Canberra’s seasonal transition from autumn to winter, showcased this week by leaves falling on our streets amid clear skies and early morning fog, has led many Canberrans to declare this the best week to visit Canberra.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Canberra’s kayak photographer Paul Jurak said there is no better time to visit the national capital than now, with a touch of frost in the morning and mild temperatures only adding to the charm of the capital city.
“This week is definitely shaping up as one of Canberra’s finest,” he said. “The city has really started to show off and we’re getting the wow factor.”
“I mean, the last three weeks have been great with all the autumn leaves but this week has been something special.”
Mr Jurak said he was floating in his kayak near the Kingston foreshore amid thick morning mist around 20 minutes before sunrise when “something incredible happened”.
“The rising sun broke through the mist which turned a bright gold colour around me – that’s the type of thing that only happens when temperatures are around 5 degrees and we have clear morning skies.”
He said this week is an ideal time to visit Canberra as you can still catch a glimpse of hot air balloons in the clear sky while temperatures reaching the mid-teens throughout the day.
“You only need a light jacket to go out and have a meal during the day," he said.
Richard Tuffin, a regular user of Twitter, said he has definitely noticed an increase in the number of people uploading pictures of Canberra’s seasonal changes on social media.
“It’s a beautiful time of the year, but if you were to pick a time to visit Canberra you’d probably go back a few weeks as the coolness of this week might be enough to drive people away,” he said.
“If visitors can make it through to 10.30am then they’ll probably love the place.”
Mr Tuffin said it can be hard for many people to upload photos to social media given the shorter daylight hours and the working week, but that “the challenge now is to come up with innovative images”.
“Lyndal Curtis from ABC posted a few last week that were really nice – I think a few of them were taken from Parliament House,” he said.
Mr Tuffin also recommended a few tree lined streets that must be seen before autumn passes in winter.
“Miller street in O’Connor is glorious at the moment as is National Circuit going past The Lodge to Manuka, so is most of Lyneham and O’Connor too,” he said.
Even the budget tree at Parliament House knows what is required of it at this time of year, turning a shade of auburn red just in time for Tuesday’s release.
Weatherzone meteorologist Brett Dutschke said clear mornings with autumn frosts will continue for the remainder of the week with temperatures rising to the mid-teens after reaching 0 before dawn.
“Southerly winds will change to northerly from Friday, which will mean autumn will have one last chance to shine on the weekend,” he said.
“This change of winds will allow the air to gain a little more humidity, which will tend to keep the nights a little warmer on the weekend.”
Is autumn the best time to live in Canberra? Leave a comment below.
