Wednesday, February 13, 2013

THINGS PEOPLE ALMOST NEVER SAY

I can't wait to go to Canberra.

You probably didn't expect that.

It's a bit of a lazy joke in Australia that Canberra is boring. The nation's capital. Home to dullards like Parliament House, the National Gallery, The National Museum, Floriade, Questacon and the Institute of Sport...

All a bit of a yawn, isn't it?

Well, no.

I haven't visited in the 20 years or so since that time. But I know the story of the place with its sacred geometry, the hierarchical placement of our great institutions, the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright on Walter Burley Griffin's grand, almost esoteric vision and his wife Marion's renderings of it give this place a rich framework on which modern Canberra is draped. You don't have to dig too far to find golden veins of storytelling worth mining.


And as the combative battle ground for our abrasive, elected representatives, dusted by snow in winter, blushing with seasonal hues in autumn and spring, and menaced by bush fires in summer, Canberra has a temperamental sense of place.

So, why specifically am I going? I'm a participant in Australian Capital Tourism's Human Brochure project - an intriguing gathering of people selected to explore Canberra and regale their social networks with their experiences. We'll be tweeting and posting and instagramming the best bits for families, couples, foodies and culture vultures.

You should tune in. 

You might end up saying something unexpected yourself like...

Canberra, here we come!

People almost never say that, right?

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