake in. There are several golf and tennis courses in and around the city, while bike and bushwalk trails criss-cross the land and Lake Burley Griffin offers the chance to enjoy sailing and canoeing.

Bushwalking

If you have a love for walking and fancy checking out the area, you may consider bushwalking. Canberra is surrounded by incredible scenery and terrain, and there are numerous trails ranging in length. The most popular trails can be found in the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve and in the Namadgi National Park where the flora and fauna is in abundance, and they are only a relatively short distance from the city.

Cycling and mountain biking

There are plenty of bike hire shops in Canberra, with both road bikes and mountain bikes available by the hour, half-day or full day. Take a gentle ride around the city streets and check out the attractions in double-quick time, or perhaps head out to Lake Burley Griffin or the Murrumbidgee River for some good mountain bike trails.

Golf

There are several quality golf courses in and around Canberra, many of which offer stunning vistas of the countryside or the coastline. Unfortunately, many of these courses are only open to members, or guests of members, yet some admit non-members at certain times of the year and there are one or two public courses. Capital Public Golf Course is one of the latter and also happens to be one of the citys best courses. It is located in the Narrabundah area, near the city centre.

Extreme sports

In addition to average run-of-the-mill sports and leisure activities available in Canberra are some extreme sports. Rock climbing, mountaineering, abseiling, bungee jumping, skydiving, white water rafting and hang gliding are all available. Visitors can also sail around Lake Burley Griffin in central Canberra.

Tennis

Those into tennis are also well taken care of as there are plenty of public tennis courts throughout the city, in the parks and sports centres. The National Sports Club in the Lyneham district of Canberra is the best in town with its 30 courts, and is where championships and competitions are held throughout the year.

Shopping

The Civic shopping district in central Canberra offers several pedestrianised shopping precincts and malls in the city. You will also find many specialist shops, galleries and terrace cafs in this region of town. The most well known shopping centre in this shopping district is the Canberra Shopping Centre on Bunda Street, which offers fashion boutiques, gift shops with Canberra souvenirs and a food court.