Lonely Planet – the largest travel guide book publisher in the world – recently named Canberra among its top 10 cities in the world to visit in 2018. Coming in at third place, it is the highest listing ever of an Australian city in 12 years of the travel guide.
The inclusion generated a lot of response on social media with many commentators wondering if Lonely Planet had gone it wrong because some Australians considering Canberra to be dull and boring.
As the capital city, and home to Australia’s Parliament, it is typically included as a location for primary school students to learn about the Federal Government. For people not interested in politics, at first glance Canberra can seem to be a pretty boring place but for overseas visitors there are numerous places to enjoy.
Canberra is home to the National Gallery of Australia, the National Portrait Gallery, the War Memorial, Questacon National Science and Technology Centre, the Royal Australian Mint, the Institute of Sport, and the National Zoo and Aquarium among other attractions.
Outside of the city centre is the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex, the National Arboretum, Kingston Power House which houses Canberra Glassworks, and Corin Forest Mountain Resort which offers skiing and snow play in winter, cycling and camping in summer. Canberra city is around a three-hour drive from Sydney and has an airport offering international flights to Singapore and to Wellington in New Zealand as well as to all major cities in Australia.
Canberra is relatively small in size, only a tenth of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Those living and working in Canberra enjoy cheaper housing, higher wages, and lower unemployment compared to the national average. Residential options vary between sprawling properties in leafy suburbs to smart units in trendy shopping strips. Residents enjoy the lack of traffic jams that plague Australia’s largest cities and say they also appreciate the clean air and views of surrounding mountainside. Food lovers are well catered for with 13 of Canberra’s restaurants chosen for inclusion in the Good Food Guide. With good schools and universities, and a sense of community, Canberra is a popular place for young families.
If you are interested in living and working in the ‘hidden gem’ that is Canberra, we currently have positions available for General Practitioners. The ACT skilled migration program closed to overseas applicants on 23rd August 2017, however, if you are living overseas and you have close ties (either family or genuine job offer) in Canberra you can still apply for Skilled Nomination (subclass 190) visa if you meet the criteria.