Canberra - It's just too perfect!

The biggest water jet in the world apparently...
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Canberra... think perfection, think blue skies, perfect clouds, tree lined streets, sunshine, kept parks, streamlined houses, roads that travel on perfect angles from each other, think smiling people, think healthy workers running in their lunch hour, think one pub, think dull...

Yes, Canberra should be the ultimate city, the ultimate new way to live and it is absolutely beautiful - if you think beauty is perfection but its lacking a soul.  Home to parliament and fantastic settings this city was built in the way only aussies could build a city - to stop Sydney and Melbourne arguing over which city would be the capital of Australia and they didn't just stop at building a whole new town from scratch they also invented a whole new state - Australian Capital Territory no less.  ACT - as soon as you enter ACT you feel like your entering a military camp base and you kind of are but it feels abnormal, like you're entering a false world, a new zone, the only thing we could liken it to is the film 'The Truman Show' where a whole town are living in a tv show without knowing it, the sky whilst we were there was perfect as well with cartoon clouds in the sky and a cartoon blue which just added to the theory that it just wasn't real.  The town is on one side of a lake and the parliamentary buildings, museums etc are on the other.  The gardens are sculpted to perfection with not one piece of grass out of place.  This must be because its so new and planted for this reason but it has an abnormal feel to it and the smiling happy healthy people jogging in their lunch hours with this setting behind them and the white wash parliament buildings gleaming in the sunshine makes it feel slightly strange - maybe I'm too suspicious but it can't be this tidy, clean, streamlined, there must be a reason!  they are plotting something - another film to compare it to is perhaps 'The Stepford Wives' - if you stayed long enough you'd turn into a stepford wife, the new generation of people!

Oohh I say!
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Okay - I'm paranoid, but you understand the feeling when everything feels so designed to perfection that it leaves you unsettled.  We all know lifes not that simple and wiping over a city with whitewash walls and sculpted gardens won't change human nature or the problems we bring.  An interesting place to visit and a definate must-do but I could never live here.  It doesn't feel real enough - I need grit, dirt and well... life, this feels like you could live in perfect harmony, ignoring the rest of the world in this safe bubble, interesting that government is built here.

It's a camera Max, you're supposed to smile... look see!
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Regardless, we did enjoy our brief stay in Canberra - it was a lot of fun, although you can do everything in 1 or 2 days.  The art gallery was great and we visited parliament.  Parliament is built into the hill conveniently named 'Government Hill' giving it the look of a nuclear bunker (a-ha! another conspiracy theory!), the inside is marble and old wood - very old fashioned by comparison to the architecture of the bulding (I don't think the interior designer was the same person, the architect probably resigned), you can travel to the top of the building and see the panoramic view of Canberra - definately worth seeing - the roads come from Parliament in a spiral like the spokes of a wheel - it looks impressive but again is very regimented and not least a little anal.  If you had OCD then Canberra is definately the city for you.

Oooh Max had a lovely pear
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Another highlight and I have to admit - this is definately worth seeing is the war memorial - a vast building that can be seen from Parliament and is home to the best collection of war memorabilia and a beautiful courtyard for ceremonies.  The museum is informative and interesting and the street leading to the memorial is home to some amazing memorial statues - not least the two hot boys you see in the photos attached!  It is definately worthy of a visit.

As for entertainment in Canberra... um... yes, theres a pub (yep just the one!!) and of course - its an Irish bar.  Conveniently placed under our hostel.  Max and I settled in for the night with a pint of Bulmers and traditional pub grub when suddenly we looked around and to our suprise were surrounded by a constant stream of suited and booted boys and ladies dressed in their finest attire and fetching hat wear (some were the most genius pieces of art work) we had an array of headwear - from toilet roll holders to road kill.  You name it, they had it on their head.  Hilarious, and for what reason was this ridiculous display of attire.  A bad taste party? no, no - it was Melbourne cup day of course!  a day that the entire state of Victoria takes as a holiday and apparently the rest of the country dress up to watch it on TV.  Yes, on TV.  It is apparently a must in this country to go to your nearest pub dressed to the nines and watch the horses on this particular day of the year.  We ended up having the most hilarious night surrounded by these crazed aussies that just had to get trashed and throw up over their best dresses and feeling not least a little under-dressed.  The best moment of the evening has to be The Boss - there was this guy that was clearly completely rat-arsed but thought he was the bees knees and apparently never fails on a conquest - he calls himself the Boss we were informed and after winking, gurning, and licking his pouting lips at us we had the most satisfying moment of watching the Boss go down!  this arrogant and vile man completely lost his footing and crashed face down onto the floor to which point Max thought she wouldn't allow him to get away with without all his mates seeing and shouted to them all 'The Boss is down!  The boss is down!' at which point much pointing and laughing ensued as they joined in chanting that this guy was down.  He tried to jump up without anyone noticing but failed miserably and shortly afterwards made a very quick exit. Ha ha!  Ah - well, he made our Canberra and he shall be remembered, just not perhaps for what he believes he's remembered for.  So - Melbourne cup day.  Amusing and genius.  Canberra was the life and soul for one night at least...