Are those interstate relatives who came for Christmas hanging around until New Year? Are you just a little bit sick of them already? Is the house getting smaller by the day? Do you all need some space?
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We're assuming they've already been to see the national institutions and walked around the lake, so what else is there to do?
Here are a few ideas.
Great outdoors
There's something for everyone at the Australian National Botanic Gardens. Let the kids run around in the new treehouse or explore the discovery trail with an activity booklet to complete. Cool down in the Rainforest Gully Walk or learn all about Aboriginal plant use with a specially marked trail. If it's all too much, hop on an electric bus for the Flora Explorer tour on the weekends and public holidays at 10.30am and 1pm. The gardens are open daily from 8.30am to 5pm. You could spend a day there. Pack a picnic or enjoy Pollen Cafe.
Best of Canberra
You can't beat the view from the top of Telstra Tower. Built in 1980 for $16 million, the views from the top of Black Mountain are spectacular. Still functioning as a telecommunications facility, visitors can access the viewing platforms between 9am and 10pm for a meagre admission price; family passes are $17. If you're feeling super fit, park at the back of CSIRO and walk the trail to the summit and then treat yourself with an elevator ride to the top.
Dog days
Did your guests bring their pooch? Time for some four-legged fun at the water's edge. Dogs are permitted to swim in most of Canberra's lakes as long as they are not within 10 metres of a sign-posted public swimming area. Or head further afield to Uriarra Crossing on the Murrumbidgee River, a nice drive for humans too. If you've got an inside dog, check out the Mercure Hotel, originally known as the Hotel Ainslie (and more recently as OIims), where dogs are welcome. There's a quaint corner of the foyer where you could relax with a coffee while the dog naps.
History buffs
Download the ACT government's Canberra Tracks app and spend a day exploring parts of the capital with significant heritage value. There are eight self-drive routes leading to many historic sites, from a journey into Ngunnawal country to cemeteries where the earliest settlers are buried, to sites where World War II aircraft practised dropping bombs. There are drives from Gungahlin to Tuggeranong. And the app will keep the kids amused too.
Movie time
While the easy option is to head to the cinema to check out the latest Star Wars movie, there's plenty of other options in Canberra for movie buffs. The Starstruck: Australian Movie Portraits exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery will appeal to all ages. A collaboration with the National Film and Sound Archive, there are also movie screenings and events right throughout summer. And while you're at the NFSA, explore its many great offerings. The portrait gallery is open daily from 10am to 5pm, the film and sound archive from 9am to 5pm.
What are the other options? Let us know in the comments.
