Canberra Lakeside Walk : Joining Jo’s Monday Walk Group

 The night had been -6 degrees but the day dawned sunny and by 10-30 the temperature had climbed to 12 degrees with a crisp, fresh zing in the air . Perfect walking weather.

Lake Burley Griffin beckoned. This large, artificial lake is 11 kilometres long, but we only planned to do a short section from the Exhibition Centre to Blundell’s Cottage.

Exhibition Centre

The Exhibition Centre is perched on a small hill overlooking the Lake and this is where we started our walk. Inside the story and history of this area and the creation of Canberra as the capital city of Australia unfolds in a fascinating display of photos, maps and detailed information going back 20000 years when the Aboriginals roamed this area.

Click on this link to take a virtual tour of the Exhibition Centre. http://www.nationalcapital.gov.au/flash/nce_tour/index.html

Australia’s High Court Building on the opposite bank.

National Library Building reflected on the opposite bank

Lake Burley Griffin is Canberra’s centrepiece, it was completed in 1963 after the Molonglo River—which ran between the city centre and Parliamentary Triangle—was dammed. It is named after Walter Burley Griffin, the American architect who won the competition to design the city of Canberra.^[2]  and a significant number of national institutions and national public places are located on or near its shores. (Wikipedia)

The bare branches of Winter

Look closer…

The trees have lost all their foliage in the grip of winter, but take a closer look and the sweet young buds of spring are starting to swell. Waiting for these frosty days to pass and when the sun warms the air they will burst into blossom and we will have to come again in a few weeks to see them.

Captain Cook Memorial

The globe shows the 3 voyages that Captain Cook navigated around the world

We have not gone very far yet, but now we are onto the path that follows the Lake.

The frost has gone by now, but earlier it would ‘ve been treacherous.

Black swans sail majestically by

This one came over to see if we had any thing to give it.

Biking, walking and running.

This is a very popular track for all sorts of exercise. We are just sauntering but the keen cyclists and runners whoosh by us.

Prime Minister Robert Menzies.

Griffin designed the lake with many geometric motifs, so that the axes of his design lined up with natural geographical landmarks in the area. However, government authorities changed his original plans and no substantial work was completed before he left Australia in 1920. His scheme remained unfulfilled as the Great Depression and World War II intervened, and it was not until the 1950s that planning resumed. After much political dispute over several proposed variations, excavation work began in 1960 with the energetic backing of Prime Minister Robert Menzies. After the completion of the bridges and dams, the dams were locked in September 1963. However, a drought meant that the target water level was not reached until April 1964. It was formally inaugurated on 17 October 1964. (Wikipedia)

Blundell’s Cottage

Unfortunately the cottage was closed on Mondays. It is open Thursday to Sunday. So we will have to come again on one of those days.

The circular walk right round the lake is 5 kilometres and can take approximately 50 minutes to all day. Well we have been almost 90 minutes on just this short section and lunch is calling, so we will turn round and come back another day to finish the circuit.

We spotted this fellow drying his wings as we walked back

I hope you have enjoyed this very short walk. Join me again when the spring blossoms are out.

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I have joined Jo’s Monday walkers. They take us for walks all over the world. Join them in a cyberspace ramble.