North Canberra

Memorials, military sites, and parks all characterise North Canberra, a district comprised of several neighbourhoods in the District of Canberra Central.

The term "North Canberra" is usually used to describe everything in Central Canberra north of Lake Burley Griffin, but for Wikivoyage purposes, Civic and Acton are covered separately.

Get in

North Canberra is well connected by both public transport and road, given that it is right to the north of the city and is along one of the most important stopover points in Canberra.

By car

The area is well connected by road. From the city, to get to places such as Dickson, use A23 Northbourne Avenue north while if you're heading to Campbell, use Parkes Way but east.

By light rail

North Canberra is the only place where some form of public transport that is not bus transport passes through. While Walter Burley Griffin's original 1912 plan had plans to incorporate a tram network in Canberra, it took over 107 years for that to finally happen. Today, the tram line runs from Civic (or the city) passing through A23 Northbourne Avenue before terminating north in Gungahlin. The largest interchange in North Canberra is the 1 Dickson Interchange, right next to the Dickson Shops.

See and do

If there are two things North Canberra is filled with to the brim, it's memorials and military sites. Nearly all of them are found on Anzac Parade (or sometimes ANZAC Parade), including the Australian War Memorial on the northeasterly edge, while the rest can be done on a short 2-kilometre walk (return). There are some other memorials in Kings Park, while there are other military sites (some of which are of interest to travellers) scattered in Campbell.

North Canberra also contains many parks and lookouts, some of which require you to go via bushwalking trails. Any photography cognoscenti in Canberra will tell you about Mount Ainslie; a lookout where if you can get your camera aligned just right, many of Canberra's important landmarks will appear in one straight line.

Anzac Parade

Curious kangaroos wandering outside the Australian War Memorial

Anzac Parade is not just an important street in North Canberra but for Canberra as a whole (and some may even say it's one of Australia's most important streets). Up the northern end of it is the Australian War Memorial, but what you may not have been aware of is the smaller memorials. These can either be in commemoration of specific warfare forces like the Royal Australian Air Force, broad categories of workers such as the Australian Service Nurses National Memorial, or after wars like the Boer War Memorial.

Not many people walk this itinerary, but if you're really into learning about wartime history, this rather short and easy itinerary along Anzac Parade and back is a great way to do just that. Anzac Parade is only 1.1 km one way, so the distance is not very long either.

The obvious choice for where to start is the Australian War Memorial, where there's an abundance of parking slots available, as parking is limited towards the southern end near Lake Burley Griffin.

• 1 Australian War Memorial (AWM), Treloar Cres, ☏ +61 2 6243 4211. Daily 10AM-5PM. Not just a memorial, this is one of Australia's premier museums, covering Australian military history from the Federation to the present day and including fascinating exhibits of equipment, memorabilia, and battle dioramas. You could easily spend a full day here (it has a cafe, or bring a picnic lunch if the weather is nice and sit on the lawns at the front). Anzac Parade, leading up to the War Memorial has several memorials to different wars and those involved in wars. Free entry, allow 4–7 hours. The AWM opens its large storage warehouse in the industrial suburb of Mitchell to the public once every few years (usually in September or October), and this is a must-see event for people interested in military history. A Last Post Ceremony paying tribute to one of the soldiers on the Roll of Honour is held at 4:45PM every day, just before the memorial closes to the public for the day. Attendance at the ceremony is free but must be booked in advance due to the limited number of spaces. Every first and third Wednesday of the month from February to November, Australia's Federation Guard mounts a catafalque party at the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier and performs a precision military drill as the catafalque party is dismounted as part of the Last Post Ceremony.
  
  Note that the AWM is mid-way through a major expansion, and many of its galleries are closed.  

The Kemal Atatürk Memorial

After you've spent some time in the Australian War Memorial, head out to War Memorial Carpark and cross the Fairbairn Avenue roundabout where Anzac Avenue starts. For the purpose of this itinerary, this article will cover the route from the perspective of being on the left side of the road.

The first war memorial that you'll pass to your left is the 2 Kemal Atatürk Memorial , named after Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881–1938) who, as a Lieutenant Colonel, commanded the Ottoman 19th Infantry Division when it resisted the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps at Arı Burnu on the Gallipoli peninsula in 1915 during World War I. He went on to be the founder of the Republic of Turkey and its first president and received the honorific Atatürk ("Father of the Turks") by the Turkish parliament. The memorial was erected when the Turkish government officially recognised the name "Anzac Cove", and this memorial was erected honouring the sacrifice that the Turkish had made during WWI. As it stands today, it is the only memorial along the route that is in commemoration of an enemy commander.

The RAAF Memorial

The next memorial to your left would be the 3 Royal Australian Navy Memorial , unveiled on March 3, 1986, for the RAN's 75th anniversary, honouring the sailors who have served the Commonwealth Naval Forces to protect Australia.

Not long after would you be seeing the 4 Australian Service Nurses National Memorial in detail. Unveiled in 1999, this memorial honours past and present nurses of the Australian Defence Force, serving in the Royal Australian Navy, Australian Army, and Royal Australian Air Force and associated services. The memorial is made out of glass, so you will notice a detailed sketch of a nurse with some details about them and their service.

You'll be soon allured to the black granite walls and sculptures of the 5 Royal Australian Air Force Memorial commemorating 50 years of the Royal Australian Air Force, with each of the three sculptures symbolising the RAAF's achievements and aspirations.

Had you ever thought of Australian presence in Libya? It might be a strange thought, but the 6 Rats of Tobruk Memorial is a memorial for the Australians who fought to defend the very contested Tobruk, an important Libyan port city during World War II in Africa.

The next memorial, the 7 Australian Peacekeeping Memorial is a rather new memorial inaugurated only in 2017, commemorating the service and sacrifice of all Australians who have served on peacekeeping or peacemaking missions around the world.

A soldier's letter on the Boer War Memorial

It'd be strange to think that there's a memorial for Libya, but not for New Zealand which is today one of Australia's two main military allies, right? Well, the time for the 8 New Zealand Memorial finally comes. It commemorates the military relationship between the two countries both historically and in the modern world today. There's a memorial on both sides of the road, both in commemoration for the same reason.

Once you've passed the New Zealand Memorial, you'd have passed all memorials along the eastern end of Anzac Parade and passed the halfway mark. There are six other memorials, but they are across Parkes Way (and crossing that roundabout is near-impossible) in Kings Park, so consider taking your car down after you've finished the walk of Anzac Parade.

Once you head back up Anzac Park, and see the other side of the New Zealand Memorial, you'll then pass a memorial in commemoration of one of the earliest wars Australia has fought, the Second Boer War. The 9 Boer War Memorial . It's a long blue wall, and it even includes a soldier's letter written on October 28, 1900!

10 Mounted Memorial , the next memorial is a rather small memorial showing Australian Army and New Zealand Army horse riders in action. It is said that the horse on the right has been injured or shot, while the rider on the left is supporting the horseman on the right.

The Vietnam Forces National Memorial

The next memorial is dedicated to 50,000 – that's the number of people the 11 Vietnam Forces National Memorial memorial is dedicated to; the personnel who not only served in the Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, or the Royal Australian Air Force but every Australian who served in the Vietnam War.

The 12 Korean War Memorial is the only memorial in honour of the Korean War in Australia right now, and this memorial 17,000 Australians who fought in defense of South Korea during the early 1950s during the time of the North Korean invasion of South Korea.

The second last memorial along Anzac Parade is 13 Australian Army Memorial , commemorating the service of Australian soldiers who have fought as a national group in conflicts since the Second Boer War in South Africa and their continuing tradition of service, in war, conflict and peace operations.

The northwesternmost memorial and the last one on this itinerary is the 14 Hellenic Memorial or the Hellenic (Greek) Memorial, erected in memory of what happened on 6 April 1941 – when the 6th Division of the Australian Army joined Allied forces resisting German advancement in mainland Greece. However, the Allied troops were vastly outnumbered on the ground and German forces dominated in the air.

Other military sites

An aerial view of the Australian Defence Force Academy

• 15 Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA), Northcott Drive, Campbell, ☏ +61 2 6268 6000. While the grounds of ADFA are open to the public they are of little interest to travellers. There's an excellent collection of books on military history in the ADFA library, and the library also sometimes has small exhibitions of historic items on its upper level. If you happen to be around in the area on the last Saturday in August, the Academy's open day is worth checking out – it boasts interesting displays of current military hardware, including armoured vehicles and helicopters, and displays of military marching and infantry tactics by the cadets.  
• 16 Royal Military College, Duntroon (enter via Staff Cadet Avenue or Robert Campbell Road). The Australian Army's officer training academy was established in 1911 and pre-dates the city of Canberra by two years. Its grounds are open to the public, though access to most buildings is restricted. The Changi Chapel, halfway along Miles Road, was constructed by Australian prisoners of war being held in Singapore during World War II and was moved to Duntroon following the war. 
• 17 Russell Offices, Russell Drive, Russell. This large office complex houses the administrative headquarters of the Australian Defence Force and the Department of Defence. While none of its buildings are open to the public, visitors can walk around the area. The large Australian-American Memorial is the only sight of any interest, however.  

Parks and lookouts

In nature reserves

A near-perfect shot from Mount Ainslie

North Canberra has many parks, but most of them are just for residents rather than for travellers or visitors.

Canberra's most important lookout (or overlook in American English); 18 Ainslie Lookout isn't exactly in North Canberra (it's in the District of Majura if you're curious), but the only way to access the lookout that's 843-metre in elevation via road is via North Canberra. Here you can see a perfectly aligned view of the Australian War Memorial, the center of Anzac Parade, the Museum of Australian Democracy (in Old Parliament House) and Parliament House itself too —rather impressive planning by Burley Griffin!

If you're driving to Mount Ainslie, just enter "20 Mount Ainslie Dr" into your GPS and it should work, but otherwise Mount Ainslie Drive should also get you to the top, but there are several bushwalking trails that you can hike to reach the top.

Another important lookout in North Canberra is 19 Mount Majura, to the north of Mount Ainslie, access to the peak is by walking tracks only – despite there being a service road, it is not available for use by the public. One of the popular walking trails starts near Antill Street in Watson and is a great way to go bushwalking without having to drive to Country ACT.

Other parks and lookouts

• 20 Haig Park. Haig Park is a park in the suburbs of Braddon and Turner near Northbourne Avenue. The park is named to honour Earl Haig, the Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Forces during the First World War, and spans the distance between Mount Ainslie and Black Mountain. The park comprises fourteen rows of trees planted to form a windbreak and shelterbelt. (updated May 2022)

• 21 Mount Pleasant (Mount Pleasant Lookout), General Bridges Drive. The hill which overlooks the Royal Military College — Duntroon and the nearby Australian Defence Force Academy is topped by the modest Royal Australian Artillery Memorial, which includes two historic cannons. The grave of General William Bridges, the first commander of the Australian troops at Gallipoli, is just off General Bridges Drive at the base of Mount Pleasant: Bridges was killed in May 1915 and is one of only two Australians killed in the war to have been returned home for burial (the other being the Unknown Soldier at the nearby Australian War Memorial). 

Commonwealth and Kings Parks

Inside the National Capital Exhibition

Situated in the southwest and southern ends of North Canberra, Commonwealth Park and Kings Park are two important adjacent parks and the only piece of Parliamentary Triangle that is in North Canberra and has interesting points of interests. Here, you can see Walter Burley Griffin's original design plans for Canberra, an outdoor amphitheatre where many of Canberra's events are hosted, and several more memorials, but unlike the memorials on Anzac Parade, most of the memorials in Kings Park are not war memorials.

• 22 Blundells Cottage, Wendouree Dr, Parkes. Sa Su 10AM–2PM (closed Christmas Day and New Year's Day). A well-preserved cottage from the 1860s used by several families and tenants until 1960. Though it's now in the midst of an urban area when this cottage was first built, it was in the heart of rural New South Wales, but ever since the surroundings have changed, and today, it is a remnant of Canberra's rural past. (updated Jun 2022)
• 23 National Capital Exhibition, Barrine Drive, ☏ +61 2 6272 2902, nce@nca.gov.au. M-F 9AM-5PM, Sa Su 10AM-4PM. See an exhibition about the original Burley Griffin Plan for Canberra and how the city was planned and built. Good views over Lake Burley Griffin out to the museums on the Lake's south shore. Free. 

Aspen Island or Queen Elizabeth II Island? Both names are correct, though Aspen Island is the former name while Queen Elizabeth II Island is the current name of the island. In 2022 the island was renamed for the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II.

• 24 National Carillon, Queen Elizabeth II Island, Parkes, ☏ +61 2 6272 2902, nce@nca.gov.au. This carillon on Queen Elizabeth II Island was given as a gift by the British for Canberra's 50th anniversary and symbolises the relations between the United Kingdom and Australia. It's got 57 bronze bells, each weighing somewhere between 7 kg, and 6 tonnes (metric tonnes that is), and the tower rises to 50 metres. (updated Jun 2022)
• 1 Stage 88. An open-air event venue where many musical, cultural and sporting events are regularly hosted every year. Most of the events only draw local Canberrans, but some like Canberra's iconic Floriade festival draw flora enthusiasts from all over Australia. (updated Jun 2022)

If you've got children into art and nature, there are two short family-friendly walks in Commonwealth Park that you can walk: Art in the Park and Tweet Trail. The former passes through some memorial sculptures in Commonwealth Park, and there's an adventure map for the kids (somewhat like the USA's NPS Junior Ranger Program booklets), but it's only available online – meaning you have to print the online copy of it. The latter is a trail for any birdwatching enthusiast and also has a pamphlet, but it too needs to be printed from here.

Kings Park is also home to six important memorials, but only two of the six are war memorials. They're within a few metres from each other and are all within walking distance. The "civilian memorials" include the National Emergency Services Memorial, the National Workers Memorial, the National Police Memorial and the Indian Ocean Tsunami Memorial while the other two Merchant Navy Memorial and the HMAS Canberra Memorial are two military memorials, but in Kings Park instead of Anzac Parade.

Other points of interests

The not-so-large St John Schoolhouse Museum

• 25 ANCA Gallery (Australian National Capital Artists Gallery), +61 2 6247 8736, ☏ +61 2 6247 8736. W–Su noon–5PM (closed M Tu). This gallery's several exhibitions feature the work of local Canberran artists. Contrary to what most art galleries do, there is no emphasis on quality though in practice, what you see here is just as good as any other art gallery. (updated Jun 2022)
• 26 Duntroon Dairy (Historic Duntroon Dairy), Kelliher Dr, ☏ +61 2 6205 0255. Built in 1832, this building is believed to be the oldest building in the ACT standing. It's only open on request, but you can still see the building very close to a small carpark off Kelliher Dr. There's plenty of informative signage, and you'll see some excellent views over Lake Burley Griffin. (updated Jun 2022)
• 2 National Hockey Centre, 196 Mouat St., Lyneham. A government-owned outdoor field hockey stadium containing three international standard water-based hockey pitches which are used for both international and domestic competition, as well as training activities. (updated May 2022)
• 27 St John the Baptist Church, 45 Constitution Ave., Reid, ☏ +61 2 6248 8399. Consecrated in 1845, this Anglican church is the oldest in Canberra and pre-dates the city's establishment by almost 70 years. It has a small schoolhouse museum.  

Buy

• Lonsdale Street in Braddon houses a growing number of boutiques which specialise in independent clothing labels, other designer objects, and many, many, coffee shops and casual restaurants. The southern end of Lonsdale Street contains many of Canberra's outdoor clothing and camping stores and some several bicycle shops.
• 1 Gallery of Small Things, 27 Wade St, Watson, ☏ +61 422 263 533. Th–Su 11AM–4PM. An art shop that sells all sorts of small but yet unusual small things as the name of the shop says. Several of their products incorporate elements of indigenous art, but the products are known to be very pricy. (updated Feb 2022)
• 2 Gorman House Market, 55 Ainslie Ave, Braddon, ☏ +61 2 6182 0000. Every Saturday in Braddon, just north of the city (easy walk). Crafts, second-hand items, antiques, international food in a lovely, grassy setting. (updated Feb 2022)
• 3 Haig Park Village Markets, Haig Park, Braddon. Su 9AM–2PM. A small but vibrant community market with lots of diverse goods available. (updated Jun 2022)
• POP Canberra, 27 Lonsdale Street, Braddon. Opening hours vary between days; see the shop's website. This shop stocks a wide range of locally made products, including souvenirs aimed at tourists. (updated Aug 2024)
• Trove Canberra, Shop G4a, Dickson Chambers, Dickson Place, Dickson. Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM. This small store stocks locally made items including jewellery, clothing and ceramics. (updated Aug 2024)

Eat

Budget

• 1 BurgerHero, 31 Mort St, Braddon, ☏ +61 450 933 025. Su–Th 11AM–8:45PM, F Sa 11AM–9:45PM. A small burger restaurant best known for its waffle fries and its original cheeseburger. There's a good range of gormet burgers out there, but they're super large, and for the freak burgers, it means a lot of chilli! (updated Jun 2022)
• 2 The Front Gallery and Cafe, 1 Wattle Pl, Lyneham, ☏ +61 473 403 054. Tu-Sa 8AM–10PM, Su M 8AM–6PM. Enjoy a coffee and explore an art exhibition. Comfy couches. 

Mid-range

• 3 Bamiyan, 62/10 Lonsdale St., Braddon, ☏ +61 2 6156 5381, +61 2 6156 5376 (bookings). Su–Th noon–3PM, 5–9:30PM; F Sa noon–3PM, 5–10PM. A restaurant specialising in modern-Afghani cuisine, a cuisine that few have tried which is a mix of South Asian cuisine and Middle Eastern cuisine. Bookings aren't required, but are strongly recommended by either filling out a form on their website or by giving them a ring. (updated Jun 2022)
• 4 Darbar Indian Restaurant, 139/24 Lonsdale St, Braddon, ☏ +61 2 6152 0920 (landline), +61 426 998 487 (mobile), grphospitality@gmail.com. Tu–F 5–10:30PM; Sa Su noon–2:30PM, 5–10:30PM. Originally a Sydney-based restaurant, it serves some fine foods from pretty much all over the Indian subcontinent (i.e. South Asia without Afghanistan). Both dine-in and takeaway options are available. (updated Jun 2022)
• 5 Hopscotch (Hopscotch Bar), 5 Lonsdale St., Braddon, ☏ +61 2 6107 3030, info@hopscotchbar.com.au. noon–4AM. A classic restaurant and pub with lots of good cocktails, a good vibe and some live music. Bookings are highly recommended, but time slots are limited to two hours. (updated Jun 2022)
• 6 Tu Do, 7 Sargood St, O'Connor, ☏ +61 2 6248 6030, tudooconnor@gmail.com. Tu–Sa 10:30AM–3PM, 5PM–10PM; Su 10:30AM–3PM, 5PM–9PM. Cheap and tasty Vietnamese, very popular with the local Vietnamese community and known for its good range soup. There's a good bar nearby too. 

Splurge

• 7 Les Bistronomes, 18 Blamey Pl., Campbell (in Campbell Shops), ☏ +61 2 6248 8119, lesbistronomes.act@gmail.com. Tu–Sa noon–2PM, 6–9PM. An upscale fine-dining restaurant specialising in French cuisine, in particular, seafood. The wines however, are unambiguously an Australianised version resembling French wines. The venue is explicitly 18+ only though. (updated Apr 2022)
• 8 Sage Dining Rooms, Batman St., Braddon (near Gorman House Arts Centre), ☏ +61 2 6249 6050. A modern dining restaurant with some tranquil settings and a lively outdoor bar. Temporarily closed as of March 2022, but is expected to reopen soon. (updated Apr 2022)

Dickson Shops

Foodmap? It may be a strange term you probably haven't heard of, but while the Dickson Shops precinct may be Canberra's Chinatown, it is also where you could get a true mix of flavours from all around the world. By far, the colours for Chinese, Korean and Thai restaurants dominate the map, while the colours for Indian, Vietnamese and Japanese and even Italian are a bit more sparse. There are also one-off colours for Laotian, Turkish and Malaysian restaurants too. The map can be found on Woolley Street, so if you're unsure what cuisine you'd like to have for the day, it's a great way to get started and can even help you plan for future visits.

The 9 Dickson Shops is the Canberra equivalent of Chinatown. Lots of great Asian food and a few pubs/clubs to have a beer at. This shopping centre is located a 10 minute light rail ride north of Civic, just off Northbourne Avenue, and has a fantastic eat street, with everything from Thai to Turkish to Vietnamese at reasonable prices. Turk Oz has a delicious spinach and feta pide.

• 10 Au Lac Dickson Vegan Cuisine, 4/35-39 Woolley St, ☏ +61 2 6262 8922, aulacdickson@gmail.com. A mid-range vegan restaurant, and a rare sight in Canberra with delicious soy-based versions of everything. If you're not used to eating vegan cuisine but want to try, this place is a great place to start. Though this restaurant is in Canberra's de facto Chinatown, it's actually a Vietnamese restaurant, but there's plenty of other Southeast Asian dishes. (updated Jun 2022)
• 11 Dickson Asian Noodle House, Shop 4/29 Woolley St, ☏ +61 2 6247 6380. Tu–Su 11AM–9PM (closed Mondays). It's been a long established budget favourite in Canberra for many. It specialises in Southeast Asian noodles with terrific laksa and is quite cheap if you put a bit of thought into the price. (updated Jun 2022)
• 12 Dickson Dumpling House, 77/2 Cape St, ☏ +61 2 6248 8350. Daily 11:30AM–3PM, 5–10PM. A rather noisy budget cheap traditional dumpling restaurant with lots of beef, pork and noodle options on the menu. (updated Jun 2022)
• 13 Hang A Ri kimchi (Korean: 항아리김치), 5/55 Woolley St, ☏ +61 406 421 791. A mid-range Korean barbecue restaurant with an extensive menu of noodles, hot pots, stews and soups, Korean pancakes and mot importantly, chicken! Korean drinks are also available. (updated Jun 2022)
• 14 Jimmy's Place, 71 Woolley St, ☏ +61 2 6248 8188. A very flavourful restaurant with some excellent laksa and noodles available. It's a mid-range restaurant, but there are plenty of budget options available if you're on a budget. (updated Jun 2022)
• 15 Ruby Chinese Restaurant, 18 Woolley St, ☏ +61 2 6249 8849. Th–Tu noon–2PM, 5–11PM (closed Wednesdays). An upper mid-range/splurge Cantonese restaurant with an extensive seafood menu. It's a long established restaurant, and while seafood is their specialty, their noodles and soup are also worth a try. (updated Jun 2022)
• 16 Shin Sen Teppanyaki Restaurant, 71/2 Cape St, ☏ +61 2 6262 7888. M–Sa 5:30–9:30PM (closed Sundays). A teppanyaki restaurant specializing in Japanese and Taiwanese cuisine. Keep in mind however, that you'll need to make a booking 24 hours in advance before coming here, and there is also an additional deposit fee of $20. (updated Jun 2022)
• 17 Tak Kee Roast Inn, 10 Woolley St, ☏ +61 2 6257 4939. Daily 11AM–10PM. It is Canberra's first Chinese restaurant with many barbecue dishes and noodles in soup options available. The chef's specialty is laksa though, not the former two mentioned. BYO available. (updated Jun 2022)
• 18 Two Sisters Lao Thai Cuisine, 5/38 Badham St, ☏ +61 2 6247 7199. Tu–F 11AM–2:30PM, 5–9:30PM; Sa–M 5–9:30PM. Laotian cuisine is rather rare to encounter. Unless you've been looking for it or been to Laos and surrounding countries, have you ever dined at a Lao restaurant? This one is a mix of Thai and Lao cuisines, which are quite similar. (updated Jun 2022)

Drink

Outside Civic Pub

• 1 Tilley's Devine Cafe Gallery, cnr Brigalow St & Wattle St, Lyneham, ☏ +61 2 6247 7753. Founded as a "female only" establishment, it now opens its doors to everyone and is a fantastic venue for acoustic and jazz local and international acts. Food and coffee available, along with a large bar selection. (updated Feb 2022)
• 2 Civic Pub, 8 Lonsdale St, Braddon, ☏ +61 2 6248 6488. Su–Th 11AM–10PM, F Sa 11AM–11PM. A mid-range bar with a great range of food and drink available. It's reasonably sized, and has a good strong emphasis on Carlton Draught Beer. (updated Jun 2022)
• 3 Duxton, 8 Macpherson St, O'Connor, ☏ +61 2 6162 0799. Bar in a suburban shop setting. Great for pre-dinner drinks before moving on to one of the small restaurants in the area. (updated Feb 2022)
• 4 Bentspoke Brewing Co., 38 Mort St, Braddon. Bentspoke Brewing Co is a Canberra-based brewing company initially founded as a Brewpub in 2014 by brewers Richard Watkins and Tracy Margrain. Bentspoke's commercially available canned beers sport a bike theme (as does the company's name). (updated May 2022)

Sleep

Outside Mercure Hotel

Mid-range

• 1 Mantra MacArthur Canberra (MacArthur Canberra Hotel), 219 Northbourne Ave (A23), Turner, ☏ +61 2 6112 9200. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 10AM. A large hotel near Dickson that has some reasonably spacious rooms, and includes a gym and a restaurant. The outside may look a bit dated, but it's very modern on the inside. (updated Apr 2022)
• 2 Mercure Hotel Canberra, cnr Ainslie and Limestone Ave, Braddon, ☏ +61 2 6243 0000, fax: +61 2 6243 0001, stay@mercurecanberra.com.au. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 11AM. A rather rare example of late English architecture established in 1927. The rooms are reasonably spacious and there is a small bottle shop (with parking available) and a restaurant along Limestone Avenue. (updated May 2022)

Splurge

• 3 Midnight Hotel, 1 Elouera St, Braddon, ☏ +61 2 6220 0000. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 11AM. A rather conveniently located hotel which is just minutes from many centres in North Canberra and the city. Rooms are known for being clean, and there's underground parking, but you have to pay for it. from $248. (updated Mar 2022)
• 4 Pacific Suites Canberra, 100 Northbourne Ave., ☏ +61 2 6262 6266, info@pacificsuitescanberra.com.au. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 10:30AM. A large hotel that is rather spacious in size, especially when so close to the city. Cleanliness has been seen a small problem, but it is generally better compared to most other hotels of its size. Facilities include a pool, a restaurant, a bar, a gym free Wi-Fi and depending on availability, parking. (updated May 2022)

Connect

As of 2022, Telstra has a near-complete 5G coverage in North Canberra, except in some parts of the Mount Ainslie Nature Reserve where there is good 4G coverage. Optus also has 5G coverage, but only outdoor coverage outside the suburbs of Braddon and Dickson. Vodafone however only has 4G coverage, but has indoor coverage, and this is throughout North Canberra.

There are several locations in North Canberra where you can connect to CBRfree public Wi-Fi, including the Dickson's 1 Libraries ACT branch, on Antill Street in Dickson. It's open M–Th 10AM–5:30PM, F 10AM–8PM, Sa 10AM–4PM and Su noon–4PM. The library doesn't have an email address or a phone number, but consider ringing ☏ +61 2 6205 9000 if you wanted to make an enquiry.

Routes via North Canberra

Gungahlin ←	N  R1  S	→ Civic
Goulburn ← M23 ← Gungahlin ←	N A23 S	→ Civic → South Canberra
Gungahlin ←	N  C1  S	→ Civic
Belconnen ←	NW  C3  S	→ Civic
Acton ←	SW  C6  N	→ END (in Dickson)