Bill Bryson quoted a Canberran as saying: “The difference between breaking your arm and living in Canberra is that when you break your arm you know it is going to get better”. Are you ready for the challenge? Seriously though, nothing could be further from the truth.

In my honest experience, almost everyone (there are rare exceptions) that spends a year or two here finds it extremely difficult to return to a big city. Open space, bushwalking, lack of traffic and crowds, ready access to museums, good restaurants, bike tracks and the friendliness of a smaller place  makes it hard to let go. Plus ANU is the best Uni in Australia.

Living in Canberra is easy - no endless commuting, no long queues and very little crime. Big cities seem to offer more but, in practice, how often do you drive across town to queue for a ticket to an event taking place in two months time? In Canberra there are fewer options, but there is almost always the possibility to buy a ticket on the night or the day before. I continually miss going to see good music, not because it was sold out but because I am getting old and lazy. But you are young.

I also bet the average Canberran had been to the art gallery more often than the average Big City dweller. Why? Because you can get parking and its 10 minutes by car or 30 by bike. The hours you save commuting and fighting for space in a big city give you more time to focus on your studies (or partying, or sleeping - your choice).

Remember though that Canberra is not small. The population is 300 000, so big enough to cater for, say, a large art house cinema complex. Canberra is a well designed city. Once you know where to go, you have access to a wealth of restaurants, shops, art galleries and music venues. The many Embassies continually host film shows, cultural event and so on. The links below offer more information

Canberra           Surrounding Areas