Canberra The Capital City without memories.

---

Geo: -35.3284, 149.084

The drive up to Canberra was different to say the least the change in countryside was quite marked and all of a sudden we were seeing snow warnings as we progressed although I didn't think they were anything to worry about as we'd just about reached our maximum climb the thing that will forever stick with me about this stretch of road was road kill. It started with a few roos and then occasionally a few wallabies as we progressed the sheer number was startling we stopped counting them in the end and then we started seeing dead Wombats as well ( we really wanted to see Wombats in the wild but this wasn't what we wanted) The really strange thing was that all the dead bodies were at the side of the road none actually on the road itself, so obviously someone, presumably the offending driver had moved the body off the road to prevent the chance of an accident caused by hitting it.

Further down the road just as we rounded a bend Shell shouted out WOMBAT! and sure enough there it was, we all piled out of the car and managed to get some good shots of it before it shot off; that's another tick off the kids list to see a Wombat in the wild, things are looking good.

We found the hotel which was ideally placed for us and after unpacking made our way to Parliament House albeit too late to look around the interior. Whilst we were there I got talking to a couple of armed police officers guarding the entrance and we talked about the building and they confirmed a story I'd heard previously that the original plans for Parliament House were altered when the public became aware that it would look down on the National War Memorial; as a result the plans were altered so that Parliament House looked up to the War Memorial. Despite looking online but I've never found collaborating evidence to support the story but perhaps it doesn't need to be confirmed if people believe that, that's the way it should be, and I for one whole heartedly agree.

We'd decided to have a meal at the Wig & Pen which is on the university campus not far from our hotel and is one of Canberra's first microbreweries serving a good range of real ales. The place was packed and we initially struggled to find a seat, it's a great place with good food and atmosphere. From where we were sat we could see into the adjoining Australian National University School of Music building where there was a stream of hundreds of people in formal dress queuing to get in, we learnt later on they were attending a recital being put on by the Cambridge University Choral Society, it's small world isn't it.

https://www.facebook.com/wigandpen.canberra

---