Travel: Wedding-cake wonders | Canterbury Lifestyle News | Health, Fashion, Food and Wine in Canterbury

Canberra struggles for street cred in the tourist stakes. Commonly derided as a boring, buttoned-up backwater of civil servants and sensible shoes, Australia's capital belies its unflattering reputation.

Sure, it hasn't got the all-hours sparkle of Sydney or the chic ambience of Melbourne, but give her a chance to impress and a weekend break in Canberra can reward you with a host of distinctive sights. It is dubbed a "wedding-cake city" because of its monuments.

Start your sightseeing on the banks of Lake Burley Griffin. The city's water-dominated heart is crowned with the photogenic Captain Cook Memorial Jet, which gushes to a height of 147m. It commemorates James Cook's discovery of eastern Australia.

Anzac Parade is a majestic avenue, book-ended by two of Australia's best-known landmarks, the Australian War Memorial and Parliament House.

Both buildings have free admission and offer enriching insights into the nation's cultural heritage.

Head to Parliament's roof for a panoramic view across Canberra and marvel at Australia's biggest flag the size of a double-decker bus. The War Memorial houses a large and magnificently presented collection of military history.

The Gallipoli exhibition is a standout, as is the superlative display of vintage aircraft and simulated Allied bombing raids of Germany.

In the shadow of Parliament House, the leafy lanes of Yarralumla house the world's diplomats on Embassy Drive.

New Zealand House is utterly forgettable, but many embassies have gone all out to design colourful, exotic manifestations of the nations they represent.

The Papua New Guinea, Mexico, United States and Thai properties are the big crowd-pleasers. If you want to see where Australia breeds all that sporting talent that has broken the hearts of so many Kiwi athletes, tour the Institute of Sport.

Black Mountain Tower delivers horizon-wide views of greater Canberra and the surrounding bush is threaded with walking tracks.

For family fun, visit Cockington Green Gardens' world in miniature. Magical landscaped gardens sprinkled with detailed replicas of landmark buildings from throughout the world are fun to explore.

Kids will also love the Canberra Space Centre, which is integral to Nasa's deep space exploration, with lots of interactive displays and a chance to see a 3.8 billion-year-old moon rock.

If feathered friends appeal take a stroll through Canberra's Walk-In Aviary, home to 600 friendly free-flying birds, including more than 200 Australian parrots, which you can photograph and feed. A big family favourite.

Canberra has made a concerted effort to shed its humdrum image by carpeting the calendar with big-ticket events. Here are some which you could include.

In mid-February, wine buffs swoop on the capital for the Wine Harvest Festival. See the district's vineyards at their best and discover all the sights, smells and tastes of harvest. Several days later, the Food and Wine Expo showcases Australia's finest gourmet food and exquisite wines in a blockbuster event.

The first two weeks of March are a riot of culture, celebration and live performance as Canberra splashes out on its 99th birthday. Dovetailing with the festival, on March 2 to 10, sees the city transformed by Enlighten, when spectacular light projections redefine 11 landmark buildings and monuments across Canberra.

The National Gallery of Australia is a joy to visit at any time of the year but, from late April, the gallery will be hosting a special exhibition of Eugene von Gerard's works.

Nature Revealed will feature 150 favourite von Gerard landscapes from Australia, New Zealand and Europe.

Canberra's Science Centre, Questacon, will stage a fascinating exhibition of microscopic images in Incredible Inner Space.

Ancient flamingo eggs, iron-reinforced teeth and next-generation vaccine technology are just some of the exhibits you can check out. For full details on Canberra events visit www.visitcanberra.com.au

Top tips

The gorgeous low-rise Hyatt Hotel Canberra was  built in 1927 to house federal politicians.  Restored and extended to its former glory, the Hyatt recently hosted United States  President Barack Obama.

Located at the centre of the action in Commonwealth Ave, this character property offers  the utmost in comfort and  exceptional  dining.  Check out the hotel's excellent room rates at www.canberra.park.hyatt.com

Australian-owned Thrifty Car Rental offers great-value deals from 210 locations across the Tasman. You can expect fast, friendly service and competitive rates from Thrifty. See www.thrifty.com.au