OUR DESTINATIONS
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We offer holidays to the four corners of the globe. If you want specialist advise please phone our travel team and we will be happy to help.
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- Destinations
- Australasia
- Australia
- Capital Territory
Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) was created as a
compromise; both Sydney and Melbourne thought that they should be
Australia's capital city and the authorities decided that the only
answer was to create a new city, within its own territory, between
the two rivals. ACT is landlocked in the mountainous state of
south-eastern New South Wales; Sydney is 190 miles (306km) to the
northwest. The territory is tiny by Australian standards; it is 50
miles (80km) from north to south and about 20 miles (30km) wide.
The capital city, Canberra, and its surrounding suburbs are in the
northeast of the territory and surrounded by the artificial Lake
Burley Griffin; the parliament and other government buildings are
located to the south of the lake, and in the north is Civic, where
visitors will find the university, the main shopping and business
district and most of the nightlife, which, contrary to reputation,
is fairly lively. The Namadgi National Park occupies the whole
southwestern area of the Territory.
Information & Facts
Climate
The Capital Territory experiences warm summers and cold winters,
often with light snowfalls. It rains throughout the year,
especially on the mountains, and strong winds are frequent.
Canberra averages more hours of sunshine per year than any other
capital city in Australia.
Language
English is the official language of Australia.
Money
The Australian Dollar (AUD) is divided into 100 cents. Banks and
bureaux de change exchange most foreign currencies. Travellers
cheques are also welcome everywhere, but banks take a small
commission and it is better to take cheques in major currencies
(e.g. US dollars or Euros) to avoid additional charges. Credit
cards are widely accepted and ATMs are freely available throughout
the country. Banking hours are generally 9.30am to 4pm Monday to
Thursday, and 9.30am to 5pm on Friday, but some banks offer
extended hours and some are open on Saturday mornings.
Time
GMT + 10 (GMT + 11 from first Sunday in October to first
Sunday in April).